Excellent4.8 out of 5On Trustpilot
  1. Christian Books/
  2. Bible Study

Authority and Violence in the Gideon and Abimelech Narratives

A Sociological and Literary Exploration of Judges 6-9

by Linda a Dietch

  • Hardback
  • 274 pages
  • Publisher: Sheffield Phoenix Press Ltd
  • 15.6 x 23.4 x 1.7 cm

£55.16

Free UK Delivery

Available - Usually dispatched within 5 days

Buying for a school or church? Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account

Free delivery on orders over £10

Authority and violence exhibit a close and complex relationship in the social worlds depicted in biblical narratives as well as in ancient and modern societies. The perceived legitimacy or illegitimacy of authority and violence can hinge upon a number of factors. In the stories of Gideon and Abimelech in Judges 6-9, lethal actions are depicted as justified, regrettable, or reproachful based, in part, on assumptions regarding kinship, honor, and justice. These narratives form an intriguing interlude within Judges as they directly broach, for the first time in the flow of biblical history, the 'reality' of dynastic kingship within Israel while telling a tale of deadly and divinely motivated reversals of power. An interdisciplinary approach that blends social-scientific analysis driven by Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of social field, habitus, capital, and doxa with a close narrative analysis recommends new ways of understanding the biblical characters' motivations, skills, and social capital; the linguistic capital of the text's creators; and the social worlds from which the narratives emerged. By examining the narrated relations of power through a sociological lens, the study discerns and describes how political and religious power is attained, preserved, transmitted, resisted, endorsed, disguised, or divinized. Building upon this basis, concentration on narrated violence suggests how the stories might be purposed to endorse, legitimate, or resist authority in the ancient context. The study concludes with a synthesis of its results and a survey of scribalism in order to recommend historical settings for the origination of the narratives. The study demonstrates how the biblical text, as a cultural product, can both knowingly and unknowingly communicate information about a society's social relations, values, and concerns. This is the second volume in the sub-series The Bible and Social Science.
Authority and Violence in the Gideon and Abimelech Narratives and Incomparable
IncomparableAuthority and Violence in the Gideon and Abimelech Narratives

  • Author

    Linda a Dietch

  • Book Format

    Hardback

  • Publisher

    Sheffield Phoenix Press Ltd

  • Published

    September 2015

  • Weight

    559g

  • Page Count

    274

  • Dimensions

    15.6 x 23.4 x 1.7 cm

  • ISBN

    9781909697829

  • ISBN-10

    1909697826

  • Eden Code

    4373002

Featured in

Over 14,000 churches and schools have upgraded to an Advance Account and we‘d love to welcome you into this free program. We know that church volunteers and school teachers often use their own money, then have claim it back on on an expense form. We can take all of that hassle away by invoicing your church or school directly and delivering your order straight away.

Opening an account is quick and easy, with most accounts being approved and setup within a few hours of filling in the form below (on weekdays, not weekends). As soon as we‘ve approved the application we‘ll send you an email to let you know that its done.

Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account
Write a review
      Ask a question