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| Series Foreword | |
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| Author's Preface | |
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| Ruth: A Story of Famine, Friendship, and Fertility | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Consummate Short Story | |
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| Where Does Ruth Belong? | |
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| A Glance at the Whole | |
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| Meaning and Message | |
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| An Outline of the Major Units | |
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| How to Read Ruth | |
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| Introduction: Famine, Displacement, and Death, 1:1-5 | |
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| Famine in the Land (Text in Biblical Context) | |
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| People Living at Risk (Text in Life of the Church) | |
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| The Story of Two Widows, 1:6--4:12 | |
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| Return to Bethlehem, 1:6-22 | |
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| Naomi and Job | |
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| Complaint Against God | |
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| Going for Grain, 2:1-23 | |
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| The Poor in the Biblical Tradition | |
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| God Who Blesses | |
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| Seeking Security, 3:1-18 | |
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| The Childless Widow | |
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| Beyond Assistance to Security | |
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| Agreement at the Gate, 4:1-12 | |
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| The Unrecorded World of Women | |
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| The Person of Substance | |
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| Conclusion and Coda, 4:13-22 | |
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| Birth and Naming of a Son, 4:13-17 | |
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| Genealogy of Perez, 4:18-22 | |
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| The Women in the Genealogy | |
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| Good and Faithful Servant | |
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| Outline of Ruth | |
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| Jonah: A Story for All | |
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| Overview | |
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| Jonah as Understood in the Past | |
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| What Manner of Narrative? | |
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| Message and Meaning | |
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| A Glance at the Whole | |
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| An Outline of the Major Units | |
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| The Unfulfilled Prophetic Mission, 1:1--2:11 | |
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| The Commissioning of Jonah, 1:1-3 | |
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| Commissioning of the Prophet | |
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| Reluctant Response | |
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| The Drama at Sea, 1:4--2:10 | |
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| On the Sea, 1:4-16 | |
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| Foreigners Acknowledge God | |
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| God and Nature | |
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| Under the Sea, 1:17--2:10 | |
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| Psalm of Thanksgiving | |
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| Jonah: Saint or Sinner? | |
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| The Unfulfilled Prophet, 3:1--4:11 | |
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| The Recommissioning of Jonah, 3:1-3a | |
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| Commissioning the Prophet--Again | |
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| Human Freedom and Divine Persistence | |
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| The Drama on Land, 3:3b--4:11 | |
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| In the City, 3:3b-10 | |
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| The Sign of Jonah | |
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| Divine Freedom and the Promise of Forgiveness | |
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| Outside the City, 4:1-11 | |
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| The Concluding Question | |
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| The Mystery of Divine Compassion | |
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| Outline of Jonah | |
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| Esther: The Orphan Queen | |
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| Overview | |
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| The Orphan Queen | |
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| Controversy and Concerns | |
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| Different Versions of Esther | |
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| A Festival Novella | |
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| Meaning and Message | |
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| A Glance at the Whole | |
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| An Outline of the Major Units | |
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| Tension in the Royal Court, 1:1--3:6 | |
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| Conflict in the Royal Family, 1:1--2:20 | |
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| Deposing of Vashti, 1:1-22 | |
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| Israel in the Persian Empire | |
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| The Fabric of Society | |
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| Selection of Esther, 2:1-20 | |
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| From Insignificance to Importance | |
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| Heroes of Faith | |
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| Conflict Among the Royal Courtiers, 2:21--3:6 | |
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| Conspiracy Against the King, 2:21-23 | |
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| Conflict Between Courtiers, 3:1-6 | |
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| Choosing Disobedience | |
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| Mixed Motives | |
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| Action and Counteraction, 3:7--7:10 | |
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| Haman Versus Mordecai, 3:7--4:17 | |
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| The Plot of Haman, 3:7-15 | |
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| Response of Mordecai, 4:1-17 | |
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| Women in Danger | |
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| For Such a Time as This | |
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| Esther's First Intervention, 5:1-14 | |
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| The Dangerous Banquet | |
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| Obsessions | |
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| Royal Decree Honoring Mordecai, 6:1-13 | |
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| Irony and Divine Intervention | |
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| A Haughty Spirit | |
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| Esther's Second Intervention, 6:14--7:10 | |
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| Proverbs and Esther | |
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| Capital Punishment | |
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| Resolution and Celebration, 8:1--9:32 | |
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| Resolution of the Crisis, 8:1-17 | |
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| Leadership in a Foreign Land | |
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| Self-Protective Leadership | |
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| Institution of Purim, 9:1-32 | |
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| Epilogue: Ahasuerus and Mordecai, 10:1-3 | |
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| Listening to Rage and Terror | |
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| Living in the World | |
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| Outline of Esther | |
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| Essays | |
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| Characteristics of Hebrew Narrative | |
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| Character Types in Hebrew Narrative | |
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| Comedy: Humor, Irony, and Satire | |
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| The Diaspora | |
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| The Interpreting Community of Faith | |
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| Jonah and Historical Analysis | |
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| Khesed: Uncommon and Faithful Action | |
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| Kinship Marriage | |
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| Moab | |
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| Narrative Structure | |
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| Narrator | |
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| Nineveh | |
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| Novella | |
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| The Persian Empire | |
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| Poetry | |
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| Purim | |
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| Questions | |
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| Redeemer/Go'el | |
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| Short Story | |
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| Twelve Prophets | |
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| Village Farming | |
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| Map of the Ancient Near East for Ruth, Jonah, Esther | |
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| Bibliography | |
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| Selected Resources | |
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| Index of Ancient Sources | |
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| The Author | |