Publisher's Synopsis
This commentary on Joel reflects Earth Bible principles and the methods of ecological hermeneutics and other recent approaches of biblical scholarship. Braaten begins by articulating his identification with Earth, and the hindrances to such identification that he shares with the human community. After a brief introduction to the book of Joel as prophetic literature, Braaten assesses various interpretive strategies, and how some traditional categorizations (such as "apocalyptic") obstruct an Earth friendly approach to the book.
The commentary section itself includes traditional approaches found in exegetical and theological commentaries, with a focus on the meanings of words and phrases in literary context. Braaten outlines the message of each larger literary unit. Throughout the work, careful attention is paid to the eco-justice principles formulated by the Earth Bible project. Each section concludes with an attempt to retrieve the voice of Earth, and an articulation of the ecological implications of the reading for contemporary interpreters.
