The Text in Play

Synopsis

In The Text In Play, Mike Higton And Rachel Muers Conduct A Series Of Experiments In The Reading Of Scripture. They Experiment In The First Place With A Form Of Christian Theological Exegesis Of The Bible That They Call Serious Play--a Form Of Reading Beyond The Literal Sense That Is Nevertheless Serious About The Ethical, Historical, And Textual Responsibilities Of The Reader. They Experiment In The Second Place With The Practice Called Scriptural Reasoning--in Which Jews, Christians, And Muslims Read And Argue Over Their Respective Scriptures Together--and Argue That The Practice Makes Deep Sense For Seriously Playful Christian Readers. This Constitutes The Most Detailed And Developed Account Of Scriptural Reasoning Yet Published.--publisher's Website. Introduction -- Pt. 1. Playing With The Text. Spiritual Reading And Play: Augustine And The Good Samaritan -- Critical Reading And Play: Demand Feeding And The Desire For God -- Keeping A Hard Text In Play I: Will The Real Women Please Stand Up? -- Keeping A Hard Text In Play Ii: Judging And Being Judged -- Keeping A Hard Text In Play Iii: Fearful Bodies -- Unsettling Play: Negotiating With The Moabite Liberation Front -- Pt. 2. Scriptural Reasoning. Whose Psalm Is It Anyway? Why Christians Cannot Read Alone -- What Is Scriptural Reasoning? How Christians, Jews, And Muslims Can Read Together -- Patterns Of Inter-faith Reading I: Scriptural Settlements -- Patterns Of Inter-faith Reading Ii: Digression, Kenosis, Hospitality -- Why Inter-faith Reading Makes Christian Sense I: Hard Sayings -- Why Inter-faith Reading Makes Christian Sense Ii: The Tent And The Net -- Prophecy Heard And Unheard: A Christian Reads The Qurʼan -- Reading Within And Between Traditions I: It Takes At Least Two To Reproduce -- Reading Within And Between Traditions Ii: Tradition, Invention, Recognition -- Pt. 3. Reading The Book Of Nature. Reading The Rainbow: Playing With The Text And Living In The World -- Literal Reading And Other Animals I: Setting Free The Mother Bird -- Literal Reading And Other Animals Ii: The Animals We Write On. Mike Higton And Rachel Muers. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 233-240) And Indexes.