Overview

The issue of personal loneliness is an acute challenge in the 21st century, and any response faces the initial problems of definition and language in discussing such intensely private matters. The essays in this volume turn to ancient prose and poetry in the search for such articulation, as the Hebrew Bible offers a deep pool for reflections about terminology, the diversity within the lonely crowd, and the overlap between loneliness and theology. Always aware of the cultural divide between ancient and contemporary contexts, the contributors pursue an interdisciplinary path via areas such as psychology and sociology, while also focusing on the role of gender, ecology, or space, and exploring the spirituality of the Bible’s lonely portrayals. This range of perspectives, and the wide scope of lonely individuals within the Hebrew Bible, raises awareness for the reality and complexity of loneliness and puts into words the pain, problems, and possibilities of this highly relevant phenomenon.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dr Samuel Hildebrandt (Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, Nazarene Theological College, UK) ,  Ekaterina Kozlova (London School of Theology, UK) ,  Ekaterina Kozlova (London School of Theology UK) ,  Jacqueline Vayntrub (Yale University USA)
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   T.& T.Clark Ltd
Dimensions:   Width: 15.40cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.60cm
Weight:   0.620kg
ISBN:  

9780567714442

ISBN 10:   0567714446
Pages:   248
Publication Date:   11 December 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgements Abbreviations Chapter One: Lone, Lonely, Alone: Loneliness Lexemes in the Hebrew Bible - Sonja Noll, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile Chapter Two: The Spatiality of Loneliness in Hagar’s Story (Genesis 16, 21) - Karolien Vermeulen, University of Antwerp, Belgium Chapter Three: The Loneliest of All? The Widow and Orphan in the Hebrew Bible - Christie Gilfeather, University of Cambridge, UK Chapter Four: “A Desolate Woman”: Gender, Isolation and Loneliness in the Hebrew Bible - Holly Morse, University of Manchester, UK Chapter Five: Workplace Loneliness and YHWH as an Employer in the Hebrew Bible - Ekaterina Kozlova, London School of Theology, UK Chapter Six: Interspecies Companionship and Loneliness in the Hebrew Bible - Suzanna Miller, University of Edinburgh, UK Chapter Seven: Loneliness as a Preview and Review of History in the Narrative Imagination of Daniel 10 - Katherine Southwood, Oxford University, UK Chapter Eight: Aloneness in the Psalms - Philip Johnston, University of Cambridge, UK Chapter Nine: Surrendering Solitude: Lamentations 3 and the Good Company of Loneliness - Samuel Hildebrandt, Nazarene Theological College, UK Chapter Ten: The Lonely God? Perspectives from the Hebrew Bible - David Reimer, University of St. Andrews, UK Bibliography Index

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Author Information

Samuel Hildebrandt is Lecturer in Biblical Studies at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK. Ekaterina E. Kozlova is Old Testament Lecturer at London School of Theology, UK.

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