Encounter Daniel in Amazement
The essay "Encounter Daniel in Amazement" wants to find new meaning, as different as possible from the previous traditions, to understand the Old Testament book of Daniel. It will not provide other speculations to comprehend, for example, Daniel chapters 2 or 7 or 8, but will find progressing new ideas in the text itself, which will go beyond previous attempts to identify certain images or figures. Explicitly, a position is taken against any interpretation which arises from a conceptual preoccupation of the biblical text. In this respect, the essay differs from other texts about the Book of Daniel.
Two approaches are processed in parallel: The first is to search for the theological outcome of the text that is its spiritual commitment, in order to work out the relevance for the modern reader. The second one is a sound, new historical interpretation of the texts.
It starts with the question of whether we are living in the “end time”, a question that goes through the entire text. The discussion of this questions reveals that not only specific political, historical, military, economic or environmental events characterize the term “end time”, but there are also and above all spiritual developments associated with the term “end time.” To comprehend and to outline these developments, which the Prophet Daniel designed, is the goal of this essay.
The essay is based on an interpretation of "immanent nature“, which means, the content and internal relations are to be unveiled and investigated based entirely on the text itself. Daniel is to interpret Daniel! The strict alignment with the textual shape is the supreme principle of all immanent, interpretive approaches. Intensive reading and the application of textual structure and linguistic form is a key to understanding the text. And: Especially the questioning understanding of the hermeneutic circle is, among others, the main instruments of immanent interpretation.
God has outlined the course of world history in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2. The four chapters between Daniel 2 and Daniel 7-12 provide elementary content for understanding the visions of Daniel 7-12. The interpretation in this essay will show that the description of the world’s history as given in the dream of Daniel 2, with the aid of the theological statements of Daniel 3-6, is drafted in the following visions and is expanded manifold.
The book is written in German, unfortunately, there is no English translation yet.
Content
- Are we living in the end time?
- Fascinating personality: Who was the prophet Daniel?
- Text-immanent interpretation, or: how to deal with a classic text respectfully - the text cannot defend itself
- First the theological outcome - then the historical assignment
- The literary structure of the book of Daniel is the key to its content
- The statue in the dream of a monarch: what does it tell us, and what not?
- God's assurance to his people in times of distress
- The anonymity of God’s opponent
- Impressive visions, terrifying images and mysterious figures: opportunities and uncertainties of interpretation
- The personality of the Son of man is introduced - a Savior, a Prince will come
- Babylon: Why it never overcame the syndrome of the towerbuilder
- The unsurpassable message of God, the Creator
- Small and large horns, end time, evolutionism - what devastation really means
- That which does not come from human hands
- How does the political reality develop? Why is historiography necessary.
- Daniel will live - and with him all of God’s children
Here is the (German) Flyer of the book.
Program of the seminar about the book
The seminar about the book of Daniel I offer extends over a day, usually a Sabbath, and will include a service with an introduction, the Bible study and a sermon. In the afternoon, two sessions, ninety and sixty minutes long, will complete the day. A detailed program is available here. A two page list of the content of the book of Daniel is supplied, so that the participants can find their way more quickly in the biblical text.
How to order
The exact reference:Matthias Dorn: Daniel staunend begegnen. — 260 pages, 5 tables, 9 figures, a detailed list of references. Printed by BoD, Norderstedt, November 2015.
ISBN: 978-3 –37392-0226-6
The book is also available as an e-book. The e-book is available in e-book-Shops like Apple iBooks, the Amazon Kindle Shop, the Tolino Shops or Google Play, as well as in many other online-Shops and by more than 2.000 Online-book stores. The e-book is distributed in 30 European countries and by the Apple iBooks and Kobo also in the USA und in Canada.
The e-book is published with ISBN 9783739263328 for 16.99 €.