How do texts of Scripture make sense or hold together as a unity? This question is especially germane to the Masoretic Text of Hosea, which is often seen as an unintegrated composition by some, or an artful literary whole by others. Such judgments often come without clear definitions and criteria for (in)coherence. This book brings descriptive clarity to this issue through a discourse analysis of cohesion and coherence in Hosea 12â14 based on Systemic Functional Linguistics. This study showcases the theme of divine mercy in Hosea 12â14 and gives readers tools for discourse-linguistic analysis of the Hebrew Bible.
Ian B. Turner, Ph.D. (2023), Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, has taught and written on applying modern linguistics to biblical languages and hermeneutics. His publications include articles in JNSL and JETS. He has worked in teaching, research, editing, and pastoral ministry.
Acknowledgments Tables Figures Abbreviations
1 Introduction
â1.1âA Case for the Discourse-Linguistic Study of Hosea
â1.2âReading Hosea (In)Coherently: A Selective Look at Recent Examples
â1.3âGoals of the Discourse Analysis
â1.4âThe Theory and Method of the Discourse Analysis
â1.5âContributions of This Study
â1.6âThe Structure of This Study
2 Theoretical Foundations for SFL-Based Discourse Analysis
â2.1âIntroduction
â2.2âDiscourse-Linguistic Concepts and Descriptive Categories
â2.3âConclusion
3 A Method for Describing Literary-Thematic Coherence
â3.1âBiblical Hebrew Linguistic Criteria Pertinent to Analysis of Cohesion and Coherence
â3.2âMethod of the Discourse Analysis
â3.3âConclusion
4 Cohesive Harmony Analysis
â4.1âOverview of Cohesive Harmony Analysis
â4.2âDeveloping Cohesive Chains
â4.3âExploring Prominence and Grouping in Chain Interaction and Central Sentences
â4.4âTentative Observations for a Profile of Literary-Thematic Coherence
â4.5âConclusion
5 Clause Combining Analysis
â5.1âIntroduction
â5.2âClause Combining Analysis
â5.3âGeneral Patterns in the Clause Combining of Hos 12â14
â5.4âImplications of Clause Combining Analysis for Grouping and Prominence
â5.5âA Profile of Literary-Thematic Coherence
â5.6âConclusion
6 Literary-Thematic Coherence and the Co-text of Hosea
â6.1âIntroduction
â6.2âLiterary-Thematic Coherence and the Co-text of the HB/OT
â6.3âHoseaâs Themes of Knowing God, Human Sin and Its Effects, and Divine Restoration
7 Conclusion
Appendix1: Constituent Analysis Tables Appendix2: Cohesive Chain Interaction Tables Appendix3: Clause-Combining Analysis Symbols, Abbreviations, and Tables Appendix4: Global Logico-Semantic Relations between Clause Complexes in Hos 12â14 Bibliography Index of Authors Index of Subjects Index of Scripture
This book is for students and scholars interested in discourse-linguistic and literary analysis of the Hebrew Bible, especially of texts whose coherence and cohesion is problematic.