Fasting in the Old Testament is a way of repentance, a means of awareness of the state of sin and of expressing the opinion of evil, an act of humiliation of the soul, through which the believer wants to cleanse himself bodily and spiritually and to return to God. In general, as an act of humiliation of the soul (innah nephesh), fasting is not viewed separately from the other specific means for repentance (confession of sins, prayer, mercy, etc.) but in full consonance and with them. Among them, fasting, however, has the role of constituting that good beginning, which man seeks to put into his work of repentance. Moreover, fasting is an occasion for self-retrieval, it restores the inner order and makes the believer find himself in a natural order with God and with his fellowmen.
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Interpreter: A journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
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Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
In this article I will argue that, as an expression of Christian piety, fasting is only appropriate in exceptional circumstances. It should not be a habitual expression of devotion to the Lord. Fasting belongs in the OT, but after the coming of Christ the appropriate sentiment for believers is joy, not grief. That is not to say that it is wrong for Christians to fast, but that it reflects a state that should not be a habitual one. Instead of fasting, Christians should express their piety through joy and through sharing their resources with those in need. After a brief overview of fasting in the OT, I will discuss the implications of Jesus’ words about fasting in Mark 2:19–20 par. Next, I will examine the references to fasting in the rest of the NT and see if they reflect an exceptional or a habitual practice. In the final section, I will sketch the outlines of a new kind of fasting. Without ignoring individual differences in expression, emphasis, and focus, my argument will assume t.
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This paper is a discussion on historical, cultural and linguisitc considerations which define the concept of repetance and sanctification in the Bible and its surrounding material. This is contrasted with common questions on the topic which come from modern theology (mainly Protestant).
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Princeton Theological Monograph Series, 219
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This thesis argues for the presence of retributive theodicy in the book of Lamentations. This is done through a comparison with three ancient Near Eastern laments. In chapter one, the precedent for such a study is established through the presentation of three competing views of Lamentations (i.e., Lamentations as a work of liturgy, Lamentations as pure lament, and Lamentations as retributive theodicy). It is then demonstrated that much of the research on Lamentations focuses on similarities with ANE city-laments. It is proposed that a study that identifies and explores the differences between these texts might illumine helpful elements for discerning the meaning of the text of Lamentations. In chapter two, the hermeneutical foundation of such a study is laid. In chapter three, the three most important Sumerian laments are exposited and similarities between these laments and the biblical Lamentations are demonstrated. This step proves further credibility to the present study by proving the claim of chapter two that these laments belong to the same genre. In chapter four, the differences between Lamentations and these three ANE city-laments are elucidated. The two literary differences (i.e., acrostic pattern and chiasm form) prove that the two theological differences (i.e., sin of the lamenter and the righteousness of divine aggressor) are both intentional and important to the overall message of the book. In chapter five, these two theological differences are further explored to discern their relationship to retributive theodicy. In this chapter, it is shown that Lamentations does contain elements of retributive theodicy which is based upon the covenant infidelity of Israel and the covenant fidelity of Yahweh.
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The 5 lamentations, when read as a single biblical book, outline several interacting bodies in a similar way that dotted lines present the silhouettes and aspects of a total picture. Each also represents action, building into a plot that can be interpreted psychoanalytically to render its depth and colour content. In addition, by focusing on the body and its sensations, this study can facilitate the visceral experience of the suffering of collective and individual bodies by the recipient.
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Journal of Medieval History
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