In the studies collected in this book, Heikki Räisänen offers non-apologetic interpretations of crucial issues such as early Christian views about the end of the world and virginal conception, and does not shy away from addressing the darker sides of the Wirkungsgeschichte of the Bible. He also offers a learned overview of how the Christian interpretation of the Bible differs from and is similar to the interpretations of holy texts in other religious traditions.

The essays by Heikki Räisänen (1941-2015) collected in this volume deal with a broad array of topics, ranging from early Christian identities to bibliodrama and other modern-day approaches to the scriptures. The exegetical studies in the first part explore issues related to early Christian eschatology, virginal conception, and Paul's complex argumentation about the Jews and their salvation in Romans 9-11. The essays on ancient and modern interpretations of the Bible in the second part pay special attention to ethical issues, address the "dark sides" of its reception, and discuss the biblical interpretations of Marcion and Joseph Smith. The third section comprises studies on the Bible and Qur'an, while the concluding chapter provides a comprehensive description of the Bible as scripture from a comparative perspective.

Autorentext
(1941-2015) 1969 Dr. Theol., University of Helsinki; 1975-2006 Professor of New Testament Studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki; 1984-94 and 2001-06 Academy Professor of the Academy of Finland; honorary doctorates from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Uppsala.