Research Catalog

The responsive self personal religion in biblical literature of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods

Title
The responsive self [electronic resource] : personal religion in biblical literature of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods / Susan Niditch.
Author
Niditch, Susan.
Publication
New Haven : Yale University Press, [2015]

Available Online

  • Available from home with a valid library card
  • Available onsite at NYPL

Details

Description
1 online resource (vii, 190 pages)
Summary
"Works created in the period from the Babylonian conquest of Judea through the takeover and rule of Judea and Samaria by imperial Persia reveal a profound interest in the religious responses of individuals and an intimate engagement with the nature of personal experience. Using the rich and varied body of literature preserved in the Hebrew Bible, Susan Niditch examines ways in which followers of Yahweh, participating in long-standing traditions, are shown to privatize and personalize religion. Their experiences remain relevant to many of the questions we still ask today: Why do bad things happen to good people? Does God hear me when I call out in trouble? How do I define myself? Do I have a personal relationship with a divine being? How do I cope with chaos and make sense of my experience? What roles do material objects and private practices play within my religious life? These questions deeply engaged the ancient writers of the Bible, and they continue to intrigue contemporary people who try to find meaning in life and to make sense of the world. The Responsive Self studies a variety of phenomena, including the use of first-person speech, seemingly autobiographic forms and orientations, the emphasis on individual responsibility for sin, interest in the emotional dimensions of biblical characters, and descriptions of self-imposed ritual. This set of interests lends itself to exciting approaches in the contemporary study of religion, including the concept of "lived religion," and involves understanding and describing what people actually do and believe in cultures of religion."--Dust jacket.
Series Statement
The Anchor Yale Bible reference library
Uniform Title
  • Responsive self (Online)
  • Anchor Yale Bible reference library.
Alternative Title
  • Responsive self (Online)
  • Personal religion in biblical literature of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods
Subjects
Bibliography (note)
  • Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-178) and indexes.
Access (note)
  • Access restricted to authorized users.
Contents
Introduction -- Sour grapes, suffering, and coping with chaos : outlook on the individual -- Personal religion in Ecclesiastes and Job : conventional wisdom, responses in the first-person voice, and the problem of suffering -- From incantation and lament to autobiography -- The negotiating self : vowing and personal religion -- Material religion, created and experienced : burial sites, symbolic visions, and sign acts -- Experiencing the Divine personally : heavenly visits and earthly encounters -- Characterization and contrast : dynamics of the personal in late-biblical narration -- Conclusion.
LCCN
2015930848
OCLC
ssj0001550464
Author
Niditch, Susan.
Title
The responsive self [electronic resource] : personal religion in biblical literature of the Neo-Babylonian and Persian periods / Susan Niditch.
Imprint
New Haven : Yale University Press, [2015]
Series
The Anchor Yale Bible reference library
Anchor Yale Bible reference library.
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 163-178) and indexes.
Access
Access restricted to authorized users.
Connect to:
Available from home with a valid library card
Available onsite at NYPL
Added Author
ProQuest (Firm)
View in Legacy Catalog