Caught Reading Again: Scholars and Their Books

Is a book the same book - or a reader the same reader - the second time around? Contributors to this collection have been asked to re-read the book that inspired them the most at the outset of their career, or earlier, and then describe what that book offers them now, and how the book and the reader have changed - be it theologically, culturally, politically, personally or professionally - since that first inspiring read. Each chapter reads differently, the tone changing from author to author depending on their various social and political locations, their gender and ethnic differences. Contributors represent different disciplines - Systematic Theology, Biblical Studies, Cultural and English Studies. The selection also reflects male and female, centre and margin, Black and White representations. Each is a very well-established figure in their field and, more crucially, they are at the stage in their career to undertake the type of exercise envisioned in this exciting and unusual project. Autobiographical criticism is a growing tool in most academic fields and here for the first time, a group of eminent theologians ask themselves about the relationship between the reader and the book. Each scholar addresses the book's original context and the present context; their theological and hermeneutical journey; how the theological landscape has changed over the years for them; the memories these re-readings bring ; their prejudices, theological likes and dislikes, and how these have shaped their theological thinking today. Some of the book considered are: Nathan A. Scott Jr's The Wild Prayer of Longing (1971) (David Jasper, Glasgow) Ernst Bloch's Atheism in Christianity (Roland Boer, Monash University) Elizabeth Schuessler Fiorenza's In Memory of Her(1983/92) (Elaine Wainwright, University of Auckland) Gustavo Gutierrez's A Theology of Liberation (1971) (Kwok Pui-lan and Ada-Maria Isasi-Diaz) Hosea (Yvonne Sherwood and Lesley Orr) Subramania Bharathi. (1882-1921) (Michael Amaladoss, S.J., Institue of Dialogue with Cultures and Religions, Loyola College, Chennai, India.) Evita Vive (Marcella Althaus-Reid, University of Edinburgh) Christopher Hill's The World Turned Upside Down (Christopher Rowland, University of Edinburgh) John's Gospel (Lisa Isherwood, University of Winchester)