Victim and Victimizer: Joseph's Interpretation of his Destiny

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A&C Black, 2000 M06 1 - 224 pages
This book attempts an interesting exercise in character analysis. It scrutinizes the speeches of Joseph in such a way as to expose the problematic nature of his claims to know God's intentions. While Judah is forced by Joseph's test to choose slavery for the sake of his father's survival, the ironic reversal of Judah's role from victimizer to victim is undercut by the rationale by which he had Joseph sold in order to save him. Unwittingly, Joseph mistakes this rationale as a divine principle that undergirds his suffering and he dreams of domination for the same purpose of survival. He is unaware of Judah's real predicament and this double blindness calls into doubt the coalescence of perspectives of Joseph and the narrator.
 

Contents

Preface
7
Abbreviations
8
Introduction
11
Chapter 1 THE PROBLEMATIC NATURE OF JOSEPHS CLAIM OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
19
Chapter 2 A CHALLENGE TO JOSEPHS CLAIM OF DIVINE DOMINATION
56
Chapter 3 IS JOSEPH THE NARRATORS MOUTHPIECE?
101
Chapter 4 READERS RESPONSES TO JOSEPHS CLAIMS
128
Chapter 5 FAVOURITISM FUNCTIONS AS BOTH CURSE AND CURE
171
CONCLUSION
198
Bibliography
207
Index of References
216
Index of Authors
220
Copyright

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About the author (2000)

Yiu-Wing Fung is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Alliance Bible Seminary, Hong Kong.

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