Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers (Paperback)

by Michael J. Gorman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"It seems to me that this is precisely the kind of book that most beginning theological students and seminary students need to read."
—Frank J. Matera,Professor of New Testament,Catholic University

"I have examined M. Gorman's Elements of Biblical Exegesis and find it very impressive. I teach courses in biblical interpretation and expect to use the book as a text."
—George Brunk III, Professor of New Testament, Eastern Mennonite Seminary

"Gorman’s done a fine job with what strikes me as a pretty difficult topic to handle in book form. Elements of Biblical Exegesis is careful andclear without being overwhelming. I think it will be very useful, so thanks to Gorman for his good and insightful work."
—Warren Carter, Pherigo Professorof New Testament, Saint Paul School of Theology

Designed for students, teachers, and pastors, this is really a handbook for studying the basics of biblical exegesis. It takes the reader, step by step, through context, historical, and literary analyses. While the diachronic and existential approaches are given their due, Gorman clearly states that the synchronic approach is dominant here. Having seen how a text is taken apart, the reader is then shown how to put it back together again in a way that will yield meaning for today. The very layout of the book is instructive. Important words are in bold print and explanations follow. Charts illustrate ideas. Each chapter ends with a summary of the content, practical hints for learning and remembering, and suggestions for further practice. Five appendices supplement the material in the book itself. This guide is highly recommended for classroom use.
—The Bible Today

Of the making of many books on Bible study there is no end, but we are especially pleased to celebrate this one because its story is in part our own. Long-time readers will remember Michael Gorman as Associate Director of this organization back when it was known as the Council for Religion in Independent Schools (CRIS), and his new book is a revision of something originally published by us in 1990 as Texts and Contexts: A Guide to Careful Thinking and Writing about the Bible. Fast-forward a decade or so and Dr. Gorman is now dean and professor at the Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore.

First things first. “Exegesis” springs from a Greek word, exegeisthai, “to lead out” (cf. the Latin educare, root of our word “education”). So exegesis is simply the business of leading ourselves or others out of ignorance into understanding; specifically, it is the process of beginning with a passage of Scripture and discovering its meaning(s), of making the opaque transparent, translucent.

Making sense out of the Bible can be a daunting challenge. As Gorman acknowledges, “the already difficult task of biblical exegesis and interpretation is becoming so complex, with the unending array of new methods and methodologies (not to mention new historical discoveries), that many students and preachers are tempted to abandon any hope of being ‘scholarly’ or even careful in their reading and use of the Bible.” But Gorman rises to the challenge: “One of the fundamental assumptions of this book is that exegesis can and must be done by the nonspecialist,” he declares, and he proceeds to show how the laity as well as the professionals can go about it.

If I may dare to carp, the book’s title is perhaps unfortunate. While this tome will indeed prove useful for students and ministers, and for teachers as well, the truth is that anyone curious about scholarship and the Bible will profit immensely here. Gorman is a very readable guide through the entire terrain. He surveys and explains the disparate approaches to Bible study (from redaction criticism to deconstructionism). He explains the strengths and weaknesses of all the major English translations available. He also leads the way through the thickets of Bible scholarship, clearly explaining and evaluating the full range of resources—commentaries, dictionar -- Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Praise for the first edition of Elements of Biblical Exegesis:

"Designed for students, teachers, and pastors, this is really a handbook for studying the basics of biblical exegesis. It takes the reader, step by step, through context, historical, and literary analyses. While the diachronic and existential approaches are given their due, Gorman clearly states that the synchronic approach is dominant here. Having seen how a text is taken apart, the reader is then shown how to put it back together again in a way that will yield meaning for today. The very layout of the book is instructive. Important words are in bold print and explanations follow. Charts illustrate ideas. Each chapter ends with a summary of the content, practical hints for learning and remembering, and suggestions for further practice. Five appendices supplement the material in the book itself. This guide is highly recommended for classroom use."
--The Bible Today

The second edition features the following improvements to this top-selling textbook:
* Already discussed and embraced in the first edition, theological interpretation receives more attention in the second edition, accounting for the most significant change: the considerable expansion and renaming of chapter 8. That chapter is now called "Reflection: Theological Interpretation." The revised chapter 8 is longer and more theoretical than most of the other chapters.
* Another major addition to the second edition is the inclusion of a sample exegesis paper on a text from the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.
* Other alterations include changes to some exercises, clarification and/or elaboration on several matters, and especially the addition of new resources.
* The purpose of the book, and its intended audience, remain the same: Elements provides students and ministers with an unapologetically practical approach to exegesis that is built on a strong theoretical foundation.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers; Rev Exp edition (February 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598563114
• ISBN-13: 978-1598563115
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #259,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just the Basics, September 7, 2003

By	Bethany McKinney (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers (Paperback)

This book lives up to its subtitle--it is indeed a very basic guide to biblical exegesis. It is easy to read, and explains everything at a level that anyone, even if they have never done exegesis, will be able to understand. It gives a basic explanation of how to consider historical context, literary context, etc. and how to do a more detailed analysis of a text. Gorman also emphasizes the importance of taking our own context as exegetes into account; realizing that we bring our own lives and cultures into our readings, as much as we try not to. And I appreciated that he brought up that a main point of exegesis (which is often neglected) is for us to ask the question, "If we were to take this passage seriously, how then would we live?"

I think this is a good, quick read that will be good for people who want to start doing some responsible Biblical exegesis. However, if you are a graduate student (or anyone for that matter) and already have a basic handle on how to do exegesis and want to do more in-depth study, this is probably not the book you are looking for.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!!!, June 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers (Paperback)

Extremely well written, and very insightful. The book gives many practical guidelines for biblical analysis, and suggests many tools to help in the process. There is also an excellent critique on the different translations of the bible. Overall, I'd say the book is a bargain, and invaluable to anyone who reads the bible!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Approach., October 14, 2007

By	DarrenGJohnson "DarrenGJohnson" (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers (Paperback)

Michael Gorman offers a good, basic step by step approach to exegesis that will help those who do not know Greek or Hebrew and even those who do. He starts by explaining the different approaches (synchronic, diachronic, and existential). He uses an eclectic approach in this book and recommends the reader do the same. He favors working from the final text form and not giving undue attention to liberal methods of form criticism. There is an excellent chapter on picking out a good modern day translation and the pro's and con's of each of the translations. At the end of each chapter he provides three very helpful sections: First, is the chapter summary, in which he briefly recaps the main points. Second, here he gives a couple of tips that make exegesis easier. Third, is the "For Further Insight and Practice" section, in which the author gives assignments that really reinforce the teaching as you go. Exegesis is something you learn by doing and Gorman helps this to happen with this excellent teaching tool. The chapters are short and set up in a step by step or as Gorman has labeled each step as an element. For example, chapter 3 is labeled "Survey: The first element". After the step by steps of exegesis, the author has provided an entire chapter, that is longer than all the rest on "Resources for Exegesis". This chapter alone is worth the price of the book. All of the bibliographies are annotated. If you are a student or a minister and are looking for a great basic guide to get you started in exegesis, then you need to order this book. You will be glad that you did.