Handy (American Theological Library Association, Chicago) explores the social context of the Old Testament story about the Hebrew prophet who was swallowed by a whale, its author, and its early audience. His perspectives include an imaginary real world, the divine realm, an unnatural nature, and reality as fiction. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Company. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
The story of Jonah, often read as a simple children's story, is a multifaceted and elaborate narrative with serious intent. Treating the biblical book as a fictitious story based on real locations and recognizable persons, 'Jonah's World' examines the background to the story and draws on social science approaches to describe its imaginative world. The book explores the geography, theology, myth, human characters, natural landscape, and the ideology behind the story to uncover a vision of reality shaped by literary technique. Jonah's World will be invaluable to students and scholars seeking a new approach to the reading of this colourful text.
The story of Jonah, often read as a simple children's story, is a multifaceted and elaborate narrative with serious intent
