Michael Coogan

Last updated

Michael D. Coogan is lecturer on Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Harvard Divinity School, Director of Publications for the Harvard Semitic Museum, editor-in-chief of Oxford Biblical Studies Online, [1] and professor emeritus of religious studies at Stonehill College. He has also taught at Fordham University, Boston College, Wellesley College, and the University of Waterloo (Ontario). Coogan has also participated in and directed archaeological excavations in Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, and Egypt, and has lectured widely.

Contents

Education and honors

Coogan was raised as Roman Catholic and for 10 years was a Jesuit. [2]

Coogan holds a doctorate in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from Harvard University, 1971. [3] In 2000, he received Stonehill's Distinguished Faculty Award in recognition of his scholarship and teaching.

Author

One of the leading biblical scholars in the United States, [4] [5] he is the author of The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures; editor of The New Oxford Annotated Bible , The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible, and Oxford Biblical Studies Online; and a contributor to such standard reference works as The Encyclopedia of Religion, HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, and The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Other projects that he conceived, edited, and collaborated on include The Oxford Companion to the Bible, The Illustrated Guide to World Religions, and The Oxford History of the Biblical World. One work is published by Twelve Books and titled God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says , published in 2010. [6] In the later, Coogan aims to expand human freedom and justice while giving secondary instruction to Christians on the proper use of the Bible. He quotes St. Paul in regard to the failure to mention the female disciples in the list of faithful who saw the Risen Christ by noting that the empty tomb story in the Gospels might be a myth and inserted later. [7] He states, "The text is not, except perhaps in the abstract, intrinsically authoritative: it derives its authority from the community." He favors "thinking of the Bible in a more nuanced way than simply as the literal word of God" and identifies the Bible as "one foundational text in American society" which along with our Constitution must be interpreted critically. The purpose of "God and Sex" is weaved jointly with the faithful and the secular in mind. [8]

Appearances

Related Research Articles

The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah. The book has a long and complex history; its final form is possibly due to a Priestly redaction of a Yahwistic source made sometime in the early Persian period. However, this is a point of contention for many secular and biblical scholars. The name of the book comes from the two censuses taken of the Israelites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah</span> Revered figure in Abrahamic mythology

Noah appears as the last of the Antediluvian patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible, the Quran and Baha'i writings. Noah is referenced in various other books of the Bible, including the New Testament, and in associated deuterocanonical books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah's Ark</span> Mythical ship in the Genesis flood narrative

Noah's Ark is the ship in the Genesis flood narrative through which God spares Noah, his family, and examples of all the world's animals from a global deluge. The story in Genesis is based on earlier flood myths originating in Mesopotamia, and is repeated, with variations, in the Quran, where the Ark appears as Safinat Nūḥ and al-fulk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jahwist</span> One of the four sources of the Torah

The Jahwist, or Yahwist, often abbreviated J, is one of the most widely recognized sources of the Pentateuch (Torah), together with the Deuteronomist, the Priestly source and the Elohist. The existence of the Jahwist is somewhat controversial, with a number of scholars, especially in Europe, denying that it ever existed as a coherent independent document. Nevertheless, many scholars do assume its existence. The Jahwist is so named because of its characteristic use of the term Yahweh for God.

Sex is considered repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible. Some references provide unambiguous ethical regulations, such as the laws given in Leviticus or Deuteronomy. Others are more ambivalent, most famously the potentially homosexual actions of Ham with his father, Noah. Its depictions of homosexuality, rape, prostitution and incest have spurred considerable academic and theological attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosaic authorship</span> Belief that the Torah was dictated to Moses by God

Mosaic authorship is the Judeo-Christian tradition that the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, were dictated by God to Moses. The tradition probably began with the legalistic code of the Book of Deuteronomy and was then gradually extended until Moses, as the central character, came to be regarded not just as the mediator of law but as author of both laws and narrative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Horeb</span> Location in the Hebrew Bible

Mount Horeb is the mountain at which the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God, according to the Book of Deuteronomy in the Hebrew Bible. It is described in two places as הַר הָאֱלֹהִים the "Mountain of Elohim". The mountain is also called the Mountain of YHWH.

Mark Stratton John Matthew Smith is an American biblical scholar, anthropologist, and professor.

<i>God and Sex</i> 2010 book by Michael Coogan

God and Sex: What the Bible Really Says is a book by Michael Coogan, published in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Kings 3</span> 1 Kings, chapter 3

1 Kings 3 is the third chapter of the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible or the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is a compilation of various annals recording the acts of the kings of Israel and Judah by a Deuteronomic compiler in the seventh century BCE, with a supplement added in the sixth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the reign of Solomon over the unified kingdom of Judah and Israel. The focus of this chapter is the reign of Solomon, the king of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Kings 8</span> 1 Kings, chapter 8

1 Kings 8 is the eighth chapter of the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible or the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is a compilation of various annals recording the acts of the kings of Israel and Judah by a Deuteronomic compiler in the seventh century BCE, with a supplement added in the sixth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the reign of Solomon over the unified kingdom of Judah and Israel. The focus of this chapter is the dedication of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genesis flood narrative</span> Biblical flood myth

The Genesis flood narrative is a Hebrew flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre-creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microcosm of Noah's ark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Samuel 3</span> First Book of Samuel chapter

1 Samuel 3 is the third chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter focuses on the calling of Samuel, in a section concerning the life of Samuel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Samuel 5</span> First Book of Samuel chapter

1 Samuel 5 is the fifth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter describes how the Ark of Covenant was taken by the Philistines, a part of the "Ark Narrative" within a section concerning the life of Samuel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 Chronicles 35</span> Second Book of Chronicles, chapter 35

2 Chronicles 35 is the thirty-fifth chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or of the second part of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible. The book was compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the kingdom of Judah until its destruction by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar and the beginning of restoration under Cyrus the Great of Persia. It contains the regnal accounts of Josiah the king of Judah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 Chronicles 2</span> Second Book of Chronicles, chapter 2

2 Chronicles 2 is the second chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or of the second part of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible. The book is compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the kingship of Solomon. The focus of this chapter is Solomon's ascension and wealth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 Chronicles 5</span> Second Book of Chronicles, chapter 5

2 Chronicles 5 is the fifth chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles the Old Testament of the Christian Bibles or of the second part of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible. The book is compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the kingship of Solomon. The focus of this chapter is the installation of the Ark of the Covenant in the temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 Chronicles 6</span> Second Book of Chronicles, chapter 6

2 Chronicles 6 is the sixth chapter of the Second Book of Chronicles the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or of the second part of the Books of Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible. The book is compiled from older sources by an unknown person or group, designated by modern scholars as "the Chronicler", and had the final shape established in late fifth or fourth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the kingship of Solomon. The focus of this chapter is Solomon's prayer and speech at the consecration of the temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Kings 1</span> 1 Kings, chapter 1

1 Kings 1 is the first chapter of the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible or the First Book of Kings in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is a compilation of various annals recording the acts of the kings of Israel and Judah by a Deuteronomic compiler in the seventh century BCE, with a supplement added in the sixth century BCE. This chapter belongs to the section focusing on the reign of Solomon over the unified kingdom of Judah and Israel. The focus of this chapter is the reign of David and Solomon, the kings of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua 24</span> Book of Joshua chapter

Joshua 24 is the twenty-fourth chapter of the Book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible or in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the Joshua, with additions by the high priests Eleazar and Phinehas, but modern scholars view it as part of the Deuteronomistic History, which spans the books of Deuteronomy to 2 Kings, attributed to nationalistic and devotedly Yahwistic writers during the time of the reformer Judean king Josiah in 7th century BCE. This chapter records Joshua's final address to the people of Israel, that ends with a renewal of the covenant with YHWH, and the appendices of the book, a part of a section comprising Joshua 22:1–24:33 about the Israelites preparing for life in the land of Canaan.

References

  1. ↑ "Oxford Biblical Studies Online". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Michael Coogan - What I Wanna Know, Aug 13, 2011. Interview of Michael Coogan by Ryan Kohls. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Editorial and Advisory Boards. Oxford Biblical Studies Online.
  4. ↑ Kohn, Rachael (15 January 2012). "The World's Sexiest Book". Radio National. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  5. ↑ Christine Hayes, Lecture 8 - Exodus: From Egypt to Sinai (Exodus 5-24, 32; Numbers) [October 4, 2006], Yale University course.
  6. ↑ Coogan, 2010
  7. ↑ Coogan, 2010, p. 58.
  8. ↑ Coogan, 2010, pp. 190-195.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.