Opening King David

The human experience is an intimate, tough, and, at times, hilarious conversation with what is familiar and what is mystery. Poetry at its best turns this conversation into art and teaches by example how to employ language creatively and courageously--even coyly--in exploring the full range of human response to whatever life may deliver. Certainly the biblical Psalms set the highest of standards in this regard. In Opening King David, Davis takes aim at making contemporary poems in conversation with the Psalms; his personal, cultural, and natural surroundings; and the wonder and mess of his own soul. As a painter with all colors at his disposal, Davis writes with the full spectrum of his available vocabulary, sometimes reaching for the glorious ineffable, at other times bluntly telling it like it--darkly--is. Neither devotional nor inspirational nor religious, these human poems take God seriously and honor our common struggle toward what Saint Paul calls "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

David, King of the Jews, possessed every flaw and failing a mortal is capable of, yet men and women adored him and God showered him with many more blessings than he did Abraham or Moses. His sexual appetite and prowess were matched only by his violence, both on the battlefield and in the bedroom. A charismatic leader, exalted as "a man after God's own heart," he was also capable of deep cunning, deceit, and betrayal. Now, in King David: The Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel, bestselling author Jonathan Kirsch reveals this commanding individual in all his glory and fallibility. In a taut, dramatic narrative, Kirsch brings new depth and psychological complexity to the familiar events of David's life--his slaying of the giant Goliath and his swift challenge to the weak rule of Saul, the first Jewish king; his tragic relationship with Saul's son Jonathan, David's cherished friend (and possibly lover); his celebrated reign in Jerusalem, where his dynasty would hold sway for generations. Yet for all his greatness, David was also a man in thrall to his passions--a voracious lover who secured the favors of his beautiful mistress Bathsheba by secretly arranging the death of her innocent husband; a merciless warrior who triumphed through cruelty; a troubled father who failed to protect his daughter from rape and whose beloved son Absalom rose against him in armed insurrection. Weaving together biblical texts with centuries of interpretation and commentary, Jonathan Kirsch brings King David to life in these pages with extraordinary freshness, intimacy, and vividness of detail. At the center of this inspiring narrative stands a hero of flesh and blood--not the cartoon giant-slayer of sermons and Sunday school stories or the immaculate ruler of legend and art but a magnetic, disturbingly familiar man--a man as vibrant and compelling today as he has been for millennia.

Joel Baden, a leading expert on the Old Testament, offers a controversial look at the history of King David, the founder of the nation of Israel whose bloodline leads to Jesus, challenging prevailing popular beliefs about his legend in The Historical David. Baden makes clear that the biblical account of David is an attempt to shape the events of his life politically and theologically. Going beyond the biblical bias, he explores the events that lie behind the David story, events that are grounded in the context of the ancient Near East and continue to inform modern Israel. The Historical David exposes an ambitious, ruthless, flesh-and-blood man who achieved power by any means necessary, including murder, theft, bribery, sex, deceit, and treason. As Baden makes clear, the historical David stands in opposition not only to the virtuous and heroic legends, but to our very own self-definition as David’s national and religious descendants. Provocative and enlightening, The Historical David provides the lost truth about David and poses a challenge to us: how do we come to terms with the reality of a celebrated hero who was, in fact, similar to the ambitious power-players of his day?

This is a chess monograph called "King's Pawn Opening: The 2. Ke2 System" which explores this chess opening: "1. e4 and 2. Ke2". The author has played 80 completed chess games where he won 57 games, lost 20 games, and drew 3 games. All these chess games are recorded in Algebraic Chess Notation. And there are 68 chess diagrams, too.

This succinct and innovative book shows readers how to read and appreciate the Old Testament: as history, as literature or as theology. Offering an ideal ‘taster’ of Old Testament themes and issues, the book encourages students to explore various forms of interpretation and develop a lively interaction with the texts. Ideal for those with little experience and knowledge of the Old Testament who need an introduction to how to read it, and why it is still relevant to our world today Integrates key themes and approaches in Old Testament scholarship, including theological, literary, and historical interpretations Written from a predominantly Christian perspective, covering issues relating to the nature of the Old Testament, its authority, and contemporary relevance.

"When Tony Campbell, aged 75, asked the Council of Jesuit Theological College for Emeritus status and retirement from JTC, both were granted most graciously, along with a testimonial document which said in part: ïHis teaching has combined evocation and provocation in the best sense of those terms. He has mentored research students with scholarly exactitude and personal care. He has published books of the highest scholarly quality, of engaging readability, and of passionate conviction.Í When we at ATF were considering asking him for a volume of Collected Works or Selected Writings, we were well aware that ïpublished books of the highest scholarly qualityÍ were likely to be found on the shelves of libraries and of specialised academics, but not with students and others generally interested. There may be a dozen or more of TonyÍs books on the list from Amazon.com booksellers, along with another two or three that are not listed there. But most are heavy-duty specialist works, not easily accessible even to the educated public. We were equally well aware that there was a surprising number of essays and articles scattered in journals and proceedings of conferences that were, because of the scattering, often just as inaccessible. We thought that a collection of these in a single volume would be of great value to those interested. In the Introduction to this volume, Father Campbell has gone into some detail about the contents. Suffice for us to say that Job and the issues associated with suffering concern us all, that the interplay of history and narrative is a constant in the understanding of much biblical text, and that the nature of the Bible and its role in our lives is a major concern for most thinking Christians. While Father CampbellÍs focus is on the Older Testament, pondering what he looks at throws light on much of the Newer Testament as well. The writings Tony Campbell has pulled together in this single volume address significant issues within the readable length of an article or a talk. Addressed originally to thinking people, we at ATF believe they are likely to be of interest to a wide audience."

The question of who wrote the bible is complex yet has deep significance for religious studies. This treatise puts forward a new assessment of the authorship of a key section of the Old Testament, and demonstrates the power of storytelling as a political weapon.