Participation and Hebrews : Hermeneutics and Christian Life in Christ

This book applies an approach of participatory exegesis to the book of Hebrews, illuminating one of its central, unifying themes: participation.

This book applies an approach of participatory exegesis to the book of Hebrews, illuminating one of its central, unifying themes: participation. When interpreting Scripture, Hebrews depicts earthly and Old Testament realities such as sanctuary, sacrifice, and son/king participating in heavenly and new covenant realities; the life of believers is a life of participation in Christ and the heavenly realm—and even the act of reading Scripture is a participation in divine discourse. Across four sections (The Literal and Christological Senses; The Teleological Sense; The Tropological Sense; Soteriology), Benjamin Ribbens brings together Hebrews scholarship with participatory exegesis, union with Christ, and a broad framework of participation. Such an emphasis on participatory exegesis—as outlined by Matthew Levering and Hans Boersma—resolves tensions within contemporary Hebrews scholarship, introducing a biblical studies methodology into theological inquiries. In doing so, Ribbens offers a fresh reading of Hebrews, building on on-going discussions within the field of the Hebrews' call for active participation in and with the divine.