'Samson: A secret betrayed, a vow ignored' marks a new milestone in Samson studies. You will not likely find a more useful and informative study of one of the Bible's best known characters. 'Samson' is clear and straightforward, up-to-date, enjoyable and easily read. James Crenshaw combines literary skills with rich theological understanding and sound scholarship to present a balanced, perceptive analysis. This comprehensive new study carefully analyzes the many dimensions of this popular biblical character. James Crenshaw examines the text, employing the critic's tools with flawless proficiency. He explores: -the traditions behind the biblical account -literary form and motifs -stylistic features -unifying themes -the tragic dimension of the saga -the significance of Samson's and the Philistines' riddles Crenshaw offers a concise and thorough approach well-suited to the beginning student plus provocative new insights to challenge the Samson scholar. 'Samson' is an excellent resource for ministers, students of the Bible, and church study groups.

Scientific modernity treats interpretation as a matter of discovery. Discovery, however, may not be all that matters about interpretation. In Milton's Secrecy, J. D. Fleming argues that the poetry and prose of John Milton (1608-1674) are about the presentation of a radically different hermeneutic model. This is based on openness within language, rather than on secrets within the world. Milton's representations of meaning are exoteric, not esoteric; recognitive, not inventive. Milton's Secrecy places its titular subject in opposition to the epistemology of modern natural science, and to the interpretative assumptions that science supports. At the same time, the book places Milton within early modern contexts of interpretation and knowledge. Drawing on Renaissance Neoplatonism, Tudor-Stuart ideology, and the Calvinist theory of conscience, Milton's Secrecy argues that the attempt to theorize interpretation without discovery is not unorthodox within early modern English culture. If anything, Milton's hostility to secrecy and discovery aligns him with his culture's ethical and hermeneutic ideal. Milton's Secrecy provides an historical framework for considering the theoretical validity of this ideal, by aligning it with the philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer.

This timely and provocative collection of sixteen essays combines feminist and psychoanalytic approaches to literary theory and to the reading of literary texts. It demonstrates not only the ways in which psychoanalytic theory can illuminate traditional literary texts, but also the ways in which feminist theory can modify, enlarge, and in some instances transform the body of psychoanalytic literature. Treating psychoanalysis as a form of narrative as well as a method of interpretation, the editors have divided their collection into three sections: 1) interpretations of the relation between contemporary feminism and Freud; 2) rereadings of classic patriarchal texts in the light of psychoanalytic feminism; and 3) readings of texts by women writers that have subverted patriarchal structures and given authoritative new voice to the maternal figure. Many of the essays make original contributions to the current debate about the conjunction of Freud and feminism; others offer innovative readings of specific texts that illustrate the significance of that relation. The Introduction provides an up-to-date survey of feminist psychoanalytic theory and enumerates the central issues. Because of the diversity of critical perspectives it offers and the range of texts it considers, this rich and important book will attract a broad spectrum of readers.

Samson's Cords examines the radically different responses of John Milton, Andrew Marvell, and Samuel Butler to the existential crises caused by an explosion of loyalty oaths in Britain before and after 1660.