History and ideology in the Old Testament : biblical studies at the end of a millennium : the Hensley Henson lectures for 1997 delivered to the University of Oxford

## Abstract Is the Bible historically true? Or are its narratives the expression of the ideologies of partisan groups far removed in time from the events depicted? The questions are not new, but are now being posed in a different terminology and outlook, often characterized as postmodernism. The book goes back to redefine the term ‘biblical criticism’ and concentrates on some examples from the history of Israel. An attempt is made to clarify the possible meanings of ‘ideology’ and some relations between postmodernism and theology are examined. Tradition and continuity are to be prized in contrast to the feverish grasp at novelty. The end of the millennium sees biblical study in a state of transition. The traditional position of historical approaches is widely questioned and `historical criticism'is regarded as passé. There is a search for approaches - literary or sociological - that are less tied to history. On the other hand there is a more radical approach to the history of Israel, that sees true history as distinct from the biblical narrative and dependent on sources other than the Bible. Biblical narratives thus express not the actual events but the ideological and religious aspirations of writers in much later times. `Ideology'has become one of the key words, but is used in very divergent ways. All this is linked with the intellectual movement known as post-modernism. Some connections between post-modernism and theology are suggested by Professor Barr in the final chapter. This book is important because it tries to bring together various threads of these different movements and to state a position from which we may advance into the new millennium. "The end of the millennium sees biblical study in a state of transition. The traditional position of historical approaches is widely questioned and 'historical criticism' is regarded as passe. There is a search for approaches, literary or sociological, that are less tied to history. On the other hand there is a more radical approach to the history of Israel that sees true history as distinct from the biblical narrative and dependent on sources other that the Bible."--Jacket Cover ......Page 1 Front page......Page 4 Contents......Page 10 Abbreviations......Page 11 1. The Bible, History, and Apologetics......Page 12 2. The New Profile of Discussion about the Bible......Page 27 3. Biblical Criticism......Page 43 4. The History of Israel......Page 70 5. Ideology......Page 113 6. Postmodernism......Page 152 7. Postmodernism and Theology......Page 174 8. Conclusion......Page 190 Bibliography......Page 192 Index......Page 204 Focusing on the Old Testament and the history of Israel, this book brings together aspects of controversy about the Bible at the end of the millennium. Author James Barr examines the nature of biblical narrative, asking whether the Bible expresses actual historical events or the ideological and religious aspirations of writers in much later times. How far does the Bible give us a vision of a real world in the past and how far is it an expression of a world imagined for religious reasons by writers who lived in much later times? Professor Barr explores this and other controversial issues UNDER the terms of the Hensley Henson Bequest, the general subject of the lectures on which this book is based is defined as 'The Appeal to History as an Integral Part of Christian Apologetics'.