Papers by Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Wünch
Verbum Et Ecclesia, Mar 31, 2023
Verbum Et Ecclesia, Sep 30, 2022
Journal for Semitics, Nov 15, 2017
The little book of Ruth is not only a literary jewel in the Old Testament, but can also, as the a... more The little book of Ruth is not only a literary jewel in the Old Testament, but can also, as the article argues, be understood as a model for proselytism. Ruth can be seen as "a proselyte par excellence". Jewish exegesis (Targum, Midrash and Talmud) interprets the book of Ruth in this way. But it can also be shown by exegetical insights as well as structural elements.
Old Testament essays, 2015
Die beiden Bande von Christof Hardmeier bieten einen umfassenden Uberblick uber Bucher und Artike... more Die beiden Bande von Christof Hardmeier bieten einen umfassenden Uberblick uber Bucher und Artikel, die Hardmeier in den Jahren seit 1978 zum Thema einer textpragmatischen Literaturwissenschaft geschrieben hat, sowie eine grundliche Einfuhrung in dieses Thema. Zunachst war nur geplant gewesen, die "text- und gattungstheoretischen Teile aus dem vergriffenen Band, Texttheorie und biblische Exegese' (1978) das Einfuhrungskapitel zu den erzahltextanalytischen Grundlagen aus 'Prophetie im Streit vor dem Untergang Judas' (1990) und eine Reihe von kleineren Beitragen aus den 90er Jahren zum Status sprachlicher Zeichen, zur computergestutzten Textwahrnehmung und zur Erfassung textformiger Makrostrukturen" (1,XII) neu herauszugeben. Diese Texte bilden den jetzigen Teilband 2. Dann jedoch wurde deutlich, so Hardmeier, dass eine grundlichere theoretische und systematische Einfuhrung in das Thema notwendig ist. Diese findet sich in Teilband 1.
Old Testament Essays
Social relations and social networks are at the core of society. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is... more Social relations and social networks are at the core of society. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is an emerging field that examines these networks and their structures. In this article, we will apply methods from SNA to a narrative text in the book of Genesis and analyse the social structure in the story of Jacob. In particular, we will discuss how closely connected narrative exegesis and SNA are and how this helps to understand the social dynamics described in the text. We will also discuss the limitations of this method within Old Testament studies. Soziale Beziehungen und soziale Netzwerke sind das Herzstück der Gesellschaft. Die soziale Netzwerkanalyse (SNA) ist ein neuer Ansatz zur Untersuchung gesellschaftlicher Netzwerke und ihrer Strukturen. In diesem Artikel, werden wir Methoden der SNA auf einen Erzähltext aus dem Buch Genesis anwenden und die soziale Struktur in der Geschichte Jakobs analysieren. Insbesondere werden wir erörtern, wie eng die narratologische Exege und SNA mi...
Journal for Semitics, Jul 20, 2021
This article explores the attitude God shows towards the animals as presented in Old Testament (O... more This article explores the attitude God shows towards the animals as presented in Old Testament (OT) texts outside of the law texts. While these law texts present God’s imperative for his people, the other OT texts display his attitude towards nature more directly. We will interpret the findings as part of a “cosmic covenant” (Robert Murray) between God and his animals on the one hand and God and humans as his viceroys on earth on the other hand. The article is written from a canonical viewpoint. This means that it does not try to distinguish divergent aspects or developments of ideas but rather looks at their similarities. The aim is not just to do an exegesis on certain Old Testament tests but to explore the relationship between God and his creation as displayed in these verses. The canonical viewpoint in connection with the idea of a “cosmic covenant” presents a new angle on this topic. The article intends to show that God, being the creator of everything, cares for his whole creation. As his people, we should therefore also treat his creation with respect and care.
Verbum Et Ecclesia, Mar 25, 2015
This article shares some reflections on African theology from an outside perspective. Starting fr... more This article shares some reflections on African theology from an outside perspective. Starting from personal experiences as a German Evangelical coming to South Africa, it basically takes a look at the book African theology on the way: Current conversations, edited by Diane B. Stinton. It wants to identify ways of looking at theology which could be considered in some way or another as 'especially African'. The article then compares these findings with two other books, presenting two different ways of applied African theology: The Africana Bible, edited by Hugh R. Page, coming from a very international background and implementing also the views of African people living outside of Africa, and the Africa Bible Commentary (ABC), edited by Tokunboh Adyemo, featuring an evangelical view. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research gives an outside view on African theology and hermeneutics from an European perspective. It challenges the one-way transfer of theological thinking from Europe to Africa, which for many centuries determined the relationship between the continents. It shows that European theologians indeed can learn much from African theologians and their way of reading the Bible.
Page 1. Page 2. Paul in Conflict with the Veil An Alternative Interpretation of 1Corinthians 11:2... more Page 1. Page 2. Paul in Conflict with the Veil An Alternative Interpretation of 1Corinthians 11:2-16 by Thomas Schirrmacher Foreword by Hans-Georg Wünch VTR Page 3. Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Ein ...
Verbum et Ecclesia, 2021
The OT books, Ezra and Nehemiah, are to be considered as one book. This is more or less the commo... more The OT books, Ezra and Nehemiah, are to be considered as one book. This is more or less the common conviction of most OT scholars today. However, their redaction process raises many questions. What is their relation to the book of Chronicles, and how is their actual structure to be understood? Why do we find two almost identical lists of returnees from exile in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7? What about the differences between these lists? This article understands the structure of Ezra-Nehemiah as a consciously created literary unit, where the two lists of returnees serve as an important part of the literary structure. The author works on the assumption of the so-called new literary criticism, understanding the narrative in the book on a synchronic basis. He shows that the book of Ezra-Nehemiah can indeed be understood as one literary unit, and that the two lists of returnees function as a literary means to structure the book. There is therefore no need to ‘re-organise’ the narrated events i...
Old Testament Essays
The existence of striking similarities between the biblical flood narrative and the flood narrati... more The existence of striking similarities between the biblical flood narrative and the flood narratives of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Atramhasïs myth has led to the widely accepted hypothesis that the biblical flood narrative depends on the Mesopotamian narratives. In this study, the representation of Yahweh in the biblicalflood narrative is compared with the representation of the gods in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Atramhasïs myth by means of a synchronic juxtaposition of the texts in question. Since the flood narratives in question all originated in a common cultural sphere, the juxtaposition of the contents leads to the conclusion that the biblical text or the tradition on which it is based is not dependent on the Mesopotamian narratives, but playfully and sometimes also polemically contrasts itself to the prevailing Mesopotamian theology. By using or consciously avoiding certain formulations of the Mesopotamian flood narratives the biblicalflood narrative puts emphasis on the ...
Old Testament Essays, 2021
Numerous passages in the prophets and other Old Testament (OT) texts demonstrate connections to t... more Numerous passages in the prophets and other Old Testament (OT) texts demonstrate connections to the Torah. In many of these cases, there are discussions on the nature of these connections. The main question is whether the Mosaic Law itself was already fixed at this time. However, there is no doubt that the Torah was already in place at the time of the composition of Ezra-Nehemiah, at least in a preliminary stage. The book of Ezra-Nehemiah shows how a later Jewish community interacted with and interpreted certain Old Testament law texts of the Torah. The divorce of foreign wives is the most important topic in this regard. The Mosaic Law itself dos not demand the dismissal of non-Jewish wives. The question therefore arises, how was the dismissal of foreign wives justified by Ezra and Nehemiah? What does this show about their understanding of the Mosaic Law? The article argues that the dismissal of foreign wives can be seen as a step towards the later "fence around the law. "...
This article concentrates on the Hebrew terms used for "stranger" in the OT, especially... more This article concentrates on the Hebrew terms used for "stranger" in the OT, especially the three most used terms zar (זד), nochri (נכדי) and ger (גד). The research methodology used is based on a canonical and literary critical approach to the OT. While the term זד is more or less neutral in its meaning, the terms נכדי and גד invoke stronger emotions: the term נכדי (foreigner) denotes a more or less dangerous stranger (due to strange gods and/or strange ways of living), whereas the term גד (guest) is used very positively. The latter is by far the most common word used for "stranger" in the OT. This article looks into the relation between these three words and then asks how a זד could become a גד and avoid being a נכדי. Finally, what we can learn from this for our modern society is explored in the conclusion.
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies, 2016
The picture of an eagle carrying its young on its wings (Dt 32:11) is a powerful and encouraging ... more The picture of an eagle carrying its young on its wings (Dt 32:11) is a powerful and encouraging image of trust and security in God. It is particularly relevant for Western culture, where the eagle is a prominent symbol of power and strength. In recent years, though, the translation of the Hebrew term רֶשֶׁנ as ‘eagle’ has come into question and modern exegetes claim that it is more accurately translated as ‘vulture’. But can this really be a symbol of comfort? Furthermore, do eagles (or vultures) even carry their young on their wings? This article intends to shed some light on these questions.Keywords: Old Testament; Deuteronomy; Eagle; Vulture
Old Testament essays, 2015
Die beiden Bande von Christof Hardmeier bieten einen umfassenden Uberblick uber Bucher und Artike... more Die beiden Bande von Christof Hardmeier bieten einen umfassenden Uberblick uber Bucher und Artikel, die Hardmeier in den Jahren seit 1978 zum Thema einer textpragmatischen Literaturwissenschaft geschrieben hat, sowie eine grundliche Einfuhrung in dieses Thema. Zunachst war nur geplant gewesen, die "text- und gattungstheoretischen Teile aus dem vergriffenen Band, Texttheorie und biblische Exegese' (1978) das Einfuhrungskapitel zu den erzahltextanalytischen Grundlagen aus 'Prophetie im Streit vor dem Untergang Judas' (1990) und eine Reihe von kleineren Beitragen aus den 90er Jahren zum Status sprachlicher Zeichen, zur computergestutzten Textwahrnehmung und zur Erfassung textformiger Makrostrukturen" (1,XII) neu herauszugeben. Diese Texte bilden den jetzigen Teilband 2. Dann jedoch wurde deutlich, so Hardmeier, dass eine grundlichere theoretische und systematische Einfuhrung in das Thema notwendig ist. Diese findet sich in Teilband 1.
This article explores the attitude God shows towards the animals as presented in Old Testament (O... more This article explores the attitude God shows towards the animals as presented in Old Testament (OT) texts outside of the law texts. While these law texts present God’s imperative for his people, the other OT texts display his attitude towards nature more directly. We will interpret the findings as part of a “cosmic covenant” (Robert Murray) between God and his animals on the one hand and God and humans as his viceroys on earth on the other hand. The article is written from a canonical viewpoint. This means that it does not try to distinguish divergent aspects or developments of ideas but rather looks at their similarities. The aim is not just to do an exegesis on certain Old Testament tests but to explore the relationship between God and his creation as displayed in these verses. The canonical viewpoint in connection with the idea of a “cosmic covenant” presents a new angle on this topic. The article intends to show that God, being the creator of everything, cares for his whole crea...
Genesis 38 is often viewed as a disruption of the Joseph story, which for some unknown reason fou... more Genesis 38 is often viewed as a disruption of the Joseph story, which for some unknown reason found its way into that narrative. This article shows that the placement of Gen 38 is intentional, with many connections to the surrounding chapters. These connections are made through the repetition of words as well as through the repetition of motifs. They connect Gen 38 not only to Gen 37 and 39, but also to Gen 47 and 48. Together with the preceding chapter, Gen 38 builds a double exposition for the following chapters. The question behind these chapters is: which of the sons of Jacob will take over the right of primogeniture and step into the line of blessing coming down from Abraham? Will it be Judah, next in the line after his brothers Ruben, Simeon and Levi, who for various reasons lost their right of primogeniture, or Joseph, the firstborn of Rachel? In this respect, Gen 38 shows how Judah began to transform from a very egocentric person, willing to sell his brother Joseph into slav...
In 1 Cor 9:9, Paul cites Deut 25:4 (“Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain”) and... more In 1 Cor 9:9, Paul cites Deut 25:4 (“Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain”) and asks, “Is it about oxen that God is concerned?” This question seems to be waiting for the definitive answer, “No, it is not.” Is Paul really saying that God is not concerned about the oxen? This paper considers various passages in the OT (especially law texts) that appear to deal with the protection of animals. The thesis is that God is indeed concerned about animals. Since God is the creator of everything, he cares for his entire creation. The article discusses the OT texts from a canonical perspective, looking for the common ideas instead of discussing possible developments of thoughts. It understands the biblical law texts concerning creation as examples of an “order of creation” (R. Murray), which lies behind these laws. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2020/v33n3a10
Verbum Et Ecclesia, Apr 30, 2015
This article shares some reflections on African theology from an outside perspective. Starting fr... more This article shares some reflections on African theology from an outside perspective. Starting from personal experiences as a German Evangelical coming to South Africa, it basically takes a look at the book African theology on the way: Current conversations, edited by Diane B. Stinton. It wants to identify ways of looking at theology which could be considered in some way or another as 'especially African'. The article then compares these findings with two other books, presenting two different ways of applied African theology: The Africana Bible, edited by Hugh R. Page, coming from a very international background and implementing also the views of African people living outside of Africa, and the Africa Bible Commentary (ABC), edited by Tokunboh Adyemo, featuring an evangelical view. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This research gives an outside view on African theology and hermeneutics from an European perspective. It challenges the one-way transfer of theological thinking from Europe to Africa, which for many centuries determined the relationship between the continents. It shows that European theologians indeed can learn much from African theologians and their way of reading the Bible.
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Papers by Prof. Dr. Hans-Georg Wünch