Carly Crouch
Lecturer in Hebrew Bible, Faculty of Arts
Contact
Biography
A native Californian, I did my first degree at Scripps College in Claremont, Ca., focusing mainly on twentieth century theology and ethics, subsequently moving to Oxford to pursue ethics in the Hebrew Bible under the supervision of John Barton. Before coming to Nottingham I held research fellowships at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and Keble College, Oxford, where I also taught in the Faculties of Divinity (Cambridge) and Theology (Oxford).
Expertise Summary
My research focuses on social life and thought in the ancient world, with particular attention to the social function of ethics in ancient Israel and Judah. This has already produced an analysis of military ethics in Judah, Assyria and Israel, which concluded that war violence was justified via literary allusions to a creation myth in which the divine king defeated the waters of chaos in battle (War and Ethics in the Ancient Near East). More recently I have explored the implications of the exilic experience on the Judahite version of this military theology, focusing on prophetic material in Ezekiel and Deutero-Isaiah. My current monograph project examines the relationship between identity formation and moral thinking, using the book of Deuteronomy as a case study and arguing that the heightened international commercial and political activity of the seventh century B.C.E. led to a reactive programme aimed at creating a distinctive Judahite cultural identity (The Making of Israel: Ethics and Identity Formation in Deuteronomy). The persistent identification of the audience in Deuteronomy as 'Israel' has been the catalyst for a forthcoming project on the terminology of 'Israel' and 'Judah' in the Hebrew Bible and beyond (How the Israelites Became the Jews).
Teaching Summary
I research and teach across a range of Hebrew Bible subjects, from the Introduction to Hebrew Bible for first year undergraduates to specialist subjects for second and third year undergraduates and… read more
Research Summary
My current monograph project examines the relationship between identity formation and moral thinking, using the book of Deuteronomy as a case study and arguing that the heightened international… read more
Selected Publications
CROUCH, C.L., 2012. The Threat to Israel’s Identity in Deuteronomy: Mesopotamian or Levantine? Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft. 124, (In Press.)
CROUCH, C.L., 2012. Ištar and the Motif of the Cosmological Warrior: Assurbanipal’s Adaptation of Enūma eliš. In: BARSTAD, H.M. and GORDON, R.P., eds., ‘Thus Speaks Ishtar of Arbela’: Prophecy in Israel, Assyria and Egypt in the Neo-Assyrian Period. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns. (In Press.)
CROUCH, C.L., STÖKL, J. and ZERNECKE, A.E., eds., 2012. Mediating between Heaven and Earth: Communication with the Divine in the Ancient Near East. T&T Clark. (In Press.)
CROUCH, C.L. and STÖKL, J., eds., 2012. In the Name of God: The Bible in the Colonial Discourse of Empire. Brill.
I research and teach across a range of Hebrew Bible subjects, from the Introduction to Hebrew Bible for first year undergraduates to specialist subjects for second and third year undergraduates and taught masters students. I also teach biblical Hebrew from the beginning to advanced levels. I am interested in supervising study into most aspects of the Hebrew Bible. My particular specialties include ethics in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near East; issues pertaining to warfare; the history of Israel; prophecy; and Deuteronomy.
Undergraduate Modules
Introduction to the Study of the Hebrew Bible: an introduction to the literature, history and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, both in general and with particular reference to specific narrative and prophetic texts.
Prophets and Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible: considers the nature of prophecy in the Hebrew Bible and in the wider ancient Near Eastern context as well as studying the biblical prophetic texts as literature. Texts for specific study may include the prophetic books of Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel as well as the narratives about prophets in the Pentateuch/Torah and historical books/Latter Prophets.
Ethics in the Hebrew Bible: examines the nature of ethical thought in ancient Israel and its relationship to its ancient Near Eastern context as well as the ongoing use of these texts as a moral resource. Topics for specific study may include the justification of violence and warfare, sexuality and gender issues, and ideas of social justice.
Excavation at Tel Azekah, Israel: Students attending a four-week summer excavation session at Tel Azekah, Israel, and completing the academic field school courses on offer during those weeks may earn 10 credits toward their degree. Students will be formally registered for the module in the autumn semester immediately following the excavation.
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I & II: Students are progressively introduced to the basics of the reading and grammar of Biblical Hebrew, through the use of a standard textbook and sentences from appropriate biblical texts.
Biblical Hebrew Texts: Historical Books; Biblical Hebrew Texts: Pentateuch; Biblical Hebrew Texts: Poetry; Biblical Hebrew Texts: Prophecy: modules guiding students through more advanced Hebrew texts, building on the grammatical and translational skills developed in the introductory modules.
MA Modules
The Hebrew Bible in History, Theory and Practice: close reading of a range of texts in English and/or Hebrew in interaction with aspects of the history of interpretation, contemporary theology, and literary theory. Specific texts and issues may be matters for negotiation.
Texts from the Hebrew Bible: detailed reading of a variety of texts from the Hebrew Bible, with attention to grammar, text-critical questions, translation, and issues arising from the versions and the subject matter of the texts. Specific texts may be negotiable in relation to students' specific interests.
Current Research
My current monograph project examines the relationship between identity formation and moral thinking, using the book of Deuteronomy as a case study and arguing that the heightened international commercial and political activity of the seventh century B.C.E. led to a reactive programme aimed at creating a distinctive Judahite cultural identity (The Making of Israel: Ethics and Identity Formation in Deuteronomy). The persistent identification of the audience in Deuteronomy as 'Israel' was the catalyst for the forthcoming project on the terminology of 'Israel' and 'Judah' in the Hebrew Bible and beyond (How the Israelites Became the Jews).
Past Research
My research focuses on social life and thought in the ancient world, with particular attention to the social function of ethical norms in ancient Israel and Judah. This has already produced an analysis of military ethics in Judah, Assyria and Israel, which concluded that war violence was justified via literary allusions to a creation myth in which the divine king defeated the waters of chaos in battle (War and Ethics in the Ancient Near East).
More recently I explored the implications of the exilic experience on the Judahite version of this military theology, focusing on prophetic material in Ezekiel and Deutero-Isaiah ('Ezekiel's Oracles against the Nations'; 'Yahweh's Battle against Chaos in Ezekiel'; 'Adapting the Cosmological Tradition in Deutero-Isaiah'; 'Poetic Justice in an Oracle against Babylon'). Each prophet responded to the challenge of defeat in his own way: Ezekiel launched a staunch defence of Yahweh's royal role as divine king and warrior, while Deutero-Isaiah pulled apart the roles of king, warrior and creator to eliminate their problematic interdependence.
I also have ongoing interests in the text of Genesis ('Genesis 1:26-7 as a Statement of Humanity's Divine Parentage'; 'ht't as Interpolative Gloss') and in Assyriology, the latter also focussing on the adaptation of tradition in response to historical, political and social changes ('Ištar and the Motif of the Cosmological Warrior').