Marxist Criticism of the Hebrew Bible: Second Edition (Paperback, 2nd edition)

This book provides a large-scale critical introduction for biblical criticism of a significant area of literary and social theory, namely Western Marxism. The book introduces the core concepts of major figures in the tradition, specifically Althusser, Gramsci, Deleuze and Guattari, Eagleton, Lefebvre, Lukacs, Adorno, Bloch, Negri, Jameson, and Jameson. Throughout the aim is to show how Marxist criticism is relevant to biblical criticism, in terms of both particular approaches to the Bible and the use of those approaches for interpreting selected texts from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Job, Psalms and Daniel. In this Revised Edition, Boer adds new chapters exploring the work of Deleuze and Guattari, as well as Negri. Each chapter is carefully revised with a view to use in teaching courses, while maintaining challenges and insights for postgraduate students and scholars. Theoretical material is updated and sharpened in light of subsequent research and a revised conclusion presents for understanding the economies of the ancient world in relation to biblical societies.