The Book of Samuel and Its Response to Monarchy

Edited by Sara Kipfer and Jeremy M. Hutton in collaboration with Regine Hunziker-Rodewald, Thomas Naumann and Johannes Klein.

Power comprises one of the key topics of the book of Samuel. This theme encompasses tribal contentions, power differentials between religious authorities and kings, fathers and sons, men and women. The 11 englisch and four german articles assembled here explore Israel's search for political identity and Samuel's critique of monarchy, the book's constructions of power and powerlessness, and the editors' and early audiences' postmonarchic reflections. Historical and social-scientific approaches to the book of Samuel find ancient Near Eastern parallels for the political organization of Israel and describe the social conditions under authoritarian regimes. Redactional approaches examine the diachronic development of Samuel's varying perceptions of monarchy, from that institution's inception through its entrenchment in Israelite and Judahite society, until it underwent a sudden, cataclysmic failure. And literary and theological approaches advocate for contemporary reconsideration and application of the book's more noble principles. With contributions by Walter Dietrich, Thomas Naumann, Sara Kipfer, Mahri Leonard-Fleckmann, Hulisani Ramantswana, Ian D. Wilson, Ilse Müllner, Hannes Bezzel, Benjamin J. M. Johnson, David Firth, Johannes Klein, Jeremy Hutton and Régine Hunziker-Rodewald. 344 Seiten mit 2 Abb., broschiert (Beiträge zur Wissenschaft vom Alten und Neuen Testament; Vol. 228/Verlag W. Kohlhammer 2021) Mängelexemplarstempel auf Schnitt, Schnitt leicht nachgedunkelt, Kanten leicht bestoßen/defect copy stamp on cut, papers light stained, edges slightly bumped