Book Description
Introduction by Donald Keene; Translation by Ivan Morris
Customer Reviews:
A golden novel.......2007-07-17
Yukio Mishima was to receive the Nobel Prize for literature the year he committed suicide. I feel he was one of the best writers of the 20th century and with over 40 stories, novels and plays its a wonder he isn't more known in the western world. "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" follows Mizoguchi, a poor, working monk stationed in Kyoto. Through his life he has come to see beauty in very few things, though he becomes enthralled at the site of the Golden temple. Being a boy, his father told him of it and so he built it in his mind as something amazing, something divine.
I won't tell much of the story (you'll read the novel if you really want to know), but this novel is similar to many of Mishima's -- it deals with a character trapped between his culture and a forbidden taboo (this time it's arson and suicide, sometimes it's only a woman). Mishima's philosophy and introspection comes in to play in Mizoguchi's mind, and at times one feels like he or she is reading a philosophical text.
And it is indeed hard to see what Mishima thought through all of this. Is Japan a violent, narcissistic country, caught up in it's own masochistic culture and suffocating its youth? Or is he saying that real human beings are not born, but bred?
This is a novel, but is based on the actual burning of the temple in 1950 by a monk (though his name was not Mizoguchi). The historical connections have a part to play in post-war Japan, of course, but what's really worth experiences is Mishima's passion and his incredible gift to create extremely visual and visceral scenes that seem to vibrate poetically in the readers mind. This is one of the ten best novels I have ever read and should stand as a testament to anyone who doubts Mishima's brilliance.
Deliberately, carefully constructed, but somehow inadequate........2006-12-31
The Temple Of The Golden Pavilion is possibly Mishima's most famous novel. Strangely, it's also one of his least distinctive. It is very heavily influenced by Dostoevsky, much more than any other book Mishima wrote. Mishima even seems to imitate Dostoevsky's style at times. Even the names of the characters, even though they're Japanese, somehow seem to echo with the names of Verhovensky, Karamazov and Raskolnikov. Maybe it's just the number of syllables. Dostoevsky is also present in the book's way of ascribing great psychological significance to minor details, stating its main themes through philosophical disputes between characters, and constructing those characters to symbolize the different sides in those disputes. The destruction of the Golden Temple in Kyoto, like the murder of the elder Karamazov, is a philosophical problem more than a crime.
The book's protagonist Mizoguchi is a stutterer, and he is also tempted by evil thoughts. Such things cannot be independent in a book of this sort. The protagonist is evil because he is a stutterer. His stutter alienates him from society, and turns him to evil thoughts. His outer ugliness causes his inner ugliness, which in turn seems to increase his outer ugliness all the more. Mishima dwells on the speech impediment beyond all measure, until it becomes a symbol.
In a book of this sort, every action taken by the protagonist must be symbolic of something. He is given to internal monologue. Even his ostensibly irrational acts are laboriously pored over. Thus, when an American soldier orders him to abuse a prostitute, his compliance is not merely an act of violence or cowardice. It is also a symbol, a highly stylized way of expressing his alienation and demonstrating his love of evil. And his refusal to confess to his actions is nothing less than "experimenting with the single problem: 'Is evil possible?'" (88)
The book's antagonist Kashiwagi works along the same lines. He is also ugly and deformed, and this also must necessarily be a symbol of his inner evil. When he takes any action, it's not to achieve the ostensible end of the action, but to make a philosophical point. For instance, he does not go the geisha district because he desires physical pleasure. His hedonism is intellectualized by the author into a deliberate philosophical statement. He does certain things because he is nihilistic and cruel, but his nihilism and his cruelty are the products of a conscious intellectual decision on his part. After he commits his evil acts, he is always happy to sit down and explain his motives in great detail, like Dostoevsky's Smerdyakov.
And the good guy, Tsurukawa, is likewise not just a good guy and an optimist, but a symbol. His purpose is to "take [Mizoguchi's] feelings in his hand, turn them round and transmit them to the outside world" (57). Like every other action taken by anyone in the book, this has a philosophical consequence, namely that "there was no discrepancy between the very finest feeling in the world and the very worst; that their effect was the same; that no visible difference existed between murderous intent and feelings of deep compassion" (57).
Do real people ever think or act like this? I don't know. Maybe. But there's something unsatisfying about it. This way of writing can create dramatic intensity, as in the case of Dostoevsky. This novel, too, creates a feeling of impending doom which hangs over the setting from beginning to end. But it also feels glib. Actions which are supposed to be irrational suddenly become pre-meditated, carefully explained, constructed, and justified. A poorly educated, stuttering country boy has the eloquence of a learned philosopher in his inner monologues. And his stutter, his lowly origins, and his ugly appearance are also of great intellectual significance. They strengthen his philosophical arguments even as they are not entirely consistent with the very fact that he is articulating them. Is he a character in a novel, or an abstraction? Mishima's evil is very stylized.
To find a refutation to this way of writing, we might look at Mishima's own later works. In The Decay Of The Angel, Mishima's last novel, there is a narcissistic character much like Mizoguchi who feels compelled to intellectualize his every action. Like Mizoguchi, he is drawn to evil, and he records his evil thoughts in painstaking detail. But in that novel, he meets a very ignominious end. His self-awareness is revealed to be a shallow kind of self-delusion. His idea of evil is unfavourably compared to the genuinely irrational actions of Kiyoaki Matsugae, the protagonist of Mishima's greatest novel Spring Snow.
We might also look at Mishima's own life, which ended with a spectacularly irrational act known as the Mishima Incident. Strangely enough, Mishima did absolutely nothing to explain or justify this act. His last novel, which he completed on the day of the Incident, reveals nothing about it. Mishima, unlike Kashiwagi, was not inclined to exhibitionistically describe his own motives. Doesn't that mean that the character of Kashiwagi is somehow inadequate for his intended purpose? Is it his extremely stylized, self-aware philosophizing that makes him inadequate?
But if that's the case, then this book begins to look weak. It is so stylized that, if one removes the intellectual arguments, there really isn't much left. In fact, it really is kind of weak. Its saving grace is in the few truly irrational moments. The best of these occurs at the end of the second chapter, when Mizoguchi and Tsurukawa observe a parting ceremony between a military officer and a woman. Mishima was very good at coming up with such striking, sensuous images. The scene is extremely short, presented without any justification whatsoever. Mizoguchi is so transfixed by the sight that he forgoes his usual commentary about rejecting the world and so forth. The description is beautifully concise. Would that the whole book were like that.
Literature that rightfully make us proud to be Japanese.......2006-05-25
If ever criticized, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima is chided most frequently for some of its seemingly mundane, superfluous and repetitive details and paragraphs. Many give up, or decide not to read it at all, since the text appears heavy and unmanageable from the very first page. However, after analyzing the book and enduring challenges, one should come to realize the book's deeper meanings.
Mishima's writing is filled with archetypes and symbols that reoccur throughout the novel which may seem repetitive, but are utterly paramount and necessary to encourage deeper thought within the reader. After studying a chapter or two, one can make connections using these archetypes as a guide to interpret the book. For example, the seasons and the weather reflect the state of mind of the protagonist, Mizoguchi. Descriptive words such as "brilliant" and "bright" are premonitions of future events. Other distinctly repeated archetypes include colors, water and fire (they are repeated for the sake of emphasis), which help the reader to stay intact with the extraordinary world that Mishima creates.
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion is famous for mind-boggling its readers. A way one can come to terms with the frequent juxtapositions in the book is by researching a little about the author's background. Then, one will realize that Mishima incorporated his own philosophies and experiences in the character of Mizoguchi (which resulted in an active voice in its narrations: almost as if Mishima was talking to you personally). This may explain why the book seems abstract yet realistic, absurd yet understandable. Some characteristics of Mizoguchi we can relate with--others are puzzling and enigmatic.
It is striking to think that the main happenings of the novel actually happened--a stuttering young monk did in fact set fire to the golden temple after becoming obsessed with its beauty, as cited in the introduction of the book. The plot is simple, and its synopsis can be predicted through reading the introduction and the blurb. Mishima focuses acutely on the insight of the distressed monk's mind, even forcing the reader to unexpectedly sympathize with the mentally "different" protagonist. This may be the reason why some readers find Mishima's book hard to understand, or not fruitful. A reader cannot expect to obtain anything productive out of this book simply from the plot alone. Its true value can be attained through reading the book proactively, with care.
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion has become internationally accepted, possibly because of its universal philosophical messages, unique writing style, and also precisely for its absurdness. It is an esoteric piece of writing. It is loved by individuals (intellectuals) who are able to enjoy and appreciate quality writing while carefully deciphering its many conundrums; but it is dismissed by those... seeking a lighter read.
For more in-depth information and analysis, please visit:
http://goldenpavi.exblog.jp
Beauty and Obsession.......2006-02-10
Yukio Mishima was perhaps one of the more colourful individuals in Japanese literature, and one whose works have had enduring popularity. For this reason alone, his "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" is worth reading, even if it is not your normal taste in books.
Using events in 1950, when the Golden Temple was deliberately torched, as a very basic foundation to his book, Mishima writes of Mizoguchi, a stuttering young man who becomes obsessed with the Golden Temple and beauty as a general concept. Seeing himself in world that he feels separated from, Mizoguchi is influenced by many characters through the story.
The book is intensely reflective and told in the first person, which gives this reflective and speculative element a deeper punch. The internal journey of Mizoguchi is the mainstay of the book, and this also focuses on Mishima's own concerns.
This novel is very deep, and can get pretty heavy at times, though this is sometimes counter-balanced by moments of true humour and tension, though rarely.
"The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" is not everyone's cup of tea, so I would suggest giving it some thought before reading it. However, for something different and quite deep, it is a good book to provoke thought, and also introduce one to the thought of Yukio Mishima, himself a troubled and unusual man.
Beautifully Written.......2005-10-14
A great book and very unique in its depth and detail. I was once told to write on subjects that are not broad but quite narrow and bring it deep down to its core which is exactly how Yukio Mishima writes. I love this book!
Product Description
3 novels in one paperback.
Customer Reviews:
I Like it.......2006-05-18
ABOUT BOOK:
Desert prince Shahir has three simple rules: never sleep with a virgin, never get involved with an employee and never get married....
But rules are made to be broken! Kirsten is innocent and penniless, and Shahir can't resist her. Soon she's pregnant with the sheikh's baby!
Prince Shahir's honor dictates only one thing -- Kirsten must become his bride!
THOUGHTS:
I thought it was ok still very readable love her work not her best but she still has it...
THE BOOKS FRIST COUPLE PAGES:
The Sheikh's Innocent Bride
by Lynne Graham
HIS SERENE HIGHNESS, Prince Shahir bin Harith alAssad, reached his vast estate in the Scottish Highlands shortly before eight in the morning.
As usual, every possible arrangement had been put in place to smooth his arrival with the seamless luxury that had been his right since birth. A limousine with blacked-out windows had collected him from the private airfield where his Lear jet had landed. At no stage had anyone sought to breach his reserve with unwelcome dialogue, for he valued his privacy beyond all other things and his staff worked hard at keeping the rest of the world at bay. Offered a seat in the limo, his estate manager, Fraser Douglas, had answered several questions and then embraced a self-effacing silence.
The only road to Strathcraig Castle stretched for more than fifteen miles, through tawny moorlands surrounded by spectacular purple-blue mountains. The lonely silence of the majestic landscape and the wide blue sky that filled the horizon reminded Shahir of the desert that he loved with an even greater passion. After the frenetic bustle and buzz of the business world, the wild, natural emptiness refreshed his eyes.
As the limo began its descent into the remote forested glen of Strathcraig the passage of a flock of sheep forced the powerful vehicle to a halt. A white-haired woman with a bicycle was also waiting by the side of the road. Only when she turned her head did Shahir appreciate that the woman had barely left her teenage years behind: her hair was not white, it was a very pale platinum-blonde, drawn back from her delicate features in smooth wings. Slender and graceful, she had wide, intelligent eyes and a sensitive, full pink mouth. Even her drab clothing could not conceal the fact that she was as proud and pure in her beauty as an angel he had once seen in an illuminated manuscript. There was, however, nothing reverent about the instant charge of lust that she ignited in Shahir. He was startled by the unfamiliar intensity of his desire, for it had been a long time since a woman had excited his interest to that extent
"Who is that?" he asked the estate manager seated opposite him.
"Kirsten Ross, Your Highness," the square-faced older man advanced, and when the silence lay gathering dust, in a way that implied he had answered too briefly, he hastened to offer more facts. "I believe she's employed as a domestic at the castle."
Shahir would not have dreamt of bedding an employee, and the news that she worked for him in so menial a capacity struck an even less welcome note, for he was a fastidious man. "I haven't seen her before."
"Kirsten Ross isn't the sort to draw attention to herself."
Hard cynicism firmed Shahir's well-sculpted mouth. He was a connoisseur of beautiful women, and had yet to meet one unaware of her power. "She must be accustomed to the attention her looks excite."
"I shouldn't think she's ever been encouraged to pay much heed to a mirror," Fraser Douglas responded with a wry grimace. "Her father is a religious fanatic with a reputation for being very strict on the home front."
Realising in some surprise that he was still staring at the exquisite blonde, Shahir averted his attention with punctilious care from her. The car drove on.
The older man's censorious reference to the girl's father had surprised him, for where did religious devotion end and fanaticism begin? After all, to an outsider village life in Strathcraig appeared to revolve round the church and its activities. The local community followed a very different code of values from the more liberal ways of high society circles. Indeed, the tenants on the estate had a conservative outlook that struck visitors as distinctly grim and outdated, and was probably the result of the glen's isolation from the wider world.
Yet Shahir was more at home at Strathcraig than he was within a more laissez-faire culture. Dhemen, the Middle Eastern kingdom of his birth, was equally strait-laced. Right was right and wrong was wrong and community welfare always took precedence over the freedom of the individual. Within that clear framework few dared to stray, and those who did were punished by the opprobrium they attracted.
In much the same way Shahir accepted the limitations that fate had chosen to place on his own prospects of happiness. Any woman he took to his bed could only be a poor substitute for the one he really desired, he acknowledged wryly. He loved a woman who could never be his, and casual sexual affairs were his only outlet. But he was thirty-two years old, and that was not how he had planned to live his life.
Concerned relatives kept on lining up the names of promising bridal prospects, and the more broad-minded set up casual meetings with suitable females on his behalf. Perhaps, he reflected grimly, it was time for him to bite the bullet and choose one of those candidates. His darkly handsome features firmed. An Arabian woman would devote her energies 24/7 to the pursuit of being his wife. In return she would expect children, wealth, and the prestige of great position. Love wouldn't come into the equation and why should it? Marriage in his world had much more to do with the practicalities of status, family connections and, primarily, the provision of an heir. His father had been extremely sympathetic towards his son's desire to remain single for as long as possible but, as the next in line to the throne, Shahir was well aware that he could not stave off the inevitable for much longer.
It was fortunate that there was not an atom of romance in his soul, Shahir conceded with bleak satisfaction. His hot-blooded temperament and powerful sex-drive had always been kept in line by his strong principles and his discriminating tastes. He was a man who faced the truth, no matter how unpalatable it was. He was not a man who made foolish mistakes. Born into the very heart of a royal family, he knew what his duty entailed and he was proud of his heritage. His keen intelligence told him that accepting the need to acquire a wife would be a much more sensible option than eying up a gorgeous but totally unsuitable Western woman -- particularly one who worked for him in so lowly a capacity...
"You're living in Cloud-cuckoo-land," Jeanie Murray told Kirsten with blunt conviction as she sat on the worn wooden counter, smoking a cigarette in flagrant disregard of her rules of employment. "Your father will never let you live away from home to go to college."
Kirsten continued to wash a bone-thin Sevres china saucer with gentle and careful hands, her classic profile intent. "I think that now that he's married to Mabel he might be prepared to consider it." 'Aye, all that kneeling and praying didn't stop your dad from courting a new bride before your poor mum was cold in her grave. Folk say he likes his home comforts on tap." Impervious to her companion's discomfiture, the plump, freckled redhead rolled her eyes and vented a laugh. "But why should he agree to you moving out? You're bringing home a tidy pay packet. Don't tell me that that isn't welcome to Angus Ross -- we all know how tight his hold is on his wallet!"
Kirsten tried not to wince at the news that her father's stinginess was a living legend locally. Jeanie's frankly uttered opinions and tactless remarks often caused friction with other members of staff. Kirsten, however, could forgive her much, for she valued the other woman's warm-hearted friendliness. "Jeanie..."
"Don't go all goody-goody on me just because you think you should. You know it's true. I've heard a story or two about what your home life's like, and that's no picnic by all accounts --"
"But I don't discuss my family with anyone," Kirsten slotted in swiftly.
Jeanie rolled her eyes with unblemished good humour. "I bet you're still doing all the cooking and cleaning at home. Old sourpuss Mabel won't want you to move out either. Face up to it, Kirsten. You're twenty-two years old and the only way you're ever going to get a life of your own is by running away as fast as your legs can carry you from the pair of them!"
"We'll see." Kirsten bent her head and said nothing more.
It would take a hefty sum of money to enable her to set up home elsewhere. Running away would be the coward's way out, and doing so without sufficient funds would be foolish, for it would land her straight into the poverty trap. She wanted to be able to rent somewhere decent and plan her future. She just had to be patient, she reminded herself sternly. She was only six weeks into her very first job, and with her father taking a large slice of her wages to cover her keep it would be a few months before her savings could cover any sort of a move.
She could wait until then; her job, humble as it was, still felt like a lifeline to her. She loved working in the medieval splendour of the historic castle. The magnificent surroundings were an endless source of fascination to her. Even riding her bike into work every morning gave her a freedom that had long been denied her. The chance to mix freely with other people was even more welcome. But she was equally conscious that she wanted more out of life than a post as a cleaner, and that she needed qualifications and training to aspire to anything more.
Yet the prospect of having to blatantly defy her father's rigid rules of conduct was challenging and frightening, for she had been taught from childhood to offer him unquestioning obedience. He was a cold, intimidating man, with a violent temper that she had once struggled to protect her late mother from. Her lovely face shadowed, for she was still grieving for that loss.
Isobel Ross had become ill when her daughter was thirteen years old, and her long, slow decline had been matched by her ever greater need for care. That responsibility had fallen on Kirsten's shoulders. Her father had not been prepared to assist with what he saw as 'women's work', and her older brother, Daniel, had been kept too busy doing farm work to be in any position to help. Once the brightest child in her class, Kirsten had begun to miss a great deal of school and her grades had slowly worsened.
Fed up with the restrictions imposed by their father's increasingly obsessive absorption in religion, her brother had finally quarrelled with him and moved out. As soon as it was legally possible, Angus Ross had removed his daughter from school so that she could nurse her mother and take charge of his household.
For the following five years Kirsten had only left the farm to attend church and do the weekly shop. Her father disapproved of social occasions and had discouraged all visitors. Exactly a year after her mother's death her father had married Mabel. The other woman was sour and sharp-tongued. But Kirsten was grateful that Mabel's eagerness to see more money coming into the household had prompted her stepmother to persuade her husband to allow Kirsten to seek employment outside the home.
"We'll have to see if we can get you a proper thrill this week, while our gorgeous desert sheikh is in residence," Jeanie remarked brightly.
A surprisingly mischievous smile curved Kirsten's lips. "I've had my treat for the week: I saw the Prince's limousine, and very impressive it was too."
"Never mind the limo. We'll hide you somewhere to get a glimpse of the man himself! I've only seen him a couple of times, and at a distance, but I'm telling you he'd make a sinner out of any saint." Jeanie groaned, with a lascivious look in her eyes, as she disposed of her cigarette and put the ashtray back in its hiding place. "He's a right sex god."
"I'll be keeping well out of his way. I wouldn't want to lose my job." Kirsten had been warned when she was hired that all domestic tasks at the castle were to be carried out with as much silence and invisibility as was humanly possible. It had been made equally clear to her that if her phenomenally rich and royal employer was to appear in the same corridor she was to hastily vacate it, so she didn't think there would be much chance of her bumping into him!
"If I had your face and body I'd be tripping over myself to accidentally fall in His Serene Highness's way!" Jeanie gave her a broad wink." If he fancied you he could take you away from all this and set you up in a house somewhere. You'd be made, because he's minted! Think of the clothes you could have, and the jewels, and a real macho man in your bed into the bargain. You're really beautiful, Kirsten. If anyone could pull Prince Shahir, you could!"
Kirsten studied her in bewilderment, her colour rising. "I'm not like that --"
"Well, you'd be much better off if you were," the redhead told her roundly. "At least I know how to have a bit of fun and I can enjoy a good laugh. If you don't watch out your father will turn you into a dried-up old spinster!"
Having finished washing the Sevres dinner service, Kirsten dried it piece by piece with great care. Even so, her thoughts were miles away. She felt so out of step with Jeanie. Kirsten had been brought up in a house where the only spoken reference to sex had related to what her father referred to as 'the sin of fornication'. The content of the newspapers and magazines she had glimpsed since starting work at the castle had initially shocked her, for the only written matter in her home consisted of the Bible and religious tracts, and it was many years since her father had got rid of the television. Yet she was guiltily aware that she was sorely tempted by the fashionable clothes and the exotic places that she had seen in those publications.
If only her father were a more reasonable man. If only he would allow her to go out and about and enjoy mixed company, like other women her age. After all, he must have dated her late mother to have married her -- and surely that could not have been morally wrong?
Book Description
Many are familiar with Douglas Adams's classic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, but few know that these books started out as a multi-part series performed on BBC radio. This installment, part four, is a robust radio dramatization of So Long and Thanks for All the Fish. The Earth has miraculously reappeared and Arthur Dent is in love with the otherworldly Fenchurch, but Ford Prefect has an idea that might burst Arthur's happy little bubble. What is really going on with Arthur's dream girl, where have all the dolphins gone, and what was their departing message to mankind?
Customer Reviews:
Douglas Addams or not at all.......2006-12-08
If it is not the old version with Douglas Addams doing the reading it is not worth it. Just read it yourself. I do not like the redo.
His reading was worth 5 stars but the new one is only worth 1.
Kristina
Arthur Dent falls in love after re-discovering Earth.......2006-04-19
Douglas Adams' THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: QUANDARY PHASE provides 4 episodes on 2 cds as it returns with a new, full-cast dramatization of SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH, the fourth book in Adams' 'trilogy in five parts'. The Earth has reappeared, Arthur Dent has found it, and all seems well - until he falls in love. You can't go wrong backed with a full-cast performance from the BBC.
Quandary Phase *indeed*!.......2005-12-28
Hi there! Don't panic, I'm just going to give you enough information to tell you that, if you already own the primary, secondary, and tertiary phases of this, as I do, then you're going to want this, *but* be advised that this is probably the weakest of the sets so far, which is why I'm only giving it four stars instead of five.
Also, you ought to know that, unlike the first three sets, this one is only two discs, or four episodes, long, and that the person credited as "Christian Slater" is not really Christian Slater, but instead . . . Well, if you're a fan of audiobooks as I am, you'll recognize his voice instantly. He's actually very well cast, since he is in fact in California, and his initials are . . . Actually, his initials would give the whole game away. So I won't tell you that either. But he's done a lot of readings of his own work, and recently, he's done a lot of other readings also, for authors as disparate as Ursula K. LeGuin and Orson Scott Card. There. So now you should know.
I'm certainly glad that "they" decided to finally finish this series, even though poor Douglas Adams has been gone for so very long now. And also, I'm rather astonished that not only Jane Horrocks (a personal favorite of mine) but also Bill Patterson and Stephen Fry would join in on the fun. I'm glad to have gotten this, and look forward to the exciting conclusion (even though, of course, I've already read the books)!
Book Description
Proposes a method of biblical interpretation consisting of contexual, syntactical, verbal, theological, and homiletical analysis.
Customer Reviews:
Generally a good book.......2007-10-11
This is generally a good book. It covers everything a bible student needs to know about exegesis, including a brief history of exegesis, a brief discussions on the actual interpretation process, and a brief survey of several literary genres. The scope is comprehensive. And I particularly agree to the author's position on the single meaning of biblical text.
However the reason I don't give it a five stars is that all the discussions are TOO BRIEF. It is an excellent introductory work, but readers definitely need to go somewhere else to broaden the understanding they have acquired from this book. For this matter, I found Osborne "Hermeneutic Spiral" an excellent choice for a more philosophical and conceptual approach to this topic, or Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard "Introduction to Biblical Interpretation" for a more practical oriented approach.
This Book Teaches You How to Study the Bible.......2007-05-05
Dr. Kaiser's goal in Toward an Exegetical Theology is to fill in a gaping hole in the academic preparation for ministry "between the study of the biblical text...and the actual delivery of messages to God's people," by teaching the student "how one moves from analyzing the text over to constructing a sermon that accurately reflects that same analysis and is directly dependent on it" (8).
He seeks to accomplish this though what he calls the syntactical-theological method, which does not replace, but instead adds to the grammatico-historical method, seeing the twin ideas of syntactical (ch. 4, 8) and theological studies (ch. 6) as the bridge across the gap.
After introducing the book by summarizing modern catastrophes in exegetical studies, he shows what exegesis is and is not by surveying the history of exegesis (ch. 1-2).
He defines exegesis as the diligent "practice of and the set of procedures for discovering the author's intended meaning" (47), with the homiletical goal of proclaiming God's Word "in such a way that it can be heard with all its poignancy and relevancy to the modern situation without dismissing one iota of its original normativeness" (48).
The major section of the book is devoted to explaining his method of interpretation (ch. 3-8), after which he applies the method to three specific biblical genres (ch. 9-11).
He is keenly aware that his very detailed book may have just made the process of going from exegesis to exposition overwhelming, so he concludes with a big picture reminder to preachers of the need for the Spirit's ministry and power though His Word in their lives and ministries.
Sadly, I have owned this excellent book for well over five years, but only read it when I was assigned to do so in seminary. I say "sadly" because this book is immensely helpful and formative for what is becoming the exegetical method I will follow as I embark on the journey of preparing sermons for the rest of my life (Lord willing).
Very helpful work.......2007-01-14
Walter C. Kaiser Jr. serves as president and Colman M. Mockler Distinguished Professor of Told Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He is the author of numerous books and publications, as well as one who serves on the board of many Christian organizations. Kaiser's purpose for this book is to bridge the gap between the hermeneutics and homiletics departments of our Bible colleges and seminaries.
It is hoped, then, that this volume will be useful to those who are already in the pastorate and who are struggling week after week to resolve just this problem. But the main object of our work must be the scores of those men and women who are currently enrolled in Biblical and theological studies at the collegiate or seminary level (22).
Kaiser desires this work to be a "type of firstfruits to the Church at large ... [to] either rectify the situation with a good theory of exegesis" (22) in bridging the gap between hermeneutics and homiletics, "or to drop all professional pretensions from our Biblical and theological departments and offer only research-oriented degrees leading to teaching and writing posts in academia" (23).
Summary
Kaiser divides Toward an Exegetical Theology into four parts. Part I presents Kaiser's introduction to this work. This chapter deals with the decline in the area of hermeneutics to discover the authorial intent of the text from the Puritan age until the present. Kaiser notes the "crisis of the pulpit" (36). Far too many pastors ignore the Old Testament, deem the Old Testament irrelevant, or only relate it through the eyes of the New Testament. Chapter Two deals with the definition and history of exegesis. Kaiser states, "The sole object of the expositor is to explain as clearly as possible what the writer meant when he wrote the text under examination" (45). This statement for Kaiser defines exegesis, and then methodically takes the reader through the various eras and stages of exegesis through church history.
Part II, entitled "The Syntactical-Theological Method," contains six chapters dealing with various types of analyses which connect syntactical issues with biblical theology. Chapter Three addresses contextual analysis. "Good exegetical procedure dictates that the details be viewed in light of the total context" (69). Chapter Four deals with syntactical analysis and the various literary structures in Scripture such as prose, poetry, narrative, wisdom, and apocalyptic literature. "Each of these literary forms has a distinctive shape and style; accordingly, the approach to each form must be modified to meet its particular needs" (91). Within these forms, he notes that "the unit of concern must be the paragraph" (95) for paragraphs help the reader understand the flow and the theme of the ideas presented. Chapter Five addresses verbal analyses. Kaiser states, "Words and idioms are the most basic of all the linguistic building-blocks of meaning" (105). He notes the importance of noting the surrounding words in understanding that word's meaning. Chapter Six addresses theological analyses, which Kaiser calls "the missing ingredient in most sermon preparation" (131). He notes "exegesis is never an end in itself [but] must come to terms with the audience as well as with what the author meant by the words he used" (149). Chapter Seven then deals with this stage of preparation in dealing with homiletical analysis --- an area which in Kaiser believes theological education has failed. In this chapter, he presents to the reader "'Preparations for Homiletical Usage' [where] the basic thrust of the chapter will be ... principlization,' the final task in the exegetical process" (150).
Part III outlines special issues in expository preaching such as the use of prophecy, narrative, and poetry respectively in chapters nine, ten, and eleven. Kaiser notes in chapter nine that while preacher should preach prophetically, he must take care not to preach solely against institutional and cultural structures. Old Testament prophets made their primary appeal "to the individuals who made up those communities and institutions" (187). In chapter ten, Kaiser notes, "What is needed in preaching on ... narrative portions is some method of pointing out the abiding meanings and continuing significance for all believers" (197). Chapter eleven outlines how to preach Old Testament poetry expositionally, directing the preacher to know how "parallelism ... is the dominant stylistic feature" (212).
The conclusion of this work is found in Part IV. Chapter 12, entitled "The Exegete/Pastor and the Power of God," serves as the last chapter of this work and possesses a pastoral tone to the expositor in seeking the Holy Spirit for his power in the pulpit. "In all good conscience point to the presence of the Holy Spirit as the source of any confidence that we might have in our message even after we have acted most responsibly in the study and preparation of the text for proclamation" (235).
Critical Evaluation
As stated earlier, Kaiser's aim in this work is to help bridge the gap between the hermeneutics and homiletics departments of our Bible colleges and seminaries in the area of biblical exegesis - and he succeeds! In the preface, Kaiser believes that in order for one to be a proper exegete of the Scriptures, he could not "hope to begin unless and until he is able to translate the text from Greek to Hebrew" (9). He grants though that many pastors, teachers, and missionaries are not able to partake of these educational opportunities. Given these issues, Kaiser notes that "the method expounded in this book can be profitably employed even if one has access only to a translated version of the Scriptures" (10). Kaiser finds a tremendous balance in providing solid help for those in all levels of biblical scholarship.
Kaiser's work rightly advocates allowing the Scriptures to develop the framework for the preacher's and the listener's theology. First, he addresses in Chapter 1 the current crises in exegetical theology and notes the "yawning chasm between understanding the content of Scripture as it was given in the past and proclaiming it with such relevance in the present" (18). Kaiser notes, "We contend that the theology must be objectively derived from the text; not subjectively imposed on the text by the interpreter" (137). These impositions on the text also happen with narrative passages. He understands the temptations many preachers face and addresses them directly. "The exegete must resist the temptation to impose a mold over the text by forcing that text to answer one of his favorite questions or to deal with one of the contemporary issues that our cultures wants to have solved" (153).
His solution to this temptation involves determining the theme of each paragraph, looking for repeated terms which are stressed or defined, and looking to see what how these paragraphs fit into the overall book or section in which they are found. This theme runs continually through this work, reinforcing this all-to-important principle that the Christian's theology must arise from the text. He rightly believes that a procedure must be in place to help understand the core meaning of the text will the preacher derive his theological framework. The interpreter accomplishes this analysis through studying the terms, events, quotes and covenants found in the text, engaging in a "full involvement of Biblical theology as part of our exegesis" (137).
His chapter on "The Definition and History of Exegesis" contains some excellent material which lays the groundwork for not only the rest of the work but for a career's worth of work on the part of the exegete. He includes a wonderful paragraph that the preacher and exegete would do well to display in a prominent place for easy reference:
To begin with, let it be stated as a sort of first principle that preparation for preaching is always a movement which must begin with the text of Scripture and have as its goal the proclamation of that Word in such a way that it can be heard with all its poignancy and relevancy to the modern situation without dismissing one iota of its original normativeness (48).
He provides a helpful history of exegesis. Though this overview is not as comprehensive as Sidney Greidanus' overview in Preaching Christ from the Old Testament (Eerdmans, 1999), its inclusion in this chapter immediately the section on the definition of exegesis bolsters Kaiser's argument concerning the nature of good exegesis. For instance, Kaiser defines exegesis as seeking to "identify the single truth-intention of individual phrases, clauses, and sentences as they make up the thought of paragraphs, sections, and ultimately, entire books" (47). As he examines the five stages of Christian history, Kaiser wonderfully extracts the positives and negatives that arise from each stage of history and shows the lesson that deviating from authorial intent takes the interpreter down a problematic path --- all the while showing the worthwhile intent behind such a method. He presents both sides, yet does not give too much ground to the incorrect view. The preacher and exegete will benefit from such a balanced presentation.
Another strength with Kaiser's work is his use of humor and metaphors periodically in his explanations. This book contains technical information about the study of exegesis, so by Kaiser using humor and word pictures, he allows the reader slightly unwind as he absorbs the content. For instance, in chapter five in his discussion on verbal analysis, he discusses the importance of the surrounding words in determining the specific meaning of a word. With levity, he notes, that "words, like people, are known by the company they keep" (106). Another example is found in Chapter 6 when he uses a stirring metaphor in describing the trained clergy's failure to connect biblical texts to today's situations and their "Achilles' heel" (131). The inclusion of these word pictures among the norm of dry, academic language that so pervades these types of works.
With the strengths found in this volume come the weaknesses. The most glaring weakness is the placement of the contents of chapter twelve. The topic of this chapter addresses the exegete/pastor and the power of God. In a quote above, Kaiser noted that for the pastor, the Holy Spirit is the source of confidence in our message regardless of the number of steps taken in preparation. Considering the importance of the presence of the Holy Spirit, Kaiser should have placed this chapter toward the beginning of this book rather than at the very last chapter. Jesus did not say, "Proper sermon preparation and exegetical work will teach you all things." Rather, Jesus says in John 14:26, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26, ESV). Kaiser fully agrees with this verse. Given this sentiment, the placement of such an important understanding at the very end of this work is puzzling.
While Kaiser notes the importance of biblical truths guiding one's theology, he strays from this philosophy not once but twice in reference to the same passage: 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. In making the point that the exegete should pay "close attention to each subtle nuance that may aid us in detecting sectional divisions" (77), he proceeds to engage in extra-biblical speculation. He wonders aloud, "Could it not be that the debated passage of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is a quote from Rabbinic law?" with no rationale on how he arrived at this point. He then proceeds to connect this passage with other passages from 1 Timothy 2:8-11 as well as 1 Corinthians 11:4-5. He also addresses these same verses on pp. 119-120, apparently to show how to apply the principles of verbal analysis. Kaiser violates his own principles for confuses Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 11:4-5 with men and women who pray during their own private worship with principles Paul lays out for public worship in 1 Corinthians 14:26-35.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend Kaiser's work as a good starting point in understanding how to construct a sermon that bridges the ancient text of Scripture to contemporary times. He correctly diagnoses the issues facing the contemporary preacher and then proceeds to help the preacher in a methodical fashion overcome the obstacles facing him in dealing with Old and New Testament exegetical problems. The pastor and seminarian will benefit greatly from the groundbreaking contribution.
The Top Book of Chip's Top Ten (wordsntone.com).......2005-09-11
No other book helped me to become better at studying the Bible and preaching. Should be required reading for all pastors, missionaries, and anyone who stands before others and says, "This is what the Bible says." If I had a million dollars, I'd buy a copy for every pastor in American. Don't hesitate-Get it, read it, follow it!
A Solid Work, With Some Questions.......2005-03-26
In this work, Dr. Kaiser takes us deep into the text, and lays out a very nice and practical framework for interpreting scripture. He does a decent job of hitting the middle ground with format-the book will likely retain the interest of a Hebrew and Greek scholar, yet at the same time is usable by the one who is not schooled in Biblical languages.
I rated the book a four rather than five for just a couple of areas where I think Kaiser may be a bit too stringent in his approach. He teaches an overly restrictive (in my view) principle of limiting interpretation to only that developed theology which the hearers could have been informed of at the time. I would argue that a solid hermeneutic can include pursuant informing theology to be transported in reverse chronology to a passage, if it is done carefully in line with the analogy of faith. It would seem that we short-change the passage in light of God's full counsel if we limit it to the theology resident in the original audience.
Kaiser also is strongly against any "double sense" of prophecy and while on one hand it is the conservative approach, it may be overly so in that it discounts rabbinical history and interpretation, and it tends to "flatten" scripture which is obviously multi-dimensional in fulfillment.
Secondly, at the risk of contradicting my compliment regarding the format of the book, Kaiser takes the micro-analysis of language to a slightly annoying level. I'm not sure which came first, but the (in my view) slight over-emphasis on language in this work seem to contradict his earlier work in _Introduction To Biblical Hermeneutics_ where Kaiser/Silva actually warn about an under emphasis or over-emphasis on Greek and Hebrew language. It would seem that an exegete strictly following the approach in this book could get so caught up in parsing and analyzing syntax as to miss the plain and literal meaning.
Yet, even with the slight nit-picks that cost the book a star in my view, this is still a solid work that will remain on my shelf. Even the negatives from my point of view are squarely on the side of conservative scholarship and the grammatical-historical school of interpretation. It's a good foundational work in hermeneutics.
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