Reading the sacred text : an introduction to biblical studies

Part I Venturing Out in Biblical Studies: Know Your Self; Method from Within; Language, Speech and Text; A Call for "Conversions"; Living in Meaning. Part II Respecting Traditions Critically: Limiting the Number of Documents - Canonicity; Handing Down the Text - Transmission; Intended Sense in Other Words - Translation; Setting Faith-Boundaries - Doctrine. Part III Warp and Woof of Biblical Literature: Types and Texture of Literature I - The Hebrew Bible; Appendices: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha; The Dead Sea Scrolls; Types and Texture of Literature II - The Greek Scriptures of the Early Church; Appendix Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. Part IV Reading as Interpreting: The Inter-Act of Reading; Research and Insight; "Modern" Ways of Reading the Ancient Texts; "Postmodern" Ways of Reading the Ancient Texts. Part V Communicating the Outcome: The Notion of a Reading Community; Reading Communities - The Academy, The Faith Community; Ethical Fruit of Biblical Studies; Sermon and Dialogue. Part VI Conclusion: Competent to Read the Sacred Text.