Führung und Herrschaft im Alten Testament, Gebunden

Klappentext

The contributors to this volume explore the intersections of anthropology and leadership in the Old Testament and advance the thesis that Old Testament conceptions of leadership can only be adequately understood when the anthropological assumptions underlying them are considered. Leaders are portrayed not merely as distinguished by social status, but as embodied social beings whose authority is constructed and reflected through bodies, rituals, relationships, and communicative practices.

Methodologically, this volume combines synchronic and diachronic exegesis with perspectives drawn from the history of religion, archaeology, iconography, and the cultural and social sciences. Geographically, its focus lies on Israel and Judah within the context of ancient Egypt, the Ancient Near East, and the ancient Mediterranean world, including Greece; chronologically, it addresses the literatures and cultures of the first millennium BCE. Theoretically, it engages with historical and theological anthropology as well as concepts of embodiment, sociality, and authority.

The analysis demonstrates that claims to leadership in the Old Testament are rooted in various spheres of experience within ancient societies, particularly the family, the state, cultic life, and law. Embodied and social spheres emerge as central analytical categories: bodily performances, clothing, rituals, prophetic practices, familial structures, representation, and both verbal and nonverbal communication shape the portrayal of leadership. For the first time, the contributors bring together Old Testament leadership studies and anthropology, opening new avenues for exegesis, the study of religion, ancient studies, and the cultural and social sciences.