The Bible and its Long and Variegated Reception in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in Literature, the Visual Arts, Music and Film -- By: Christoph W. Stenschke

Journal: Southeastern Theological Review
Volume: STR 03:2 (Winter 2012)
Article: The Bible and its Long and Variegated Reception in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in Literature, the Visual Arts, Music and Film
Author: Christoph W. Stenschke


The Bible and its Long and Variegated Reception in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in Literature, the Visual Arts, Music and Film

A Presentation and Review of the First Volumes of the Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2009–)

Christoph W. Stenschke

Forum Wiedenest, Bergneustadt, Germany
and Department of Ancient and Biblical Studies,
University of South Africa, Pretoria

Hans-Josef Klauck, Bernard McGinn, Paul Mendes-Flohr, Choon-Leong Seow, Hermann Spieckermann, Barry Dov Walfish und Eric Ziolkowski (eds.), Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (Berlin: W. de Gruyter, 2009). Volume 1: Aaron–Aniconism. 1224 cols. Cloth. ISBN 978–3-11–018355–9. €

Hans-Josef Klauck, Bernard McGinn, Paul Mendes-Flohr, Choon-Leong Seow, Hermann Spieckermann, Barry Dov Walfish und Eric Ziolkowski (eds.), Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (Berlin: W. de Gruyter, 2011). Volume 3: Athena–Birkat ha-Minim. 1224 cols. Cloth. ISBN 978–3-11–018371–9. €

These books are Volumes one and three of an ambitious and prestigious new project. During the production and publication of the 36-volume Theologische Realenzyklopädie (G. Müller et al. eds.; Berlin, New York: W. de Gruyter, 1976–2007), the need for a new biblical encyclopaedia emerged clearly. However, it also became clear that such a project would have to be different from the single or multiple Bible dictionaries of the past in order to serve the present and the future: “… an encyclopaedia documenting not only the origins and development but also the vast influence and broad reception of the Jewish and Christian Bibles, including all their figures, themes, and motifs, would be an innovative and groundbreaking contribution to biblical scholarship” (1, vii). After a decade of careful planning, the result of this insight and process is the Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (EBR) to be published in 32 volumes. The editors describe its focus as follows in the introduction to Volume one:

EBR pursues the twofold task of (1) comprehensively recording – and, indeed, advancing - the current knowledge of the origins and development of the Bible in its Jewish and Christian canonical forms and (2) documenting the history of the Bible's reception in Judaism and Christianity as evident in exegetical literature, theological and philosophical writings of various genres, literature, liturgy, music, the visual arts, dance, and film, as well as in Islam and other religious traditions and contemporary movements. With this broad program of reception history, EBR moves into

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