More than a simple exchange of words, conversations in the biblical narratives offer an array of clues that define the characters and their relationships, the setting, and the language they employ. Using current critical communication theories from a number of fields -- anthropology, sociology, psychology, and literary studies -- Victor Matthews analyzes such biblical conversations as the interchanges between Judah and Tamar, Moses and Jethro's back-and-forth, Ezra's public address, and the dialogues recorded in Daniel.

By crossing disciplinary divides as he does, Matthews creates a working synthesis that brings these embedded biblical dialogues off the page and breathes life into the social world that created them. His groundbreaking study will appeal to serious Old Testament students who want to stretch beyond traditional exegetical methods.