The Tree of Life

Description

The tree of life is an iconic visual symbol at the edge of religious thought over the last several millennia. As a show of its significance, the tree bookends the Christian canon; yet scholarship has paid it minimal attention in the modern era. In The Tree of Life a team of scholars explore the origin, development, meaning, reception, and theology of this consequential yet obscure symbol. The fourteen essays trek from the origins of the tree in the texts and material culture of the ancient Near East, to its notable roles in biblical literature, to its expansion by early church fathers and Gnostics, to its rebirth in medieval art and culture, and to its place in modern theological thought. ‎Contents ‎Foreword ‎Figures ‎Abbreviations ‎Contributors ‎Introduction (Estes) ‎Chapter 1. The Tree of Life in Ancient Near Eastern Literature (Echols) ‎Chapter 2. The Tree of Life in Ancient Near Eastern Iconography (Balogh) ‎Chapter 3. The Tree of Life in Genesis (Heard) ‎Chapter 4. The Tree of Life in Proverbs and Psalms (Osborne) ‎Chapter 5. The Tree of Life in Jewish-Christian Legendary Texts (Lanfer) ‎Chapter 6. The Tree of Life in Ancient Apocalypse (Stovell) ‎Chapter 7. The Tree of Life in Enochic Literature (Penner) ‎Chapter 8. The Tree of Life in the Apocalypse of John (Estes) ‎Chapter 9. The Tree of Life in Early Christian Literature (Edwards) ‎Chapter 10. The Tree of Life in Philo (Leonhardt-Balzer) ‎Chapter 11. The Tree of Life in Gnostic Literature (Smith) ‎Chapter 12. The Tree of Life in Medieval Iconography (Salonius) ‎Chapter 13. The Tree of Life in the North (Murphy) ‎Chapter 14. The Tree of Life in Modern Theological Thought (Treier, Keepers and Kieser) ‎Conclusion (Estes) ‎Bibliography ‎Ancient Sources Index ‎Hebrew and Greek Word Index ‎Modern Author Index ‎Place Index ‎Subject Index