Joe Henderson offers a critique of the assumption that poetic form in the book of Jeremiah indicates authenticity. This assumption undergirds Bernhard Duhm's reconstructions (1901) of the prophet's biography and the book's composition, the basic components of the dominant paradigm for twentieth-century Jeremiah scholarship. Henderson argues that Duhm's model is best understood as an attempt to bring the book into conformity with nineteenth-century systems of aesthetics, historiography, and theology-and with the Grafian reconstruction of the history of Israel's religion. The accord between these systems and Duhm's assumption about poetic form has less to do with their common grasp of the historical reality of Hebrew prophecy than with their common roots in the Romantic theory of prophetic and poetic inspiration-a theory forged by Robert Lowth in his exposition (1752) of the poetry he found in the prophetic books. Henderson contends that continued adherence to Duhm's foundational assumption has held back recent attempts to “move beyond Duhm” and overcome the fragmentation of the book entailed by his model. Rhetorical critics, who maintain that Jeremiah 2–10 is unified by the structural devices of the historical prophet, and redaction critics, who maintain that Jeremiah 11–20 is unified by the theological agenda of Deuteronomistic editors, both rely on the assumed authenticity of the poetry. Henderson observes that although these scholars have uncovered evidence of dramatic presentation in Jeremiah 2–20, they have failed to see that the dramatic nature of these chapters undermines their use for Duhm's historical-critical projects and reveals what actually unifies them-narrative progression.

"Jeremiah Under the Shadow of Duhm argues against a basic assumption of modern Jeremiah scholarship: that poetic form indicates authenticity. This assumption, introduced by Bernhard Duhm (1901) is founded on the Romantic identification of prophecy and poetry pioneered by Robert Lowth (1753). Duhm's assumption allowed him to create a biography of Jeremiah that closely resembles a Romantic Bildungsroman and a history of composition that brings the book into conformity with a reconstruction of Israel's religious history rooted in Romantic historicism. Although Duhm's compositional model and historical aims dominated Jeremiah scholarship for much of the twentieth century, in recent decades scholars have attempted to 'move beyond Duhm' to find literary coherence in the book. Unfortunately, their continued reliance on Duhm's assumption (to facilitate the use of poetic speeches as biographical evidence or of prose speeches as a unifying redactional frame) has kept them from recognizing the dramatic function of the speeches in Jeremiah 2-20. Jeremiah 2-10 and 11-20 emerge from Duhm's shadow as unified literary creations characterized by dramatic presentation and narrative progression"--

Of the Major Prophets, Jeremiah is perhaps the least straightforward. It is variously comprised of stories about the prophet Jeremiah, exchanges between Jeremiah and Yahweh, and messages directly from Yahweh—meaning a consciousness of form is essential to the understanding of its content. At times it is written in poetry, resembling Isaiah, while at other times it is written in prose, more similar to Ezekiel. And it is without doubt the darkest and most threatening of the Major Prophets, inviting comparisons to Amos and Hosea. John Goldingay, a widely respected biblical scholar who has written extensively on the entire Old Testament, navigates these complexities in the same spirit as other volumes of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series—rooted in Jeremiah’s historical context but with an eye always trained on its meaning and use as Christian Scripture. After a thorough introduction that explores matters of background, composition, and theology, Goldingay provides an original translation and verse-by-verse commentary of all fifty-two chapters, making this an authoritative and indispensable reference for scholars and pastors as they engage with Jeremiah from a contemporary Christian standpoint.

In The Holy Spirit as Space for the Living, George Evans recognizes the significance of the Spirit in pneumatology within the New Testament, emphasizing the Spirit’s indwelling presence as a person. However, Evans notes that the functional aspect of the Spirit as the presence of God is often overlooked. The Spirit not only gives life (ruah) but also creates space for individuals to live and thrive. This spatial understanding suggests that the Spirit constructs a unique space for born-again believers to inhabit, leading to self-awareness and a transformed lifeworld. Evans adopts a spatial hermeneutic, drawing inspiration from Jesus’s encounter with Nicodemus, to explore different spatial productions and their connection to the experience of being reborn within the space of the Spirit. Through this approach, he develops a concept of Christian spatiality that expands our theological understanding and highlights space as a construct shaped by the Spirit. By considering the role of the Spirit in creating and shaping our lived experience, Evans unveils a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the Spirit and its impact on our spiritual journey.