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Textweek ATLAS December 22, 2013: Advent 4A

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/adventa4.htm

Advent 4A
December 22, 2013

Carter, Warren, "Evoking Isaiah: Matthean Soteriology and an Intertextual Reading of Isaiah 7-9 and Matthew 1:23 and 4:15-16," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2000.
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 “The intertext recognizes the Gospel audience's experience of imperial power, provides God's perspectives on that situation, explains the present, underlines the hope of change, warns of rejection, and raises the key question at the end of the first narrative block and on the brink of the beginning of Jesus' ministry of how God will accomplish that salvation through Jesus. These two citations require the audience to look back to elaborate the prophet Isaiah and forward to answer this question.”

 Menken, Maarten J.J., "The Textual Form of the Quotation from Isaiah 7:14 in Matthew 1:23," Novum Testamentum, 2001.
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“Matthew inserted in 1 23 the quotation from Isa 7 14 into his story of Jesus' origins The quotation comes from a revised LXX The revision consisted in changing εν γαστρί λή(μ)ψεται into εν γαστρί εξει, to make the translation render the Hebrew more correctly, and in changing καλέσεις into καλέσουσιν, probably under the influence of a Hebrew variant reading There are no reasons to ascnbe the revision to Matthew, there are grounds to think that he found the quotation in the form in which he presents it.”

Yoder, Christine Roy, "Hope that Walks: An Interpretation of Isaiah for Advent Preachers," Journal for Preachers, 2001.
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“Yahweh instructs Ahaz to ask for a ‘sign,’ a visible, concrete confirmation of the divine word. Ahaz refuses, claiming that to do so would be profane (see Deut. 6:16)! The irony is not lost on Isaiah. The prophet rebukes Ahaz for hiding his reluctance to know God's intentions behind the façade of piety.”

Wong, Gordon C.I., "Faith in the Present form of Isaiah 7:1-17," Vetus Testamentum, 2001.
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Abstract: “The prophet in Isa vii 9b urges Ahaz to show faith in Yhwh. But what does faith in Yhwh here entail? The two most common views are considered a call to total passivity and a call to reject all political alliances An alternative reading that is based on an appeal to the final form and position of Isa vii is then proposed Faith finds security in the word of Yhwh and rejects a religious piety that ignores the practice of righteousness and justice This understanding of faith is in harmony with the opening message that is found in Isa ι and the emphasis on righteousness that is prominent elsewhere in the book.”

Brown, Michael Joseph, "Paul's Use of DOULOS XRISTOU LESOU in Romans 1:1," Journal of Biblical Literature, 2001.
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“Slave language and imagery belong to Pauls presentation in the letter, but what does this language mean when addressed to persons who are the highest of high status slaves in the empire? Further investigation needs to be done in this area. For example, it appears that the Roman congregation would have had a more nuanced understanding of the concept of νόμος than others, given its social location. They would have understood both the positive and negative results of the institution of νόμος. Educated Romans, particularly those in government, understood the power of law in a way that others did not. They understood that law defined status (ordo), and that status greatly determined the possibilities available to an individual. Νόμος is not simply the Jewish scriptures; it is the very construction of society itself—the way things are.60 Such an awareness would allow for a fuller understanding of Pauls argument regarding νόμος in Romans. Placing the Roman correspondence in its distinctive context can give us a richer understanding of Paul’s theology.”

Cousar, Charles B., "Disruptive Hope: New Testament Texts for Advent," Journal for Preachers, 2001. (Section begins on page 29.)
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“Jesus' extraordinary birth is but the beginning of the disruption of this world by God's intervention. In between birth and resurrection, we are repeatedly reminded that God's reign and human structures of power do not easily mesh. Religious and political authorities are shocked time and again, until they give him a scandalous death…Paul expresses this disruptive feature of the gospel in the introduction to his letter to the Romans (1:1-7).”

MacLeod, David J., "Eternal Son, Davidic Son, Messianic Son: An Exposition of Romans 1:1-7," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2005.
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“The opening words of the salutation of Romans offer a practical lesson to Christian leaders in Paul's humble-minded assessment of himself. He was a ‘slave of Jesus Christ.’ And like Paul, all believers are chosen of God to be His envoys in this world.”

Alison, James, "Reading the Signs," The Christian Century, 2007.
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“…how extraordinary is a power that is gentle and confident enough to enter into the practical consequences of a human act of interpretation? There is no sign that is not also a human act of interpretation, and there can be no riskier way than this to enter into the realm of signs. This pregnant woman is either an adulteress or a virgin blessed by God. What power is it that is prepared to trust that a human will choose the latter, infinitely less plausible interpretation, and then graciously cover over the vulnerability of his bride-to-be and allow the sign to flourish?”

Blaisdell, Barbara S., "Songs of the Season: Love Came Down at Christmas," Encounter, 2008.
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“The church prefers to read from Luke's version because Luke tells such a pretty tale, doesn't he?”

Copenhaver, Martin B., "Jesus' Other Parent," Journal for Preachers, 2007. (Sermon)
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“Of course, our individual lives are not the only ones that seem to be in such a mess. There are times, and surely this is one, when the whole world seems like one shattered dream. And it will take the faith of Joseph to believe what the angels endeavor to tell us in our dreams, that God is still with us, that God is struggling to be born, not just in spite of the mess, but in some way through it, in ways that are still hard for us to imagine.”

Mendenhall, Laura S., "Adoption," sermon, Journal for Preachers, 2001.
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“We are adopted into God's family, redeemed from the law that demands punishment for our sin, and made heirs of God's Kingdom. Along with Joseph and his whole family, we are adopted into God's family. You and I and all kinds of folks involved in scandalous behavior—folks who are outsiders, do-nothings, and stepparents, folks we never imagined being part of our family line—are now adopted into the same family, God's family. Part of the miracle in the birth of Jesus is the adoption—Joseph's adoption of Jesus into his family and Jesus' adoption of Joseph and his whole family line. We are all adopted into God's family, no longer slaves under the law but heirs of God's Kingdom.”

Textweek ATLAS December 15, 2013: Advent 3A

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/adventa3.htm

Advent 3A
December 15, 2013

Broesterhuizen, Marcel, "Faith in Deaf Culture,"Theological Studies, 2005.
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 “Deaf people often have been outsiders in a hearing Church. The message of the Church has not reached Deaf people because the language, symbols, culture of the traditional Church, and the view of Church people on deafness were remote from the culture and daily life experiences of Deaf people. In several countries, new developments are going on. Deaf people are themselves playing the central role, as full participants of all the gifts inherent to baptismal priesthood. Typically hearing views on deafness are left behind, deafness is discovered as a strength, Deaf lay persons build up the Church; Sign Language becomes a sacral language. In this liberating development Deafhood is a locus theologicus, a source of knowledge about God: it is a matter of enculturation and indigenization of Christian faith in Deaf culture. Faith discovers the positive values, the "seeds of the Word" in Deaf culture and thereby enriches the universal Church.” 

Carl, William J., III, "Between Text & Sermon: Psalm 146,"Interpretation, 1994. 
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 “But what—in a post-Constantinian, postmodern and (some believe) post-Christian world (See Loren Mead's The Once and Future Church)—does Psalm 146 have to do with evangelism? The answer is everything. In fact, this little Hebrew song holds in proper tension evangelism and social action.”

Charles, Gary W., "Hallelujah! Psalm 146," Journal for Preachers, 2007.
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 “You can summarize Psalm 146 in one sentence, "Trust God, not human rulers." That's why Jews and Christians have sung this song for centuries.”

 Osburn, Carroll, "James, Sirach, and the Poor," Ex Auditu, 2006.
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 “Reading James in terms of the macrostructure provided by the close textual relationship with Sirach and allowing discourse analysis to fill in the gaps left implicit by James can enable James to become an authoritative voice in the church's functional canon and impel the church meaningfully into the twenty-first century's human dilemma.”

 Talbert, Charles H., "James: Teaching Outlines and Selected Sermon Seeds," Review and Expositor, 2000. (See especially, "On Waiting for the End," (p. 179.))
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Section on this text begins on page 179. “This text reflects a certain set of circumstances that characterize the readers of James. (1) The readers were wavering in their Christian commitment. (2) They were gutting one another, irrespective of the truth. Why? Whenever confidence in God's underwriting of the moral order wanes, then humans feel it necessary to insure their own place. This inevitably leads to infighting and to untruthfulness in order to secure such a place. How does James respond to this situation?”

Alison, James, "Stretched Hearts," The Christian Century, 2007.
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“The One coming in wants to show us that there is no violence in him.”

Baxter, Wayne, "Healing and the 'Son of David': Matthew's Warrant," Novum Testamentum, 2006. 
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Abstract: “This article examines Matthew's warrant for linking the christological title "Son of David" with Jesus' healing activity, arguing that the Evangelist based this connection on the Davidic Shepherd of Ezekiel 34 The study will seek to demonstrate this premise by sketching a composite of the Matthean "Son of David" and comparing this composite to Ezekiels Davidic Shepherd, bringing to light the contextual, verbal and thematic links between Matthew's Son of David motif and Ezekiel 34, and by pointing out the inadequacies of other competing theories.”

Enniss, P.C., "Waiting," Journal for Preachers, 2005. Sermon.
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Sermon from 2005. “In Advent, the one for whom we wait is already here, shaping and giving hope and substance to our lives—not really—but really.”

Haemig, Mary Jane, "Advent Preaching on 'Doubting John',"Lutheran Quarterly, 2006.
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“Finally, a survey such as this should lead us to appreciate the breadth within the Christian homiletical tradition and encourage us to mine its riches in approaching biblical texts today. This is not to say that all approaches used previously are or were equally valuable. However, considering the broad homiletical tradition can open our minds to some of the possibilities in a biblical text and prevent preachers from being hostages to their own presuppositions and those of their age.”

 

Textweek ATLAS December 8, 2013 Advent 2A

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/adventa2.htm

Advent 2A
December 8, 2013

Allen, Ronald J., "Removing Anti-Jewish Toxins from Advent Preaching," The Living Pulpit, 1997.
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 “…the preacher can emphasize that while the church legitimately uses the prophetic passages to interpret the significance of Jesus, these texts have a life and integrity of their own. Indeed, most of the predictive prophetic texts in Advent look for a renewed social world whereas most Advent preaching concentrates on the regeneration of personal worlds.”

 Alison, James, "Prodded to Life," The Christian Century, 2007.
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 “We are promised that the One who is to come longs for peace and seeks to make it possible.”

 Beuken, Willem A.M., "The Emergence of the Shoot of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-16): An Eschatological or a Now Event?" Calvin Theological Journal, 2004.
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 “Whether one still awaits the Messiah or one recognizes him in Jesus of Nazareth, Isaiah 11 anticipates, according to this explanation, a completely new future in which God's involvement with the world is to reach its completion.”

Evans, Craig A., "Jesus and Justice," Ex Auditu, 2006.
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 Lee, Max J., "Response to Evans," Ex Auditu, 2006.
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 “Jesus' proclamation of the rule (and justice) of God did not come out of thin air. His language and themes are deeply rooted in Israel's ancient and sacred Scripture. This is not to say that there is no innovation to be found in his teaching; it is only to say that the teaching of Jesus cannot properly be understood apart from careful consideration of its scriptural and traditional antecedents.”

 Janzen, Gerald, "Divine Warfare and Nonresistance,"Direction, 2003.
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“On the matter of nonresistance, the theme of spiritual warfare demonstrates a continuity between the Old and New Testaments.”

 McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., "Preaching on Psalms for Advent,"Journal for Preachers, 1992. (Section begins on page 13)
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 Section on this text begins on page 13. “Psalm 72 is eschatological. As Robert Alter suggests, it is an example ‘of poetic form used to reshape the world in the light of belief.’”

 Mays, James Luther, "'In a Vision': The Portrayal of the Messiah in the Psalms," Ex Auditu, 1991.
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 “These then are some of the principal features of the vision of the relation between the Messiah and God in the Psalms. It is of course an Old Testament vision. It is articulated in the vocabulary of its time and in the idiom of the protagonists in which it was given human expression. But its royal, political, military language is not irrelevant as long as the great metaphor of the reign of God is useful to the thinking of faith seeking understanding.”

 Houston, Walter J., "The King's Preferential Option for the Poor: Rhetoric, Ideology and Ethics in Psalm 72," Biblical Interpretation, 1999.
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 “It is my intention to respond to the challenge posed by the materialist interpretation of the Bible practised by Mosala, Gottwald (e.g., Gottwald 1992) and others. I am unable to treat texts on this subject as disembodied texts for whose meaning the reader is solely responsible, as much recent literary criticism has suggested. In these texts someone is trying to persuade me of something.”

 Cousar, Charles B., "Disruptive Hope: New Testament Texts for Advent," Journal for Preachers, 2001. (Section begins on page 28.)
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 “Romans 15:4-13, the epistolary lesson for the Sunday, may seem to have an unusual beginning point, but, as assigned, it begins and ends with hope. The scriptures are written to evoke steadfastness and hope (15:4), and the concluding benediction is prayer for hope (15:13). In both cases, hope is the gift of God.”

 Horrell, David G., "The Peaceable, Tolerant Community and the Legitimate Role of the State: Ethics and Ethical Dilemmas in Romans 12:1-15:13," Review & Expositor, 2003.
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 Abstract: “These four chapters of Romans constitute a coherent section of ethical instruction which aims to foster the solidarity of the Christian community, to legitimate a degree of diversity in its convictions and practices, and also to advise Christians on relations with outsiders, specifically with the state. The community so envisioned, which unites Jew and Gentile without erasing their differences, is an embodiment of the gospel presented throughout Romans. Particular attention is given to the notorious Rom 13:1-7 and to the place of this text in its literary context. While the Christian community is presented as a non-conformist, non-violent community (Rom 12:2,17-21), the text also sanctions the use of force on the part of the state (Rom 13:4). Thus it raises difficult questions concerning the ways in contemporary readers, whose membership of the Christian church does not preclude participation as citizens of their societies, should discern their responsibilities.”

 Patte, Daniel, "Thinking Mission with Paul and the Romans: Romans 15:1-33," Mission Studies, 2006.
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Abstract: “I write these notes on Romans 15:1-33 (read together with 1:1-15 and other passages of Romans) as resources for a group discussion of Romans 15 and its teaching about mission for the group's life context. I presuppose that the group will want to have three rounds of discussion. According to the size of the group these three rounds can take place in one long session - with the larger group breaking down in smaller groups and coming back together three times, for instance during an evening - or in three shorter sessions. The first round-table discussion is focused on the group members' first readings of Romans 15. The second round-table involves comparing the members' readings with those of scholars. For this purpose, since there are presently three types of scholarly readings of Romans, I present them, underscoring the different ways they conceive of Paul's teaching about mission. Throughout I also presuppose that each member of the group is committed to "read with" the other members this text of Paul as a Scripture about mission, a process that requires a third round-table.”

Carter, Warren, "Matthew's Gospel: An Anti-Imperial/Imperial Reading," Currents in Theology and Mission, 2007. See entire issue of Currents in Theology and Mission 34, image focus on Matthew's gospel.
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“Matthew's plot is an act of imperial negotiation. Unfolding through six stages, its central dynamic comprises conflict between Jesus and the Rome-allied (Jerusalem-based) leaders. It ends with God raising Jesus, crucified by the imperial elite.”

Keener, Craig S., "'Brood of Vipers' (Matthew 3.7; 12.34; 23.33)," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 2005.
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Abstract: “According to a widespread tradition in the ancient Mediterranean world (attested in Herodotus, Aelian, Pliny and other writers), vipers killed their mother during their birth, hence were associated with parent-murder. Ancient writers sometimes used parent-murder as an example of one of the worst conceivable crimes, one that invited divine vengeance. Whereas Matthew's source may apply the image of vipers' offspring generally to the crowds listening to John the Baptist, Matthew applies it specifically to the Pharisees in all three of the passages where he recounts the image. In two of these instances the Pharisees claim honorable descent; Matthew ironically inverts the value of this claim through this image of vipers' parent-murder. Matthew utilizes the image for his intra-Jewish polemic, contending that his Jewish-Christian hearers are truer heirs of the patriarchs and prophets than the Pharisees are.”

Kelhoffer, James A., "Early Christian Studies among the Academic Disciplines: Reflections on John the Baptist's 'Locusts and Wild Honey,'" Biblical Research, 2005.
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Abstract: “This article reflects on the methodologies employed in the author's recent monograph on John the Baptist's "locusts and wild honey" with an eye to six larger issues of interest to New Testament and early Christian studies in interdisciplinary perspective. These issues concern the ongoing need for philological refinement; moving beyond 'parallelomania' to cogent argumentation and elucidation; the use of sociological data from recent and contemporary, pre-industrialized peoples; John the Baptist (and other biblical personalities) in patristic interpretation; in the early church, biblical literature construed as a source of paideicr, and food, culture and theology: conceptions of food in antiquity.”

Vinson, Richard, "'King of the Jews': Kingship and Anti-Kingship Rhetoric in Matthew's Birth, Baptism, and Transfiguration Narratives," Review & Expositor, 2007.
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“In Lectionary Year A, between Advent and Epiphany, lectionary preachers will have several occasions to reflect on what Matthew means by calling Jesus "king/7 "Messiah/7 and other related terms.”

Textweek ATLAS December 1, 2013: Advent 1A

Studying lectionary texts? Here are some starting places for study at ATLA this week. If you are the graduate of an accredited U.S. theological school, you may have free access to these articles through your school. Check ATLAS access options. You can find full lists of ATLAS recommended articles for this week at The Text This Week's page for this week's texts:

http://www.textweek.com/yeara/adventa1.htm

Advent 1A
December 1, 2013

Holmgren, Fredrick C., "Isaiah 2:1-5, Between Text and Sermon," Interpretation, 1997.
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An Interpretation “Between Text and Sermon” article from 1997. “This picture of shalom painted by Isaiah 2:2-5 (and it is a picture, not a program) has the same ideal quality that characterizes the teaching of Jesus (cf. Matt. 5-6). Both point us beyond what we think is possible; both envision what could happen if people acted as God's partners in redemption. Isaiah attempts to enliven the imagination so that Israelites could believe even in bad times that with God as partner ‘something like this could happen.’”

 Miller, Donald E., "Ain't Gonna Study War No More, Isaiah 2:1-4," Brethren Life and Thought, 2007.
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 “I believe that Isaiah's vision as seen in Jesus Christ calls the church constantly to be living and witnessing for peace. It begins with an inward peace with God, but does not stop there. It constantly learns the way of the Lord and works daily for the things that make for peace. When the whole nation is caught up in a passion for violence, the church's mission is to remind people that arbitration and justice are the will of God, not vengeance. The call for peace is an essential part of the gospel message, not an optional add-on.”

 Wardlaw, Theodore J., "Preaching the Advent Texts,"Journal for Preachers, 2007.
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“Rarely is the church called upon to be more countercultural than during Advent. Rarely is there a greater disconnect between the church's hopes and secular sentiments, as people step from the surrounding cacophonies into quiet sanctuaries that display the hues of purple or deep blue rather than red and green and are invited (somewhat grudgingly) to mark time—carefully and deliberately—toward a destination, finally, that is on a horizon more distant than December 25…”

 Yoder, Christine Roy, "Hope that Walks: An Interpretation of Isaiah for Advent Preachers," Journal for Preachers, 2001.

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 “As we wait and watch, the prophet Isaiah, whose oracles dominate the Advent Old Testament lectionary, rekindles our hope in the "not yet" and reminds us that embracing that hope has implications for our lives now. Pointing us ahead to a towering mountain, to a solitary shoot from a stump, to the cries of a newborn named Immanuel, Isaiah captivates our imaginations about the coming of God. He draws us into a world transformed, a future marked by divine justice, restoration of the whole creation, and universal peace.”

 Richter, Kimberly Clayton, "The Advent Texts: Glorious Visions, Dogged Discipleship," Journal for Preachers, 2004.
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 “The texts this year make wonderful guides through Advent. The prophet Isaiah provides glorious visions week after week. These visions are full of life: high mountains with people streaming up the ascent toward peace; a green shoot sprouting from a stump—an early sign that life will flourish among the most unlikely pairings; a desert blooming no less than blind eyes opening to sight; and a young woman is pregnant with a child. But, lest we soar too high to these mountainous visions of glory, Matthew is our gospel guide through Advent and Matthew keeps us close to the ground.”

 McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., "Preaching on Psalms for Advent,"Journal for Preachers, 1992.
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 The section on Psalm 122 begins on page 11. “What it means to enter Jerusalem, to live eschatologically, to live under God's reign, is illustrated powerfully by one of Walker Percy's characters in The Second Coming…”

 Carter, T.L., "The Irony of Romans 13," Novum Testamentum, 2004.
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 Abstract: “This article explores the possibility that Paul was using irony in his commendation of the state in Romans 13. It is proposed that the original audience of the letter shared with Paul a common experience of oppression at the hands of the authorities and were aware of the abuses that took place in the opening years of Nero's reign. The consequent implausibility of Paul's language would have alerted his readers to the presence of irony. They would have been able to set aside the surface meaning of the discourse and to recognise that Paul was using the established rhetorical technique of censuring with counterfeit praise. While the passage can be read as a straightforward injunction to submit to the authorities, an ironic reading of the text results in a subversion of the very authorities it appears to commend.”

 Cousar, Charles B., "Disruptive Hope: New Testament Texts for Advent," Journal for Preachers, 2001.
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 The section n this text begins on page 26. “God-with-us is currently hidden under imperfection and strife. The presence of the new creation is known only amidst the old, where our sight is blurred and our experiences are highly ambiguous. But we anticipate a time when God will reveal the new humanity as it was intended to be, when no one can deny the gracious lordship of Christ, and when creation will be thoroughly renewed—a good reason to hope.”

 Gorman, Michael J., "Romans 13:8-14," Interpretation, 2008.
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 “The irony is that Augustine was responding to words that were not intended for an indecisive seeker like him; they were words written for a community of committed, if not perfectly formed, believers. As Augustine himself says, however, his conversion through these words mirrors the unexpected conversions of others through the divine power of unexpected texts. From the human side, like all good preaching, Paul's words in Rom 13:8-14 can jar both the uncommitted and the committed; they are inherently both evangelistic and pastoral words.”

Alison, James, "Punctured," The Christian Century, 2007.
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“Jesus points it out very clearly: there is no human criterion at all that is capable of knowing how the Creators design to fulfill creation is going to look. Majority expectations are not safe, like those of Noah's contemporaries…”

Long, Thomas G., "Imagine There's No Heaven: The Loss of Eschatology in American Preaching," Journal for Preachers, 2006.
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 “How today's pulpit grew reticent about eschatology, about the classic "last things," is a complex story, but it is also a remarkable story, because we who preach today are the heirs of preachers in a not-too-distant past who spoke often, clearly, and confidently of the Christian hope for people and for of all of creation…”