Till the Heart Sings

by Samuel Terrien

Publishers:

Eerdmans; Dove Booksellers

, 2004

Overview

This new edition of Till the Heart Sings, including a substantial foreword by Phyllis Trible, makes available again Samuel Terrien’s rich, acclaimed study of the biblical witness to personhood. Sweeping yet selective in scope, the book argues that the Bible as a whole advances a theology of manhood and womanhood unique in the ancient world. This theology, which resides in the main thrust of Scripture, turns away from sexism and misogyny to confer upon woman as well as man the full stature of humanity.

Terrien begins his argument where the Bible itself begins, with creation. He describes the first woman as “the crown of creation,” in a mutual relationship with the first man. He then proceeds through Scripture—including the prophets, the Wisdom literature, the Gospels, and the Pauline letters—systematically showing that when the books of the Old and New Testaments are viewed in their historical growth, they reveal a theology of manhood and womanhood that runs counter to both traditional Judaism and Christianity and to modern religious attitudes and practices.

In the course of his thorough analysis of Scripture, Terrien eloquently examines a host of themes bearing on the issues of gender and personhood, from the myth of the Garden and the eros-agape continuum in the Song of Songs to male overreaction to sexual mysticism and the Gnostic personification of wisdom. Terrien also explores matters related to marriage, homosexuality, and male and female priesthood, all with the aim of uncovering a truly biblical understanding of the relationship between the genders and between all people and God.

Praise for the Print Edition

The only comprehensive biblical theology devoted to this topic. . . . Phyllis Trible has written an excellent foreword in which she compares Terrien's feminist insights with those of Tikva Frymer-Kensky and Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza. . . . The book continues to be well worth the reading.

—The Bible Today

This is one of those rare books that ought to be read by anyone who deals with Scripture or sexuality. Seldom has this reader had the pleasure of reviewing a book that maintained such a high level of interest, insight, and scholarship from start to finish, or challenged in such a positive way so many accepted conclusions of both more traditional as well as feminist interpretations of biblical texts.

—Theology Today

Product Details

• Title: Till the Heart Sings
• Author: Samuel Terrien
• Series: Eerdmans Biblical Resources Series
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 284

About Samuel Terrien

Samuel Terrien is well known for his brilliant book, The Psalms and Their Meaning for Today. He was also an editor of The Interpreter’s Bible. Born in France, he was educated at the Sorbonne, the School of the Louvre Museum, the French School of Biblical Archaeology at Jerusalem, and Union Theological Seminary in New York. Terrien was a long-time professor at Union Theological Seminary. He died in 2002 at the age of 91.