Wide-ranging in scope and accessible in its analysis, it demonstrates that those engaged in theological interpretation of Scripture have much to gain from studying their forebears in the faith. Language for God in Patristic Tradition is a landmark resource for students of ancient Christian theology. Sheridan brings the patristic tradition into conversation with modern interpreters to show the abiding significance of its theological interpretation for today. They recognized that an edifying and appropriate interpretation of these stories required that one start from the understanding that "God is not a human being" (Num 23:19). Rather than reject the Bible as mere stories, ancient Jewish and Christian theologians read these texts allegorically or theologically in order to discover the truth contained within them. Mark Sheridan provides a theological and historical analysis of the patristic interpretation of Scripture’s anthropomorphic and anthropopathic language for God. The dilemma posed by texts that ascribe human characteristics and emotions to the divine is a perennial problem, and we have much to learn from the ancient attempts to address it. Its roots go back to the earliest Christian theologians, and before them, to ancient Greek and Jewish thinkers. This paper examines prayers collected from meetings of some contemporary African churches and posits that Christian prayer ought to be ordered differently from this pervasive pattern.Ĭriticism of myth in the Bible is not a modern problem. Do these prayers resonate with Jesus' teaching regarding how we should treat our enemies?1 Increasing concerns regarding the theology of imprecatory prayers has prompted us to critically examine the issue of pronouncing doom for enemies in Christian prayers. Interestingly, no matter where prayer meetings are held, no matter the occasion, no matter the prevailing conditions, people pray as loud as they can, energetically and in dramatic fashion when prayer topics are raised against their enemies. For this reason, people troop to prayer meetings with canes and ropes to tie and whip their enemies and to eventually destroy them. Almost every African prayer is geared towards destroying one enemy or the other. Imprecatory prayers are very common, filling up our airwaves and Television networks. Today, in Africa, it looks as if everyone has some imaginary enemy against whom vengeance is sought. The issue of imprecatory prayer in African Christianity is alarming these days. The article concludes by suggesting that the deadlock in approaches could be resolved by an in-depth exegesis of the specific psalms taking into account the divergent presuppositions of contemporary interpreters. The article argues that reformed and evangelical scholars' interpretations of imprecation Psalms are largely led by their presuppositions about the relation between the Old and New Testament. These issues also inform the relevance for the present day reader, specifically the New Testament reader, or vice versa: the perceived relevance informs the interpreter's stance on the rationale of these psalms. More important are hermeneutical issues regarding the rationale or motivation behind these psalms, namely the reasons why they were written in the first place. Introductory issues regarding these psalms abound, such as their definition and scope and the question whether they constitute a specific genre or subgenre within the Psalter. This article looks at some interpretive issues regarding the so-called imprecatory psalms, focusing on the debate within reformed and evangelical circles.
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