Philosophical Criticism of the Hebrew Bible and the Analytic-Continental Divide

Abstract

This article takes a closer look at how the so-called Analytic-Continental divide within meta-philosophy has manifested itself within various forms of “philosophical criticism” of the HB. It is argued that, based on data collected from recent related conferences, there is evidence of influence from both sides of the divide within both broad/narrow and explicit/implicit types of philosophical criticism. However, in contrast to tense relations elsewhere in generic philosophy, the study of philosophy in the Bible includes an interdisciplinary intersection of biblical scholarship, philosophy of religion and Jewish philosophy, appearing to display a general acceptance of methodological diversity.


Jaco Gericke, “Philosophical Criticism of the Hebrew Bible and the Analytic-Continental Divide,” Old Testament Essays 29, no. 1 (2016): 85–99.

Dr. Gericke is Associate Research Professor of Theology and Philosophy at North-West University, South Africa. He is the author of What is a God?: Philosophical Perspectives on Divine Essence in the Hebrew Bible (Bloomsbury) and The Hebrew Bible and Philosophy of Religion (SBL Press).

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