The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Orthodox Christianity
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawāhǝdo Church (EOTC) has the broadest biblical canon of the Christian wo... more The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawāhǝdo Church (EOTC) has the broadest biblical canon of the Christian world. However, one needs to admit that there is a constant. The majority of the books that were part of the canon in early period of Christianity in Ethiopia, in medieval Ethiopia, and in the contemporary period are also common to other churches. Further, some of the books that belong solely to the Ethiopian canon were excluded by other churches only after the fourth century. Before that period, these books were appreciated by some church fathers and some texts of authority. The same criteria valid for determining the canon elsewhere, namely apostolicity, orthodoxy, antiquity, and use are also applicable to the Ethiopian biblical canon. The criteria may of course vary depending on the book’s nature. Adaptability in welcoming and preserving the peculiar books as well as in interpreting them in the light of Christological doctrine and liturgy explains the history of the EOTC’s biblical canon.
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 2019
First, the editorial decision to have endnotes rather than footnotes is incomprehensible in an ac... more First, the editorial decision to have endnotes rather than footnotes is incomprehensible in an academic book of this nature and drove this particular reviewer nuts. Second, the style has a tendency to be unduly repetitive, particularly in the more theoretical sections; unfortunately this seems to be an endemic problem now that most publishers have dispensed with the services of a properly trained copyeditor.
Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the ... more Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the observation of nature and critique of current events. It is always delivered as improvisation. It is performed in traditional schools, as well as at liturgical and social events. It contains metaphors, rhymes, and rhythm. It includes important values and is useful for theological studies and biblical hermeneutics.
This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) ... more This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) project. This includes a description of the background to THEOT and its primary purpose of mapping the history of the transmission of the Ethiopic Old Testament. The bulk of the article summarizes the project’s preliminary findings, generally, and, in particular, about Ethiopic Psalms, Song of Songs, Deuteronomy, Ruth, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Haggai. Some attention is also given to evidences of contact with the Hebrew text tradition, although the Ethiopic is clearly a daughter version of the LXX.
Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the ... more Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the observation of nature and critique of current events. It is always delivered as improvisation. It is performed in traditional schools, as well as at liturgical and social events. It contains metaphors, rhymes, and rhythm. It includes important values and is useful for theological studies and biblical hermeneutics.
In 1 Enoch, the term ʿālam offers various meanings, most of which are temporal. It qualifies God ... more In 1 Enoch, the term ʿālam offers various meanings, most of which are temporal. It qualifies God as well as heaven. It also expresses the type of angelic life in heaven. With regard to life on earth, ʿālam signifies the most distant past and the most distant future. It also refers to things that will have a long duration, yet not without limit, like the suffering of fallen angels. In contrast human suffering on earth is never associated with an eternal one.
This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) ... more This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) project. This includes a description of the background to THEOT and its primary purpose of mapping the history of the transmission of the Ethiopic Old Testament. The bulk of the article summarizes the project’s preliminary findings, generally, and, in particular, about Ethiopic Psalms, Song of Songs, Deuteronomy, Ruth, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Haggai. Some attention is also given to evidences of contact with the Hebrew text tradition, although the Ethiopic is clearly a daughter version of the LXX.
For sixteen centuries, Christian faith has been interacting with Ethiopian culture. This setting ... more For sixteen centuries, Christian faith has been interacting with Ethiopian culture. This setting offers rich resources for theological vocabulary insofar as it is embedded in African images and symbols, poems, hymns, and chants. Since the material world holds an important place in Ethiopian religious expressions, four dominant symbols found in nature—fire, water, soil, and oil—deserve particular attention. The reflections given in this article are predominantly drawn from study of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. We show that various values are discernable in the four symbols mentioned here, as well as in the cross, the central Christian symbol.
The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Orthodox Christianity
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawāhǝdo Church (EOTC) has the broadest biblical canon of the Christian wo... more The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawāhǝdo Church (EOTC) has the broadest biblical canon of the Christian world. However, one needs to admit that there is a constant. The majority of the books that were part of the canon in early period of Christianity in Ethiopia, in medieval Ethiopia, and in the contemporary period are also common to other churches. Further, some of the books that belong solely to the Ethiopian canon were excluded by other churches only after the fourth century. Before that period, these books were appreciated by some church fathers and some texts of authority. The same criteria valid for determining the canon elsewhere, namely apostolicity, orthodoxy, antiquity, and use are also applicable to the Ethiopian biblical canon. The criteria may of course vary depending on the book’s nature. Adaptability in welcoming and preserving the peculiar books as well as in interpreting them in the light of Christological doctrine and liturgy explains the history of the EOTC’s biblical canon.
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 2019
First, the editorial decision to have endnotes rather than footnotes is incomprehensible in an ac... more First, the editorial decision to have endnotes rather than footnotes is incomprehensible in an academic book of this nature and drove this particular reviewer nuts. Second, the style has a tendency to be unduly repetitive, particularly in the more theoretical sections; unfortunately this seems to be an endemic problem now that most publishers have dispensed with the services of a properly trained copyeditor.
Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the ... more Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the observation of nature and critique of current events. It is always delivered as improvisation. It is performed in traditional schools, as well as at liturgical and social events. It contains metaphors, rhymes, and rhythm. It includes important values and is useful for theological studies and biblical hermeneutics.
This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) ... more This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) project. This includes a description of the background to THEOT and its primary purpose of mapping the history of the transmission of the Ethiopic Old Testament. The bulk of the article summarizes the project’s preliminary findings, generally, and, in particular, about Ethiopic Psalms, Song of Songs, Deuteronomy, Ruth, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Haggai. Some attention is also given to evidences of contact with the Hebrew text tradition, although the Ethiopic is clearly a daughter version of the LXX.
Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the ... more Ethiopian Qene (traditional and living oral poetry) intertwines biblical interpretation with the observation of nature and critique of current events. It is always delivered as improvisation. It is performed in traditional schools, as well as at liturgical and social events. It contains metaphors, rhymes, and rhythm. It includes important values and is useful for theological studies and biblical hermeneutics.
In 1 Enoch, the term ʿālam offers various meanings, most of which are temporal. It qualifies God ... more In 1 Enoch, the term ʿālam offers various meanings, most of which are temporal. It qualifies God as well as heaven. It also expresses the type of angelic life in heaven. With regard to life on earth, ʿālam signifies the most distant past and the most distant future. It also refers to things that will have a long duration, yet not without limit, like the suffering of fallen angels. In contrast human suffering on earth is never associated with an eternal one.
This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) ... more This article offers an introduction to the Textual History of the Ethiopic Old Testament (THEOT) project. This includes a description of the background to THEOT and its primary purpose of mapping the history of the transmission of the Ethiopic Old Testament. The bulk of the article summarizes the project’s preliminary findings, generally, and, in particular, about Ethiopic Psalms, Song of Songs, Deuteronomy, Ruth, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Haggai. Some attention is also given to evidences of contact with the Hebrew text tradition, although the Ethiopic is clearly a daughter version of the LXX.
For sixteen centuries, Christian faith has been interacting with Ethiopian culture. This setting ... more For sixteen centuries, Christian faith has been interacting with Ethiopian culture. This setting offers rich resources for theological vocabulary insofar as it is embedded in African images and symbols, poems, hymns, and chants. Since the material world holds an important place in Ethiopian religious expressions, four dominant symbols found in nature—fire, water, soil, and oil—deserve particular attention. The reflections given in this article are predominantly drawn from study of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. We show that various values are discernable in the four symbols mentioned here, as well as in the cross, the central Christian symbol.
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