Urban Imagination in Biblical Prophecy

by Mills, Mary E.

• ISBN13: 9780567205049
• ISBN10: 0567205045
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-01-16
• Publisher: Bloomsbury T&T Clark

Summary

This volume brings together aspects of contemporary study of cultural geography and selected passages from prophetic texts of the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament. The aim is to identify how the image of the city helps to construct meaning inside the biblical material. In order to carry out this task relevant textual narratives are analysed and then read from the viewpoint of space, place and urban studies. This latter category includes the works of Lefebvre, Bachelard, Soja, Massey, Amin and Thrift and Pile, among others. A major finding is that urban imagination is a tool by which the texts manage the experience of political and social events in a time of radical change.

Author Biography

Mary Mills is Professor of Biblical Studies at Liverpool Hope University UK. She studied modern history before turning to Biblical Studies, completing a doctoral thesis at Heythrop College, University of London.

Table of Contents

Introduction SECTION A: Defining Urban Psycho-geography Chapter 1 - Urban Psycho-geographies Chapter 2 - The prophet as Flaneur SECTION B: Space and Place in Prophetic Urban Imagination Chapter 3 - Temple-space and Urban Imaginary in Biblical Prophecy Chapter 4 - A Poetics of Sacred Space in Ezekiel's Temple-City Chapter 5 - Narrative Space and RitualSpace in the Book of Joel SECTION C: Urban Imaginaries Chapter 6 - The Great City in the Book of Jonah Chapter 7 - The Visionary Space of the Sim-City in Zechariah 1-8 Chapter 8 - Deathscapes and the City in the Minor Prophets SECTION D: Analysing Urban Prophetic Imagination Chapter 9 - Geography and Vision Chapter 10 - Prophetic Cities Bibliography Indices