The end of the matter

Joseph and Saul recede into the background only because space at a critical juncture in each story is given to a more fortunate neighbor. One may even say that their less fortunate position is merely relative. On the one hand, this confirms that God deals with the world primarily through his chosen. Those who are unchosen derive their status from their relationship with the elect, and remain in the elect’s shadow. On the other hand, however, this may give some hope for those who are concerned with the fate of the unfavored ones. Perhaps their relative status vis-à-vis those who are chosen is not the last word concerning their destiny. Perhaps there is more to the fate of the unfavored than simply that which is made clear in the biblical narratives, where they remain eclipsed by their chosen neighbors.—The Unfavored, page 208

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And that's the end of this book. The conclusion reminds me of the conclusion to Chosen and Unchosen, by Joel Lohr and also in the Siphrut series. I personally think we've got the whole chosen/unchosen wrong; I tend to follow the thinking here and in Lohr's book.

Next up? Well, I've been reading New Testament Christological Hymns. I'll probably start posting from that. I've also been reading from Son of God, but that one doesn't lend itself well to extracting short snippets. I also just started Robert Miller's Baal, St. George, and Khidr, which will probably find its way onto this blog in time.

Meanwhile, it's two weeks before AAR/SBL and I have to finish up some things before the conference, so don't look for a flurry of posts before that.
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