G. Geoffrey Harper | Sydney Missionary and Bible College (original) (raw)
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Books by G. Geoffrey Harper
Reviews: Themelios 48.1 (2023): 192-93 (Jerry Shepherd)
In this monograph I employ a multidimensional approach to address a central question: does the fi... more In this monograph I employ a multidimensional approach to address a central question: does the final-form text of Leviticus allude to Genesis 1–3 and, if it does so, what rhetorical function does such allusion perform?
Part I of his study necessarily tackles questions of method. Here I explore the field of intertextuality in order to shape an approach that can verify the likelihood of allusion and propose a method for determining whether such linkage might be deliberately employed. The potential of deliberate allusion in turn raises questions of purpose. Hence, I adapt tools from rhetorical criticism and speech act theory to outline an approach that can assess the persuasive function performed by allusion.
Part II puts this methodological framework to work by applying it to three Leviticus pericopes: chapters 11, 16 and 26. For each, an assessment of parallels at lexical, syntactical and conceptual levels reveals a complex web of interconnected allusion to the creation narratives of Genesis 1 and 2–3. I argue that these intertextual connections are theologically and rhetorically important and carry implications for how Leviticus ought to be understood in its Pentateuchal context. The use of allusion in Leviticus reveals not only the literary artistry of this ancient text, but also hints at the persuasive purposes that lie behind its composition.
Reviews
Biblica 101.1 (2020), 132-34: Giovanni Deiana
JSOT 45.5 (2020), 84-85: Richard Briggs
AfeT Rezensionen (10-2020): Benjamin Kilchör
The brokenness of this world inevitably invades our lives. But how do you maintain faith when ove... more The brokenness of this world inevitably invades our lives. But how do you maintain faith when overwhelmed by grief? When prayer goes unanswered? When all you have are questions, not answers? What do you say to God when you know he is in control but the suffering continues unabated? Is there any alternative to remaining speechless in the midst of pain and heartbreak?
This book is about finding words to use when life is hard. These words are not new. They are modes of expression that the church has drawn on in times of grief throughout most of its history. Yet, the church in the West has largely abandoned these words--the psalms of lament. The result is that believers often struggle to know what to do or say when faced with distress, anxiety, and loss. Whether you are in Christian leadership, training for ministry, or simply struggling to reconcile experience with biblical convictions, Finding Lost Words will help you consider how these ancient words can become your own.
Articles and book chapters by G. Geoffrey Harper
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 2022
The working assumption in much secondary literature on Leviticus is that unchecked sin and impuri... more The working assumption in much secondary literature on Leviticus is that unchecked sin and impurity threaten, even endanger, YHWH’s earthly presence. Accordingly, purgation within the Israelite cult is primarily viewed as a means of securing and safeguarding divine immanence. Support is drawn from ANE concepts of sanctuary desecration, the exit of YHWH’s כבוד from the temple in Ezekiel 8–11, and tannaitic formulations. Nevertheless, this article contends that Leviticus nowhere indicates or assumes the departure of YHWH’s presence from the sanctuary. On the contrary, Leviticus asserts the permanence of divine presence and the resulting danger posed to impurity and its sources. This dynamic better coheres with the wider texture of the Pentateuch. In fact, importing motifs from ANE, Ezekielian, and rabbinic sources arguably distorts the rhetorical force of Leviticus in its literary setting.
Justice, Mercy and Wellbeing: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (eds. Peter G. Bolt and James R. Harrison), 2020
Used by permission of Wipf & Stock Publishers. www.wipfandstock.com
Hiphil Novum, 2020
Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spect... more Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spectrum of approaches, from Marcion-like dismissal on the one hand through to theonomist appeals for re-enactment on the other. Within Western Christianity, the Reformation served to enshrine one approach in particular: a threefold division of the Law that distinguished between civil, ceremonial, and moral commands. However, while undoubtedly neat, such compartmentalization is highly problematic and has resulted in a myopic view of OT legal material. Leviticus 11 is a case in point. While regulations regarding the eating and touching of (un)clean animals remain determinedly central to Judaism, Christian tradition since the early church has sidelined the pericope with equal determination. Even though the Reformation sparked a renewed interest in the reading of Scripture, the designation (and, arguably, dismissal) of Leviticus 11 as “ceremonial” merely served to perpetuate a lacuna regarding the enduring relevance of this text as Christian Scripture. In this article I tease out how Leviticus 11 might be better appropriated by employing tools derived from the fields of speech act theory and intertextuality. These tools allow for greater precision in describing what Leviticus 11 as a text is doing. It becomes apparent that while some illocutions performed by Leviticus 11 are supervened when read in light of the NT, other illocutions persist. These illocutions may be legitimately appropriated by Christian readers of the text with benefits for both faith and practice.
Tyndale Bulletin, 2019
Building on recent research that demonstrates a rhetorical movement in Genesis from fratricide (C... more Building on recent research that demonstrates a rhetorical movement in Genesis from fratricide (Cain and Abel) to forgiveness (Joseph and his brothers), this article considers the function of a repeated question utilised throughout the patriarchal narratives. On eight occasions, variations of מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂית (‘What is this you have done?’) are used to confront wrongdoers. The typical response is to mitigate culpability; the outcomes are generally negative. However, the final instance of the question in chapter 44 is markedly different. This subversion of expectation works powerfully as a rhetorical tool to instruct readers regarding a right response to the uncovering of sin.
Evangelical Review of Theology, 2017
This article explores the role of divine healing in Christian ministry, with a focus on cross-cul... more This article explores the role of divine healing in Christian ministry, with a focus on cross-cultural mission. Christian workers’ views of and expectations about God healing people are examined. The role of divine healing in the growth of the church among the Turkish Roma is analysed. Biblical perspectives on divine healing from the psalms are discussed and brought into conversation with the case study, and implications for ministry are drawn out.
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Used by permission of Wipf & Stock Publishers. www.wipfandstock.com
The Gender Conversation: Evangelical Perspectives on Gender, Scripture and the Christian Life, 2016
The Gender Conversation: Evangelical Perspectives on Gender, Scripture, and the Christian Life, 2016
Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament, 2015
Daniel 9 is renowned for the textual and theological problems it raises for interpreters, and for... more Daniel 9 is renowned for the textual and theological problems it raises for interpreters, and for the diverse readings it generates. Yet Dan 9 also presents a fascinating tapestry of inner-biblical quotation and allusion. Within this matrix, however, the voice of Leviticus has not been fully appreciated. Nonetheless, Levitical terminology and thought forms pervade the chapter and perform a significant function. The combined force of these parallels suggests the raison d’être for Daniel’s prayer, elucidates the mediated response and suggests a theological coherence to the chapter as a whole. Thus this article argues that intertextual sensitivity to the array of Leviticus connections made, can both constrain exegesis of Dan 9 while at the same time generating new insights into its theological perspective.
Southeastern Theological Review, 2013
Email me for a copy: gharper "at" smbc.edu.au
Book Reviews by G. Geoffrey Harper
Reviews: Themelios 48.1 (2023): 192-93 (Jerry Shepherd)
In this monograph I employ a multidimensional approach to address a central question: does the fi... more In this monograph I employ a multidimensional approach to address a central question: does the final-form text of Leviticus allude to Genesis 1–3 and, if it does so, what rhetorical function does such allusion perform?
Part I of his study necessarily tackles questions of method. Here I explore the field of intertextuality in order to shape an approach that can verify the likelihood of allusion and propose a method for determining whether such linkage might be deliberately employed. The potential of deliberate allusion in turn raises questions of purpose. Hence, I adapt tools from rhetorical criticism and speech act theory to outline an approach that can assess the persuasive function performed by allusion.
Part II puts this methodological framework to work by applying it to three Leviticus pericopes: chapters 11, 16 and 26. For each, an assessment of parallels at lexical, syntactical and conceptual levels reveals a complex web of interconnected allusion to the creation narratives of Genesis 1 and 2–3. I argue that these intertextual connections are theologically and rhetorically important and carry implications for how Leviticus ought to be understood in its Pentateuchal context. The use of allusion in Leviticus reveals not only the literary artistry of this ancient text, but also hints at the persuasive purposes that lie behind its composition.
Reviews
Biblica 101.1 (2020), 132-34: Giovanni Deiana
JSOT 45.5 (2020), 84-85: Richard Briggs
AfeT Rezensionen (10-2020): Benjamin Kilchör
The brokenness of this world inevitably invades our lives. But how do you maintain faith when ove... more The brokenness of this world inevitably invades our lives. But how do you maintain faith when overwhelmed by grief? When prayer goes unanswered? When all you have are questions, not answers? What do you say to God when you know he is in control but the suffering continues unabated? Is there any alternative to remaining speechless in the midst of pain and heartbreak?
This book is about finding words to use when life is hard. These words are not new. They are modes of expression that the church has drawn on in times of grief throughout most of its history. Yet, the church in the West has largely abandoned these words--the psalms of lament. The result is that believers often struggle to know what to do or say when faced with distress, anxiety, and loss. Whether you are in Christian leadership, training for ministry, or simply struggling to reconcile experience with biblical convictions, Finding Lost Words will help you consider how these ancient words can become your own.
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 2022
The working assumption in much secondary literature on Leviticus is that unchecked sin and impuri... more The working assumption in much secondary literature on Leviticus is that unchecked sin and impurity threaten, even endanger, YHWH’s earthly presence. Accordingly, purgation within the Israelite cult is primarily viewed as a means of securing and safeguarding divine immanence. Support is drawn from ANE concepts of sanctuary desecration, the exit of YHWH’s כבוד from the temple in Ezekiel 8–11, and tannaitic formulations. Nevertheless, this article contends that Leviticus nowhere indicates or assumes the departure of YHWH’s presence from the sanctuary. On the contrary, Leviticus asserts the permanence of divine presence and the resulting danger posed to impurity and its sources. This dynamic better coheres with the wider texture of the Pentateuch. In fact, importing motifs from ANE, Ezekielian, and rabbinic sources arguably distorts the rhetorical force of Leviticus in its literary setting.
Justice, Mercy and Wellbeing: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (eds. Peter G. Bolt and James R. Harrison), 2020
Used by permission of Wipf & Stock Publishers. www.wipfandstock.com
Hiphil Novum, 2020
Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spect... more Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spectrum of approaches, from Marcion-like dismissal on the one hand through to theonomist appeals for re-enactment on the other. Within Western Christianity, the Reformation served to enshrine one approach in particular: a threefold division of the Law that distinguished between civil, ceremonial, and moral commands. However, while undoubtedly neat, such compartmentalization is highly problematic and has resulted in a myopic view of OT legal material. Leviticus 11 is a case in point. While regulations regarding the eating and touching of (un)clean animals remain determinedly central to Judaism, Christian tradition since the early church has sidelined the pericope with equal determination. Even though the Reformation sparked a renewed interest in the reading of Scripture, the designation (and, arguably, dismissal) of Leviticus 11 as “ceremonial” merely served to perpetuate a lacuna regarding the enduring relevance of this text as Christian Scripture. In this article I tease out how Leviticus 11 might be better appropriated by employing tools derived from the fields of speech act theory and intertextuality. These tools allow for greater precision in describing what Leviticus 11 as a text is doing. It becomes apparent that while some illocutions performed by Leviticus 11 are supervened when read in light of the NT, other illocutions persist. These illocutions may be legitimately appropriated by Christian readers of the text with benefits for both faith and practice.
Tyndale Bulletin, 2019
Building on recent research that demonstrates a rhetorical movement in Genesis from fratricide (C... more Building on recent research that demonstrates a rhetorical movement in Genesis from fratricide (Cain and Abel) to forgiveness (Joseph and his brothers), this article considers the function of a repeated question utilised throughout the patriarchal narratives. On eight occasions, variations of מַה־זֹּאת עָשִׂית (‘What is this you have done?’) are used to confront wrongdoers. The typical response is to mitigate culpability; the outcomes are generally negative. However, the final instance of the question in chapter 44 is markedly different. This subversion of expectation works powerfully as a rhetorical tool to instruct readers regarding a right response to the uncovering of sin.
Evangelical Review of Theology, 2017
This article explores the role of divine healing in Christian ministry, with a focus on cross-cul... more This article explores the role of divine healing in Christian ministry, with a focus on cross-cultural mission. Christian workers’ views of and expectations about God healing people are examined. The role of divine healing in the growth of the church among the Turkish Roma is analysed. Biblical perspectives on divine healing from the psalms are discussed and brought into conversation with the case study, and implications for ministry are drawn out.
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Finding Lost Words: The Church's Right to Lament, 2017
Used by permission of Wipf & Stock Publishers. www.wipfandstock.com
The Gender Conversation: Evangelical Perspectives on Gender, Scripture and the Christian Life, 2016
The Gender Conversation: Evangelical Perspectives on Gender, Scripture, and the Christian Life, 2016
Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament, 2015
Daniel 9 is renowned for the textual and theological problems it raises for interpreters, and for... more Daniel 9 is renowned for the textual and theological problems it raises for interpreters, and for the diverse readings it generates. Yet Dan 9 also presents a fascinating tapestry of inner-biblical quotation and allusion. Within this matrix, however, the voice of Leviticus has not been fully appreciated. Nonetheless, Levitical terminology and thought forms pervade the chapter and perform a significant function. The combined force of these parallels suggests the raison d’être for Daniel’s prayer, elucidates the mediated response and suggests a theological coherence to the chapter as a whole. Thus this article argues that intertextual sensitivity to the array of Leviticus connections made, can both constrain exegesis of Dan 9 while at the same time generating new insights into its theological perspective.
Southeastern Theological Review, 2013
Email me for a copy: gharper "at" smbc.edu.au
Review of Biblical Literature, 2020
Review of Biblical Literature, 2019
Southeastern Theological Review, 2017
Southeastern Theological Review, 2017
Carey Psalms Conference, Auckland (2024)
"Your terrors strike and flood with doubt, and darkness is my friend." Can you remember singing w... more "Your terrors strike and flood with doubt, and darkness is my friend." Can you remember singing words like these with your congregation in a worship service? Not likely! The significant lacunae in contemporary worship songs which "dive into the pool of sustained lament" spurred us to commission, arrange and share "You Are the God Who Saves Me", a contemporary lament covering the theological and emotional terrain of Psalm 88. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this paper presents a reception-historical study of the theology and praxis of turning the notoriously dark words of Psalm 88 into a congregational worship song, and presents qualitative feedback from Christians who engaged with it personally and corporately amidst global and personal trials.
Tyndale OT Fellowship, Cambridge, 2021
In OT perspective, the high-handed sins of bloodshed, idolatry, and sexual immorality are most eg... more In OT perspective, the high-handed sins of bloodshed, idolatry, and sexual immorality are most egregious for these three things also defile the land. Cleansing, however, is problematic; means available to people for removing geospatial defilement are not comprehensive. Nevertheless, several texts adopt ritual categories to hint that divine cleansing of land remains possible. Yet such means always entail significant human harm: banishment or death. A tension therefore remains in the apparent zero-sum game of (defiled) land versus (defiling) occupants. If YHWH is to have a people of his own, then what hope is there for the land?
There is a general consensus in the literature on Leviticus that sin and impurity threaten, and e... more There is a general consensus in the literature on Leviticus that sin and impurity threaten, and even endanger, YHWH’s presence among the people of Israel. Jacob Milgrom is representative when he states, “the Priestly writers would claim that sin . . . is certain to mark the face of the sanctuary; and unless it is quickly expunged, God’s presence will depart.” The need for purgation within the Israelite cultus, therefore, is primarily understood as securing and safeguarding the divine presence. Several influences are operative in reaching this conclusion. Foremost are ANE concepts of sanctuary desecration, for which abandonment by the god(s) is an explicit concern. Also important is Ezekiel 8–11 which portrays the progressive removal of the divine כבוד from the temple complex. Moreover, understanding YHWH’s presence as endangered by moral impurity is a common feature of rabbinic and tannaitic discussion. However, in this paper I argue that Leviticus nowhere indicates that YHWH’s presence will depart his sanctuary, but, on the contrary, frequently stresses the danger that divine presence poses to impure persons. Furthermore, construing the dynamic in this direction better coheres with the wider texture of the Pentateuch—especially Genesis 1–3 and the book of Exodus. In fact, simply assuming motifs from ANE, Ezekielian, and rabbinic texts arguably results in missing the rhetorical force of Leviticus in its literary setting. Facilitating co-habitation of YHWH with his people remains central, but it is Israel who represents the precarious, endangered partner. Impurity must be dealt with, but it is because YHWH’s presence has come, and come to stay.
Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spect... more Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spectrum of approaches, from Marcion-like dismissal on the one hand through to theonomist appeals for re-enactment on the other. Within Western Christianity, the Reformation served to enshrine one approach in particular: a threefold division of the Law that distinguished between civil, ceremonial, and moral commands. However, while undoubtedly neat, such compartmentalization is highly problematic and has resulted in a myopic view of OT legal material. Leviticus 11 is a case in point. While regulations regarding the eating and touching of (un)clean animals remain determinedly central to Judaism, Christian tradition since the early church has sidelined the pericope with equal determination. Even though the Reformation sparked a renewed interest in the reading of Scripture, the designation (and, arguably, dismissal) of Leviticus 11 as “ceremonial” merely served to perpetuate a lacuna regarding the enduring relevance of this text as Christian Scripture. The aim of this paper is to tease out how Leviticus 11 might be better appropriated. To do so, I employ tools derived from the fields of speech act theory and intertextuality. These tools allow for greater precision in describing what Leviticus 11 as a text is doing. It becomes apparent that while some illocutions performed by Leviticus 11 are supervened when read in light of the NT, other illocutions persist. These illocutions may be legitimately appropriated by Christian readers of the text with benefits for both faith and practice.
In his 2015 monograph, Forgiveness: A Theology, Anthony Bash notes that there has been little cri... more In his 2015 monograph, Forgiveness: A Theology, Anthony Bash notes that there has been little critical reflection about interpersonal forgiveness within the Christian tradition. This is even more acutely the case where the texts of the OT are concerned. Historically, the bulk of attention has focused on elucidating matters of divine forgiveness; that is, on attempting to understand God’s gracious stance towards sinners and his action to secure reconciliation. The question remains, however: does God’s response towards sinners in the OT have any implications for how people are to act towards those they have been wronged by? In other words, does the principal of imitatio Dei so intrinsic to OT ethics in other respects have a bearing on interpersonal forgiveness and reconciliation? This paper will argue that it does. By bringing the Patriarchal narratives in Genesis into conversation with the legal stipulations of Leviticus 19, it becomes apparent that humans can act mimetically to confront wrongdoing in a manner analogous to God. Moreover, such confrontation is viewed as a necessary act of love towards one’s neighbour and a mimicking of the stance YHWH has displayed towards Israel. Such confrontation has reconciliation as its aim, although the response of the confronted becomes a major factor affecting efficacy. Thus, patterns of human-to-human forgiveness in the Pentateuch call for a bilateral and conditional response to wrongdoing, in contrast to many popular iterations which advocate forgiveness along unconditional and unilateral lines. Therefore, incorporating perspectives from the Torah can aid a more nuanced biblical understanding of what it means to forgive.
Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spect... more Christian appropriation of OT legal material is a perennial crux interpretum. Evident, is a spectrum of approaches, from Marcion-like dismissal on the one hand through to theonomist appeals for re-enactment on the other. Within Western Christianity, the Reformation served to enshrine one approach in particular: a threefold division of the Law that distinguished between civil, ceremonial and moral commands. However, while undoubtedly neat, such compartmentalisation is highly problematic and has resulted in a myopic view of OT legal material. Leviticus 11 is a case in point. While regulations regarding the eating and touching of (un)clean animals remain determinedly central to Judaism, Christian tradition since the early church has sidelined the pericope with equal determination. Even though the Reformation sparked a renewed interest in the reading of Scripture, the designation (and, arguably, dismissal) of Leviticus 11 as “ceremonial” merely served to perpetuate a lacuna regarding the enduring relevance of this text as Christian Scripture. The aim of this paper is to tease out how Leviticus 11 might be better appropriated. To do so, I will employ tools derived from the fields of speech act theory and intertextuality. Such tools allow for greater precision in describing what Leviticus 11 as a text is doing. Suitably classified, it becomes apparent that while some illocutions performed by Leviticus 11 are supervened when read in light of the NT, other illocutions persist. These illocutions may be legitimately appropriated by Christian readers of the text with benefits for both faith and practice.