The New Isaac

Huizenga (Wheaton College) uses the concept of the Model Reader, as formulated in the semiotic theory of Umberto Eco, to examine the role of the figure of Isaac in the Book of Matthew and problematize biblical interpretation. He traces the interpretation of the story of Abraham and Isaac (the Akedah) in biblical scholarship in the first chapter, arguing that the figure of Isaac may be equated in a typology with that of Christ and that that typology has been neglected in scholarship. Following a discussion of Eco and his literary method, Huizenga discusses the meaning of the Akedah prior to the time of Christ, then delves into an exacting reading of the story in the First Century CE and afterwards, in the Gospel of Matthew. Grounded in a thorough examination and analysis of the original texts, which are quoted and cited throughout, this work offers a substantial addition to the interpretive literature. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Leroy A. Huizenga, Ph.D. (2006) in New Testament, Duke University, is the Director of the Christian Leadership Center and Assistant Professor of Scripture at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is co-editor of Reading the Bible Intertextually (Baylor, 2009).