Theology

By linking literary, historical and theological perspectives, Friederike Neumann presents a modern model for the formation of the Jacob story and demonstrates that »Jacob and the nations« constitutes the determining theme of this narrative from its beginnings to its present form.

How can we change our minds about the standards we use to change our minds? Leading philosophers, historians, and scholars of religion take up this paradox, engaging critically with the theory of rational self-criticism set out in The View from Within: testing, instantiating, extending, and challenging it.

Arie W. Zwiep traces the history of biblical interpretation from antiquity to the present. He shows how text, reader, and context interact to shape meaning and give rise to a plurality of interpretations, and how changing historical and cultural contexts continue to reshape the understanding of Scripture.

Given the criticism of compassion expressed as far back as antiquity, its positive assessment and relevance to theology, Christology, and ethics in the Gospel of Luke is surprising. Elisa M. Klein situates this in the context of philosophical and early Jewish conceptions of emotion and highlights the significance of disgust in the Gospel.