Stephen D Cook | The University of Sydney (original) (raw)
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Papers by Stephen D Cook
Presentation to the Fellowship for Biblical Studies, Sydney Australia, 27 March, 2020. Several sc... more Presentation to the Fellowship for Biblical Studies, Sydney Australia, 27 March, 2020.
Several scholars have noted the presence of ironic, parodic and satiric features in the book of Jonah together with hints of comedy and humour. In fact, the trend in scholarship is increasingly towards reading the book as being entirely satirical or parodic in nature.
One of the distinguishing features of satire and parody is the existence of a target to whom it is directed. While scholars have identified some possible targets in Jonah (e.g., the prophet himself, the guild of prophets, the notion of exclusivism of Ezra-Nehemiah), there is a lack of consensus in determining the primary target of the book. Stephen Cook’s recent PhD thesis has suggested a methodology for identifying the purpose and target of the satire in Jonah, with reference to other biblical texts with similar characteristics. One of the conclusions of the thesis is that recognising these literary devices within texts enables the reader to identify opposing voices and to locate the text within a dialogue. By applying this methodology to other biblical texts, we may gain fresh insights into the conversations which lay behind them, locate the texts within their rhetorical and historical contexts, and recognise their contribution to the development of ideas. This presentation will look at how to recognise satire and identify its target with examples from Jonah and other texts of the Hebrew Bible.
In 1904 James Thirtle, a relatively little known biblical scholar, wrote "The Titles of the Psalm... more In 1904 James Thirtle, a relatively little known biblical scholar, wrote "The Titles of the Psalms: their Nature and Meaning Explained". Thirtle argues that the meaning of many of the titles of the psalms, especially those using musical terms, had been lost relatively early, but that the stand alone psalm in Habakkuk 3 was an example of a structure to be applied to many of the other psalms and provided a key to the meaning of the titles. The purpose of this essay is to review the scholarly reception of Thirtle’s thesis, its merits and failings, and the implications for further study of the development of the Psalter.
This article argues that the use of terminology and allusions in Job to themes which are abundant... more This article argues that the use of terminology and allusions in Job to themes which are abundant in the book of Deuteronomy suggest that the work was primarily intended as a polemic against a retributive worldview or a Deuteronomistic theodicy. Abounding irony, satire and parody provide evidence that it contained comic elements which were not intended simply to entertain, but were intended to ridicule particular targets. These literary devices further suggest that the book of Job should be read as a dramatic or theatrical work. The frequent use of legal terminology suggests that it had a forensic setting and is best viewed as a courtroom drama that put the Deuteronomic views of providence on trial. The work was intended to appeal to an initial audience that was wrestling with the issues of free will and determinism against a background of exile and the prospect of extinction.
Book Chapters by Stephen D Cook
Irony in the Bible: Between Subversion and Innovation, 2023
Cook, Stephen D. “‘Foiled by the Hand of a Woman”: Irony in the Book of Judith,” Pages 265-279 in... more Cook, Stephen D. “‘Foiled by the Hand of a Woman”: Irony in the Book of Judith,” Pages 265-279 in Irony in the Bible: Between Subversion and Innovation. Edited by Tobias Häner, Virginia Miller, and Carolyn J. Sharp. Vol. 209 of Biblical Interpretation Series. Leiden: Brill, 2023.
Presentation to the Fellowship for Biblical Studies, Sydney Australia, 27 March, 2020. Several sc... more Presentation to the Fellowship for Biblical Studies, Sydney Australia, 27 March, 2020.
Several scholars have noted the presence of ironic, parodic and satiric features in the book of Jonah together with hints of comedy and humour. In fact, the trend in scholarship is increasingly towards reading the book as being entirely satirical or parodic in nature.
One of the distinguishing features of satire and parody is the existence of a target to whom it is directed. While scholars have identified some possible targets in Jonah (e.g., the prophet himself, the guild of prophets, the notion of exclusivism of Ezra-Nehemiah), there is a lack of consensus in determining the primary target of the book. Stephen Cook’s recent PhD thesis has suggested a methodology for identifying the purpose and target of the satire in Jonah, with reference to other biblical texts with similar characteristics. One of the conclusions of the thesis is that recognising these literary devices within texts enables the reader to identify opposing voices and to locate the text within a dialogue. By applying this methodology to other biblical texts, we may gain fresh insights into the conversations which lay behind them, locate the texts within their rhetorical and historical contexts, and recognise their contribution to the development of ideas. This presentation will look at how to recognise satire and identify its target with examples from Jonah and other texts of the Hebrew Bible.
In 1904 James Thirtle, a relatively little known biblical scholar, wrote "The Titles of the Psalm... more In 1904 James Thirtle, a relatively little known biblical scholar, wrote "The Titles of the Psalms: their Nature and Meaning Explained". Thirtle argues that the meaning of many of the titles of the psalms, especially those using musical terms, had been lost relatively early, but that the stand alone psalm in Habakkuk 3 was an example of a structure to be applied to many of the other psalms and provided a key to the meaning of the titles. The purpose of this essay is to review the scholarly reception of Thirtle’s thesis, its merits and failings, and the implications for further study of the development of the Psalter.
This article argues that the use of terminology and allusions in Job to themes which are abundant... more This article argues that the use of terminology and allusions in Job to themes which are abundant in the book of Deuteronomy suggest that the work was primarily intended as a polemic against a retributive worldview or a Deuteronomistic theodicy. Abounding irony, satire and parody provide evidence that it contained comic elements which were not intended simply to entertain, but were intended to ridicule particular targets. These literary devices further suggest that the book of Job should be read as a dramatic or theatrical work. The frequent use of legal terminology suggests that it had a forensic setting and is best viewed as a courtroom drama that put the Deuteronomic views of providence on trial. The work was intended to appeal to an initial audience that was wrestling with the issues of free will and determinism against a background of exile and the prospect of extinction.
Irony in the Bible: Between Subversion and Innovation, 2023
Cook, Stephen D. “‘Foiled by the Hand of a Woman”: Irony in the Book of Judith,” Pages 265-279 in... more Cook, Stephen D. “‘Foiled by the Hand of a Woman”: Irony in the Book of Judith,” Pages 265-279 in Irony in the Bible: Between Subversion and Innovation. Edited by Tobias Häner, Virginia Miller, and Carolyn J. Sharp. Vol. 209 of Biblical Interpretation Series. Leiden: Brill, 2023.