Recent Scholarship on the Book of Jonah
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This bibliographic survey examines recent scholarly interpretations of the Book of Jonah, analyzing diverse methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks employed in contemporary biblical scholarship. The study reviews multiple scholarly works that challenge traditional readings of Jonah through various interpretative lenses, including historical, mystical, religious, and philosophical schools of thought. Key findings reveal that previous interpretative approaches focusing primarily on narrative elements have proven inadequate, with emerging scholarship reconceptualizing Jonah as a philosophical treatise examining the tension between divine justice and mercy. The analysis demonstrates that scholars increasingly view the text as addressing fundamental theodicy questions, particularly whether divine forgiveness undermines justice. Methodologically, the reviewed scholarship employs literary analysis, symbolic interpretation, historical-critical methods, and comparative religious studies. Significant interpretative developments include understanding Jonah as satirical commentary on prophecy, psychological allegory of spiritual resistance, and post-exilic critique of religious isolationism. The survey also addresses technical exegetical issues, including botanical identification of the qiqayon plant and symbolic significance of Jonah's name. The scholarly consensus suggests the Book of Jonah functions as a complex theological meditation on divine sovereignty, universal mercy, and human moral responsibility, with contemporary relevance for understanding justice and forgiveness.

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Published 1994
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Benjamin Scolnic