Norman Gottwald's monumental "The Tribes of Yahweh", published in 1979, has had a great influence in biblical politics and in the application of sociological methods to the Hebrew Bible. This book, following the reprint, reflects on the impact and the implications of the work after 20 years.

Introduction; On Re-Reading The Tribes of Yahweh Specters of Tribes: on the 'Revenance' of a Classic; Norman Gottwald's The Tribes of Yahweh in the Context of "Second-Wave" Social-Scientific Biblical Criticism; Tribes and Tribulations: Retheorizing Earliest 'Israel'; Powerful Ideologies, Challenging Models, and Lasting Changes: Continuing the Journey of Tribes; The Delicate Flower of Biblical Sociology; The Politics of Debt and the Liberation of the Scriptures; Tribes in Africa: The Impact of Norman Gottwald's The Tribes of Yahweh On African Biblical Hermeneutics (with an Emphasis on Liberation and Inculturation Paradigms); Marx, Method and Gottwald; Political Activism and Biblical Scholarship: An Interview - Norman Gottwald interviewed by Roland Boer; Response to Contributors; Bibliography

Over the last 40 years this pioneering series has established an unrivaled reputation for cutting-edge international scholarship in Biblical Studies and has attracted leading authors and editors in the field. The series takes many original and creative approaches to its subjects, including innovative work from historical and theological perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and more recent developments in cultural studies and reception history.