"This provides a new and convincing account of the strategic reception of the Bible in a wide range of writers and thinkers.That such a use can be truly subversive; that it can undermine the very meaning attached to biblical narratives by organized religion, is one of the surprising and exciting discoveries of this readable and intelligent book." - Sander L. ... Read moreGilman, Distinguished Professor of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, Emory University "This collection providesa wonderful array of essays attuned to the manifold literary and political uses and abuses of scripture in the contemporary world. The contributors show both theneed to subvert the presumptions of scriptureto overreach itshistorical contexts andscripture's power to remain a source of critique ofthe hubristic pretentions of secular culture . . .This collection is full of surprising treasures that serve to open new paths in the study of the relation between the Bible and postmodern culture." - Steven Kepnes, Murray W. and Mildred K. Finard Professor in Jewish Studies and Religion,Colgate University "This could not be more timely or more crucial; in a period where we are ever more conscious of the effect of the appropriation, manipulation, subversion, or reinterpretation of canonical religious texts for at times bewildering variety of purposes, any attempt to examine the phenomenon is highly welcome...The 'subversive' literary works covered in the contributors' selections constitute a dazzling array of choices. They provide ample proof of the book's value as a vital way of thinking about international literary culture. This has the potential to be a frequently consulted and often thumbed anthology of secondary literature that creatively rediscovers a perennially absorbing topic." - Jeremy Dauber, Associate Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture, Columbia University Show Less