Abstract
Contemporary biblical scholarship is changing at a rapid pace. The variety of methods for interpreting the Bible has increased dramatically in recent years, as is shown, for example, by the growing interest in literary approaches such as narrative criticism, and in approaches focused on areas outside both literary and biblical research, for instance, the articles on biblical themes as interpreted in the cinema. The past twenty-five years have seen a growing interest by biblical scholars in structuralist criticism, reader response criticism, rhetorical criticism, social-scientific criticism, feminist interpretation, ideological criticism, and deconstructive criticism, in addition to major advances in the work being done on the broader contexts within which ancient Israel and early Christianity developed. Long-standing methods of research have undergone substantial reappraisal, as, for instance, in the areas of ‘biblical’ archaeology and the history of early Israel. The field now reaches well beyond the encompassing historical-critical consensus that had dominated biblical scholarship throughout most of the twentieth century. This increasing variety and flexibility in method has added richness and depth to our understanding of the Bible and its contextual world.
The growing variety of approaches is healthy and energizing, and indicates the vitality of contemporary biblical scholarship. However, this variety also makes it very difficult for scholars, especially those who teach or write across a broad spectrum of biblical studies, to stay informed about the numerous recent developments in the many different areas of biblical scholarship. Add to this the virtual explosion in books, journals, Festschriften, encyclopedias and online sites, and one can immediately see the need for a journal to keep readers apprised of recent developments in this rapidly expanding field of scholarship. Given this increasing diversity of methods and interests in contemporary biblical scholarship, the need for Currents is even clearer today than it was when the first issue was published in 1993.
Currents also welcomes proposals for articles relating to all facets of Judaism in the late Second Temple and early Rabbinic periods. This includes, but is not limited to, essays on recent research in Pseudepigrapha, Qumran, Mishnah, Midrash and Talmud, as well as studies on ancient Jewish interpreters such as Josephus and Philo. We are especially interested in articles that address texts and issues of interest to the field of biblical studies, broadly conceived. The editors (Jonathan Klawans and new editor Jordan Rosenblum, see below) look forward to hearing from readers who have proposals for articles for this area of interest for Currents. They should be contacted before any manuscripts are submitted.
In addition to these developments, Currents will continue to summarize the spectrum of recent research on particular topics, methods or biblical books. Each article will provide an inclusive treatment of its subject, without in most cases being exhaustive, owing to the rapid publication of new books and articles. Each article will conclude with a bibliography that provides a basic knowledge of significant articles and books on the topic being treated, and supplies sufficient information to launch a thorough investigation of the topic. In addition to the area of recent research in ancient Judaism, as described above, articles in Currents will continue to cover scholarship on specific biblical books or clusters of books, ancillary ancient literature, archaeology, and historical studies, as well as new and developing areas of study.
In the next couple of years, Currents will be undergoing several changes in editorship. First, Jonathan Klawans will soon turn over the editing of articles for Ancient Judaism to Jordan Rosenblum, Belzer Associate Professor of Classical Judaism at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Jordan’s research interests include the literature, history, and culture of rabbinic Judaism, and he is the co-editor of the upcoming Competition in the Third Century ce: Jews, Christians, and the Greco-Roman World. Jonathan will remain a member of Currents’ Editorial Board. In a longer time frame, Drew Strait of the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore will be taking over the editing of articles on New Testament. Drew’s research interests focus on Luke-Acts, early Judaism, and the Religions of the Roman Empire. Current editor Scot McKnight will be transitioning out of that position in 2015–2016. Scot will also remain on Currents’ Editorial Board. Brad Kelle, Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Point Loma Nazarene University, will replace Alan Hauser as editor for Old Testament in the fall of 2015. Brad has written or edited a variety of works on Hebrew Bible prophetic literature and ancient Israelite/Judean history, including co-editing Interpreting Exile: Displacement and Deportation in Biblical and Modern Contexts. In this issue of Currents, Brad presents his article ‘The Phenomenon of Israelite Prophecy in Contemporary Scholarship’. Alan will remain a member of Currents’ Editorial Board, and will remain Senior Editor of Currents.
Articles are assigned by the editors to scholars well acquainted with the specific topic being treated. The editors also welcome proposals for articles, although no manuscript should be submitted unless a proposal has been discussed with one of the editors and an agreement has been reached. Since Currents is designed to provide summaries and analyses of recent scholarship in specific areas of research, proposals for articles with a different purpose will not be approved. Many thanks to Sheleena Rios and Austin Reiter for their assistance in the preparation of this issue.