The Ethos of the Cosmos: The Genesis of Moral Imagination in the Bible

William P. Brown

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999 - Religion - 458 pages

Recent studies of the biblical story of creation try to uncover its roots in ancient Near Eastern myths or its compatibility with modern science and ecology. In contrast, this work by William Brown investigates how the various pictures of creation found in Scripture helped shape the ancient faith community's moral character. Bridging the fields of biblical studies and ethics, this interdisciplinary work demonstrates how certain creation traditions of the Old and New Testaments were developed from the community's moral imagination for the purpose of forming and preserving both Israel's and the early church's identity in the world. Bringing to light insights largely overlooked by modern treatments of biblical ethics and creation, The Ethos of the Cosmos ends by recommending the formative power of creation for the contemporary church.

Contents

• Preface: xi
• Abbreviations: xv
• Introduction The Ethos of Creation: 1
• Culture and Ecology in Recent Biblical Scholarship: 4
• Cosmos and Ethos: 10
• A Cosmopolitical Sampling: 12
• Rejoining What Has Been Rent Asunder: 17
• The Role of Moral Imagination in Creation: 19
• Breaking an Impasse: 23
• The Crisis of Culture: 25
• Modus Operandi: 27
• It Was Good It Was Hallowed Integrity and Differentiation in the Cosmic Sanctuary: 35
• An Ethos of Order: 36
• Structure and Sequence: 37
• The Stewardship of Creation: 39
• Ethos and Cosmos: 46
• Integrity down for the Count: 52
• Will the Real Chaos Please Rise Up?: 58
• Covenant and Creation from Genesis to Sinai: 61
• Covenant Creation and Liberation: 66
• Sinai and Sanctification: 71
• Tabernacle Testimony and Creation: 73
• Cult and Culture Holiness and Goodness: 89
• Land and Liminality: 91
• Of Sin and Sanctity Creation and Command: 95
• Israels Presence in the Land: 99
• The Distinction of Holiness: 103
• Living in Integrity: 108
• Identity and Integration: 121
• Distinction without Exclusion: 123
• Integrity without Inclusion: 126
• From the Dust of the Ground from Bone of My Bones The Ethos of the Garden Mythos in Genesis 24b324: 133
• In the Garden: 134
• Cultivating the Garden Community: 135
• Of God Ground and Gardening: 137
• Expulsion from the Garden: 144
• The Desiccation of Community: 145
• Encroachment and Expulsion: 146
• The GeoEthical Landscape: 151
• Knowledge and Wisdom: 152
• The Breakdown of Community: 157
• Outside the Garden: 163
• The Ontology of Violence: 164
• The Descent of Culture: 170
• Moral Man in Immoral Society: 174
• Man of the Soil: 177
• Edens Access Denied: 179
• Culture Revisited and Relativized: 182
• The Garden and the City: 184
• The Garden and the Ger: 187
• Marital Relations: 194
• Exodus and Ethos: 203
• Between Chaos and Ethos: 205
• Eden Recultivated: 212
• The Yahwists Socioliterary Setting: 215
• Ethos and Ethics: 219
• I Am about to Do a New Thing Yahwehs Victory Garden in Second Isaiah: 229
• Creations Germination: 231
• The Fruits of Creation and Community: 238
• Isaiah 411720: 241
• The Roots of Royal Gardening: 248
• Idol Manufacture in Isaiah 44920: 252
• An Ethos of Righteousness and Justice: 254
• The Servant and the Shepherd: 256
• The Contours of the Cultivated Community: 259
• The Old and the New: 264
• Rejoicing in His Inhabited World Wisdoms Playhouse in Proverbs: 271
• Wisdoms Place and Role in Creation: 272
• The Character of Creation: 275
• Eyewitness and Player: 277
• Creation in Context: 280
• Chaos in Context: 286
• Chaos of Strangeness: 288
• Eros and Ethos: 291
• Delight and Discipline: 295
• Joy and the Art of Community Formation: 297
• The Play of Discipline: 300
• The Play of Discourse: 301
• Conflict and Conciliation: 304
• The Ethos of Sophia: 307
• Fearful Play: 309
• Integrative Play: 312
• Wisdoms Encompassing Household: 313
• Ask the Animals and They Will Teach You Jobs Carnival of Animals: 317
• The Prologue: 320
• Jobs First Discourse: 322
• In the Cauldron of Contention: 325
• Job the Hunted: 327
• In the Violent Pursuit of Wisdom: 329
• Of Honor Onagers and Orphans: 333
• The Oath of Virtue: 336
• Educating Job: 337
• The Cosmic Community: 341
• Ask the Animals and They Will Teach You: 350
• Representations of the Kings Enemies: 351
• Royal SelfRepresentations: 352
• Hunting Expeditions: 355
• Job in NoMansLand: 360
• Dignity without Dominion: 375
• From Chaos to Community: 377
• Conclusion Cosmos and Ethos: 381
• The Cosmic Sanctuary: 385
• The Garden Community: 388
• The Temple Garden: 391
• Wisdoms Cosmic Domicile: 393
• Jobs Wild and Wondrous Wasteland: 394
• Creation and Community in Christ: 396
• Toward an Ecology of Community: 405
• Bibliography: 411
• Index of Authors and Subjects: 437
• Index of Scripture References: 444

About the author

William P. Brown is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. Other books of his include The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder and Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Ethos of the Cosmos: The Genesis of Moral Imagination in the Bible
• Author: William P. Brown
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1999
• ISBN: 0802845398, 9780802845399
• Length: 458 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Biblical Criticism & Interpretation / Old Testament; Religion / Ethics; Social Science / Sociology of Religion