The Rev'd Andy Rowland writes: By disregarding the Bible’s divisions into chapters, we can recapture some of the impact that John in particular made on his first audiences. The shorter letters at the end of the New Testament may give a clue as to the natural length of a piece of writing in the early church, and how that might be used to re-read John. ...
Jonathan Clatworthy writes in his review: This book illustrates the literary reception of the Bible. The ‘extremes’ are the freedom which many writers bring to rewriting biblical stories. Some rewritings are antagonistic to the biblical text, the ‘hypotext’. Some use it as a departure point for a quite different development. Some amplify the hypotext, some condense it. There are prequels and sequels. Some change the tone, making it tragic or comic. Some give greater emphasis to minor biblical characters, or introduce new characters. Sometimes the viewpoint of the narration changes. For example The Dream of the Rood moves the viewpoint of the Crucifixion from that of an onlooker to that of the cross. ...
Guest Editorial - The Rev`d Christina Rees C.B.E. - Feast of St Mary Magdalene 22nd July 2020
The Rev’d Dr. Anthony Swindell
