Product Description
The book is a study of the reception of Genesis 19, Sodom and Gomorrah, together with the parallel story in Judges 19-21, the outrage at Gibeah, in both Christian and Jewish traditions from antiquity through to the Reformation period. The book sets out to detoxify the dominant homophobic interpretation of Genesis 19, in which Sodom and Gomorrah serve as an archetypal story of divine antipathy towards same sex love and desire, by showing it to be a Christian invention, emerging in the first few centuries of the Christian era. The Jewish traditions concerning Genesis 19, in which Sodom and Gomorrah are associated primarily with inhospitality, xenophobia and abuse of the poor, provide an alternative perspective on the story and one from which Christianity diverged. Together with the reception of the parallel Judges story, this Jewish understanding is employed to highlight the inconsistencies and ethical problems inherent in the dominant Christian homophobic interpretation of Genesis 19. By demonstrating the wide plurality of readings of this narrative over time, the book further relativizes the Christian homophobic understanding. The book makes very important contributions to contemporary debates on sexuality in Christianity and Judaism. The book will also serve as a valuable resource for a great many readers of both Genesis and Judges. ... Read more

Product Description
Owen wrote 24 volumes, and only 23 have been available in reprint. Biblical Theology had been in Latin, and this is the first-ever English edition, translated by Dr. Stephen Westcott. It contains six sections, tracing theology from Adam to the time of Christ. Appendixed is Owen's Defense of Scripture against Fanaticism, which has much to say in the current discussions with Charismatics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Helpful book
You will truly appreciate Owen, despite what you may have heard about his writing style.Keep plowing.It is worth the work.
One of the few issues I have with him is Owen's incessant use of "Church" to describe the OT Patriarchs and Israel. Easily remedied.
His masterful chapter 5 of book 6, on genuine salvation, is worth reprinting as a separate booklet.
Would I buy it again? Probably. I went ahead and purchased the 16 vol. Works of Owen, if that tells you anything.

Well worth it to the serious student
To review this book in detail would require much more space than is allotted here. Biblical Theology covers such a broad topic in such great detail, that pretty much any review this size will fail to do Owen justice. So let us cover the very basics:

Biblical Theology is not necessarily a systematic theology as the title might suggest. Instead, it is the *history* of theology, rather than simply the expounding of theology. In a sense, Owen seems to be targeting a much wider audience than simply Christian believers, and there is really no direct, systematic presentation of biblical doctrine, per se. Instead, this work deals with how God has revealed Himself throughout human history, and how humans have or have not responded/interpreted this revelation. Thus, this history of theology, as Owen demonstrates, is how humans, both regenerate and unregenerate, have formed views of God (and ourselves), and have dealt with His various ways of revealing Himself down through history.

So in this examination of theology, Owen surveys a very wide field of philosophy, examining what kind of `theology' man has come up with in various ages. As a reader, we see here how unbelievably well-read Owen was in philosophy, not to mention his astounding grasp of history. Owen quotes the writings of the philosophers, both Christian and non-Christian, protestant and Catholic, and even Jewish and Muslim, dozens and dozens of times. For example, Plato is cited over 2 dozen times, as is Cicero, Aristotle, Augustine, etc.

So beginning with Adam, when for thousands of years there was no instituted `church', just families orally passing down the theology of God, Owen examines each age of the church in relation to theology formed, and does so in the order below:

-The Natural Theology of the First Man
-The Fall and loss of Natural Theology
-The Insufficiency of Natural Theology for Salvation
-Natural Theology Under Total Depravity (61 pages)
-The Renewal of Theology After the Fall

At this point, Owen demonstrates the first `reformation' of the church, which ends up happening after each stage of God's revelation. That is, the theology which God revealed to man after the fall, being to individuals and families only, and orally, not written, was insufficient in sustaining the Church, and thus reformation (cleaning out) and further revelation took place. This theme of revelation-apostasy-reformation-further revelation continues down through human history, as Owen brilliantly demonstrates. To give one good example, the flood was a `reformation' of sorts due to man's rebellion to how God had revealed Himself beforehand, and after the flood God purifies His church (indeed, the entire world) through Noah's family, and He gives them further revelation/theology post-flood to help curb the wickedness. This pattern is demonstrated by Owen to take place in various ages from Adam to its final culmination (and full reformation) in Christ and Christian theology.

One other note, Owen takes several `digressions' as he calls them, as particular topics come up that might influence a reader's opinion one way or another. Owen simply stops right in the middle of his argument and deals with these digressions in fairly extensive length. These include a digression on Universal Grace, on Bellarmine's Roman Notes of The Church, The Origin of Writing (very fascinating), The Antiquity of Hebrew, The Hebrew Vowel-Points, The Septuagint Greek Version, The Origin of the Targums, Jewish Rites and Christianity. Philosophical Corruptions of Theology.

To conclude with a few personal notes here:

1. The book is close to 1000pages with the introductions and appendix. It is a very tough read because of how detailed and long-winded Owen can be at times. This book is not meant for the weak or the wondering mind. Only the serious student will get through it, with others giving up within 200 pages or so. It is not especially entertaining or practical reading at times, and thus I would not recommend it to anyone but who is disciplined in their reading.

2. A beautiful aspect of this work is how Owen demonstrates (oftentimes, without even naming it specifically) the Regulative Principle of Worship, and how vitally important and foundational it is to proper theology. Owen never defends the principle in specifics, but he clearly shows, from a practical standpoint, how an abandonment of the Regulative Principle is the root of all idolatry. This aspect alone makes the book well worth the dedicated time it takes to get through it.

3. The last chapter on `Evangelical Theology' is truly, as JI Packer says, `Pure Gold'. It is worth the price of the book alone, as Owen beautifully sums up his entire argument, and the redemptive-historical method of biblical theology is wonderfully explained and proven. In short, Owen shows how vital the indwelling Spirit, and essentially the gospel, is to proper biblical interpretation, and this above and beyond those who stress secular academics as the highest means of interpreting scripture. This portion, I believe, would be very profitable in many circles today, even reformed circles, as proof-texting and an over-emphasis on `literal' and or `academic' interpretation of scripture is one fall-out from the fundamentalist movement of the last few decades.

4. Lastly, Owen provides an appendix entitled "A Defense of Scripture against Modern Fanaticism". This shows that even in his day people were interpreting scripture by the primary means of God inwardly talking to them or giving them impressions, and that Owen was indeed what we would call a Cessationist.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars out of 5. The length and detail of the work will prove way too much for it to be profitable to anyone but the serious student, and this is to be somewhat lamented.

Slightly difficult to read but worth the time
As Packer says in the Foreword, "The present treatise is vintage Owen, searching and spiritual, devotional and doxological, the product of a masterful mind and a humble heart."

It does not read like a novel,but it is worth the time to read Owen's material on Biblicaltheology.

Note:Biblical Theology is that which starts with Genesis andbuilds teachings based *only* on what the particular writers have to sayabout a topic, building the theme together as one progresses throughScripture."Systematic Theology" is that which takes a topic(i.e., the atonement) and finds all applicable texts from all overScripture to form a concise teaching of that doctrine.

Owen's book is aBiblical theology.He begins with the Garden and progresses through thewhole of Scripture developing themes and teachings as he takes the readerthrough.

Difficult but very insightful! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Fits it all together
This easy to read yet scholarly chronological guide to Biblical events has really helped me see how all the events fit together. I'm amazed at how the author is able to condense complete books into concise yet accurate thoughts. The pictures, timelines, and maps are invaluable. I gave one to my Mom for Christmas and we're both reading this book through and using the questions at the end of each chapter to spur our own learning and devotional thoughts. ... Read more

Product Description
Focusing on the Old Testament and the history of Israel, this book brings together aspects of controversy about the Bible at the end of the millennium. Author James Barr examines the nature of biblical narrative, asking whether the Bible expresses actual historical events or the ideological and religious aspirations of writers in much later times. ... Read more

Product Description
"The SBL Handbook of Style is an astonishing book, a true 'one-stop' reference for authors preparing manuscripts in biblical studies and related fields. It covers an amazing range of topics, from what every literate scholar should know (but may not) to what only the most erudite expert in an obscure sub-field of the discipline would be likely to know. Do you need to know how to cite an internet publication? Whose job it is to prepare the index and secure permissions? How to alphabetize Abraham ibn Ezra (and why)? What the abbreviation AAeg stands for? It's all here. This volume should substantially reduce the incidence of tears and tantrums that so often beset the process of manuscript preparation. Before long biblical scholars will wonder how we ever got along without this indispensable reference work. Every graduate program should make The SBL Handbook of Style a required text."
-Carol A. Newsom, Professor of Old Testament, Emory University

" . . . A major service for the community of biblical scholars. This comprehensive but handy stylesheet, building on the base of the SBL guidelines, incorporates all that most authors and editors currently need to know about the technical dimensions of publishing activity, from commas and hyphens to abbreviations, from transliterations to forms of annotation. All that's left to authors is to come up with good ideas. All editors have to do is to learn what is here."
-Harold W. Attridge, Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale Divinity School ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The SBL Handbook of Style: For Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies
If you are studying Hebrew or Ancient Semitic languages you need this book for documentation and for dissertations.Excellent and a requirement for the Socity of Biblical Languages.

A tool for biblical scholars
SBL Handbook of Style offers a uniform standard of all that scholarly authors and editors need to know about the technical dimensions of publishing activity. The book gives a detailed exposition of the rules and the whys and the wherefores of this business, from commas and hyphens to abbreviations, from transliterations to forms of annotation.

Eccentric footnotes, but useful
Although I teach a seminary course on research and bibliography, I hesitate to fully recommend this book. The book is eccentric in placing editors, translators and other random information within the same parentheses normally reserved for publication information in footnotes.
This eccentric practice is different from all other standard systems.
I would recommend the new edition of Turabian (2007) for footnote style.
Of course if you are writing for SBL publications you will have to use the eccentric SBL style.Other parts of the book giving correct forms for abbreviation, spelling and capitalization are useful for those specializing in biblical and theological studies.

the go-to style guide for biblical scholars
As the premier North-American-based professional association of biblical scholars, the Society of Biblical Literature ('SBL') not only publishes the prestigious and tightly-edited Journal of Biblical Literature ('JBL'); its influence has a knock-on effect on other journals in this and ancillary fields.

Thus, the imperative of an authoritative 'SBL' style guide is obvious. Not so evident is how we lived without a full style guide for so many years until this superb collaborative project between SBL and Hendrickson Publishers emerged.

The editors have removed one of our last remaining excuses for sloppiness and inconsistency. I suppose we owe them our thanks ...

A Required Text!
This book must be on your shelf within easy reach if you are a graduate student of religion, a seminary student, or a scholar in the wide field of religion.Why?Because this book gives you the information you need to make your papers, articles, and books conform to the most used style in religious literature today--SBL.

In other words--student, when you see this on your recommended booklist for a religion class, buy it!It will help you make better grades!And, scholars, it will cut down editing time for submitting work for publication as well.

To put it colloquially, this book is the "Bible" of religious research! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Edifying Experience (Mostly)
I confess Ancient Greek Lexicography is an area of interest for me, so my review is biased. I will not prognosticate what your experience will be. As Lee says Lexicons are considered the last word when it comes to meaning. So the reader will come away understanding the history behind the glosses (one word equivalents) in their Liddell-Scott and Bauer-Danker lexicons. Once they understand the Latin-German-English evolution behind our English lexicons, perhaps that knowledge will encourage translators of Greek to do word studies and not blindly follow fallible lexicons. Lee acknowledges that New Testament studies are in a better state than the Classics or Hellenistic literature, lexicographically speaking. The inadequacies of our Greek lexicons was handled with even-handedness by Lee. He devotes the remainder of the book to examples of the inadequacies mentioned in the historical section through case studies of particular lexemes. There are no smoking guns, just examples where minor adjustments are needed.

An enjoyable not infrequently witty tour of NT lexicography
Academic tomes in relatively obscure series written (apparently) for an esoteric few aren't supposed to be this enjoyable. Lee's book even kept diverting me from studying for my NT comprehensive exams (until I hit the second part, which is a little slower going).

Part 1 is a fascinating historical tour, replete with photographs of ancient lexicons Lee unearthed. Lee managed to process a massive amount of information--the contents of dozens of lexicons in various languages--by wisely selective reading. He describes the character of these works in order to build a convincing narrative about them. The themes of that narrative, I'd say, are two: 1) the gloss method of definition is deficient, and 2) every lexicon necessarily builds off of others: beware!

Part 2 applies his insights to a fresh processing of the usage data for various NT words, including AGAPHTOS and other less well-known words.

Lee offers some key suggestions as to the direction NT lexicography ought to go in the future. I'm excited to see (during my lifetime?) the production of his own (and G.A. Horsley's) "Lexicon of the New Testament with Documentary Parallels."

Fascinating
Although I will readily admit that the title of this book alone would make many people assume that it cannot be very interesting, I must take a stand and say that the book was extremely interesting and helpful. I might never have read the book if it had not been assigned for one of my classes, but I am very glad that I read it.

Lee does a very good job detailing the history of the lexica. He outlines both the things that the lexicographers have done well and also the shortcomings. Beyond that, he writes in a very engaging style, so that the reader is kept interested. Overall, I was very impressed with this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is serious about delving into the Greek New Testament. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Biblical History of Israel and the Kingdom of God - A Review
"Biblical History of Israel and the Kingdom of God" should help Christians and non-Christians understand why God nurtured a people to become His "kingdom of priests, a holy nation." It should give America and the nations lessons to avoid the fate of biblical Canaanites as well as that of Israel. It presented convincing arguments that Jesus' presence (parousia) rather than actual physical return was the trigger in the setting up of the "Kingdom of God on Earth" with the glorified Jesus reigning "from another place" or in heaven over God's Kingdom on Earth - and will never return until God has succeeded to make Jesus' enemies a footstool for his feet." The book also presented irrefutable arguments why present-day Israel must accept all Christian nations as co-heirs with the Jewish people to God's promise to Abraham to make him the "father of many nations." This book is a "must read" for every Christian, Jew, and Muslim as well as for all the nations if they are to understand future historic developments in Palestine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Biblical History of Israel and the Kingdom of God - A Review
"Biblical History of Israel and the Kingdom of God" should help Christians and non-Christians understand why God nurtured a people to become His "kingdom of priests, a holy nation." It should give America and the nations lessons to avoid the fate of biblical Canaanites as well as that of Israel. It presented convincing arguments that Jesus' presence (parousia) rather than actual physical return was the trigger in the setting up of the "Kingdom of God on Earth" with the glorified Jesus reigning "from another place" or in heaven over God's Kingdom on Earth - and will never return until God has succeeded to make Jesus' enemies a footstool for his feet." The book also presented irrefutable arguments why present-day Israel must accept all Christian nations as co-heirs with the Jewish people to God's promise to Abraham to make him the "father of many nations." This book is a "must read" for every Christian, Jew, and Muslim as well as for all the nations if they are to understand future historic developments in Palestine. ... Read more

Product Description
The history of Christ's church is an inspiring story, filled with intriguing characters. This big book brings Christian history to life with highly readable, graphically appealing treatments of the most important people, places, and events of the last two millennia. Sections include "Sinners and Saints," profiles of influential figures; "Understanding the Times," overviews of various time periods; and "Imagine That!", fascinating, sometimes even humorous insights into Christian history. Time lines and other supporting information make this book a must-have for any family's bookshelf. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Some good content but hard to decipher
I thought the authors were brave to take on such a challenge. I believe their goal must have been to produce an account of Church history that would make it interesting and informative for the lay believer. I feel, to a large extent, that they succeeded in that goal. Much of their content is witty, humorous, and even-handed. They prove themselves students of Church history and have done their homework. The work does not claim to be anywhere near an exhaustive account of the Christian Church in history.

One problem I had was reading the book in paperback. I do not know if the first edition was a hardcover printed on fine quality stock. All I know is that the softcover used an inferior "newsprint" stock; also, some of the sidenotes and features were so dark that I often had to strain to read the words and make sense of the copy. No book should be this hard to decipher. If it's available, buy the hardcover.

Great overview of Christian History
Although this is not an in-depth exploration of Christian History, it is a great overview that combines a mix of fact and humor. I really enjoyed reading about how mankind has moved through the passages of time in recognizing the leadership of Jesus Christ and his church. Highly recommended reading for the curious and for those who would like to begin exploring church history rather than relying upon biased "folklore" from their peers. ... Read more

Product Description
In From Metaphysics to Midrash, Shaul Magid explores the exegetical tradition of Isaac Luria and his followers within the historical context in 16th-century Safed, a unique community that brought practitioners of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam into close contact with one another. Luria's scripture became a theater in which kabbalists redrew boundaries of difference in areas of ethnicity, gender, and the human relation to the divine. Magid investigates how cultural influences altered scriptural exegesis of Lurianic Kabbala in its philosophical, hermeneutical, and historical perspectives. He suggests that Luria and his followers were far from cloistered. They used their considerable skills to weigh in on important matters of the day, offering, at times, some surprising solutions to perennial theological problems. ... Read more

Product Description
This classic textbook, widely used for over two decades, constructs a history of ancient Israel and Judah through a thorough investigation of epigraphical, archaeological, and biblical sources. Approaching biblical history as history, Miller and Hayes examine the political and economic factors that give context to the Israelite monarchy’s actions and the biblical writers’ accounts. Now updated with the latest research and critical discoveries, including the Tell Dan Inscription, and considering the lively debate surrounding the reliability of biblical accounts, Miller and Hayes’s judicious and evenhanded portrayal gives detailed attention to the nature, strengths, and limitations of various forms of evidence for understanding Israel’s origins and early history. The new edition also includes thirty-four new maps, helpful notes, and numerous charts and photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Not about content but about format
For those curious about the difference between this book and the one twice the price also listed as a 2006 paperback, there appears to be no difference between the two besides one was published by a US publishing house, and this one is printed by SCM, a UK publisher, in the US. Book length, physical size, and content as far as I can tell are the exact same for the 2006 2nd Edition. Correction to the Product Description: Paperback page length is 562 pages and publisher is scm press.

Horrid Logic
Wow, this book is a nearly worthless except for that at least the authors acknowledge that the Bible probably contains historical events. It's amazing how seemingly wise men put out garbage like this. An example of the utter stupidity for example is that one of the authors claims that Samuel didn't really do all the things that were claimed of him because he was described as doing different things. Why does he think that? But he thinks Samuel couldn't have been both a prophet and "king-maker" he says. Uh... CUZ? Kinda stands to reason that if a person is a prophet then yeah, they are more likely to have the standing to king someone, not if there are just some ordinary guy. Instead he claims that Samuel was probably a cult leader. LOL.

No wait they are right, God doesn't have the ability to make someone a prophet plus allow them to have any other significant roles like kinging someone one time because it's just too hard for the creator and sustainer of the universe to get someone to be someone great and do something amazing. Not.

This is preschooler dribble hoping for lobster and wine elbow rubbing with other God-haters. Jesus is worth more than paper money, a few hundred lobsters, and a cellar full of wine.

Very Good Standard Book
It's true that the OT is often the only source for the early history of Israel and Judah, but Miller and Hayes tactfully duck the question of the historicity of the many legendary early events, and begin where they can start to tie the OT account to external and archaeological sources. I found this book to be a good introduction to the topic and a useful reference to have on the shelf.

has little to add to the old testament
This is a great book, very readable and scholarly. There exists one problem though: this book has practically nothing to add to what is written, just as clearly and just as easily accessible, in the old testament.

I read this book seeking to find a modern perspective on the old testament narrative, which would include all the findings of modern archeology and other sciences. What I found is that modern scholarship has precious little to add to what is already set down in the bible because the OT remains, with very few and mostly modest exceptions, our only source for this period. This is not the fault of the authors, of course, who are very noteworthy scholars. A few bits of history are scattered throughout the book which are not obvious from a reading of the bible, but the vast majority is just summary and interpretation (not usually very revealing) of the OT.

It goes without saying that if you are interested in the history of this period and have not read the bible, open the good book to Genesis 1 and start reading.

A Nice Introduction to Ancient Israel
J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes' A History of Ancient Israel and Judah provides a solid introduction to the methods and problems of studying the development of the kingdoms that came to be known as Israel and Judah.Thebook deals with events from the time of Israel's origins (the Late Bronzeand Early Iron Ages) to the work of Ezra and Nehemiah (the fifth and fourthcenturies BCE).On the whole, A History is more cautious with the biblicaltexts than other histories of ancient Israel, such as John Bright's AHistory of Israel. Miller and Hayes spend less time offering guesses aboutthe more speculative aspects of Israel's history, such as the patriarchsand exodus, and concentrate their efforts on the later period (tenth tofifth centuries BCE) for which conclusions are more certain. From itsbeginning, this study is very much set within the geographical, political,economic, and religious context of the ancient Near East and Egypt as awhole.Perhaps the most attractive feature of this work is the inclusionof both photographs and fairly complete translations of extra-biblicaldocuments pertinent to various stages of Israel's history.A History isdivided into chronological segments, and the authors proceed by summarizingthe biblical texts germane to the time period, critically examining theseaccounts along with extra-biblical and archaeological evidence, and thendrawing conclusions.If the book has a major weakness, it is the absenceof either footnotes or endnotes, but the authors provide a sizable topicalbibliography at the conclusion of the book, and overall, A History ofAncient Israel and Judah is sound, readable scholarship. ... Read more

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Ancient Yahwistic Poetry is a particularly tempting field of study. In this small body of literature are preserved the oldest and most creative expressions of Israel's faith. this study of ancient Yahwistic poetry by Frank Moore Cross Jr. and David Noel Freedman untangles some of the serious textual difficulties and linguistic obscurities that have been a challenge to students of the Hebrew Bible for many generations. ... Read more

Product Description
This title encompasses the history of Israel from its very beginnings up to the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The successive parts are (1) The Dawn of Israel, dealing with the Israelite proto-history, Mari and early Israel as well as the tribal societies and genealogies. (2) Forming a Nation, The Exodus and Conquest of Canaan, the period of the Judges and the charismatic nature of the Judges, the Danite migration. (3) The Rise of the Davidic Dynasty, a political view of the kingdom of David and Solomon, the diplomatic, international marriages of the latter, organs of statecraft in the Israelite monarchy. (4) King Amon and Josiah and their final fate, twilight of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem. (5) This part is dedicated to historical episodes in the Former Prophets and in the Prophetical Books. Several excursi follow. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Detailed But Managable Overview of OT History
This book provides a detailed look at the history of the ancient world as it directly relates to events in the Old Testament and the Jewish people.The geographic, political, cultural, and religious aspects of those times and places provide a necessary context to better understand the OT writers, their writings, and their audience.The author of this book is admittedly sympathetic to a traditional, Biblical view of history.However, many, if not most, world events after the Divided Kingdom seem to be thoroughly documented with extra-Biblical sources.

While the book is filled with information, the writing style is not overly academic and would be easy for the casual reader to follow.

The edition I read was published in the early 1970s.Perhaps more discoveries since that time have provided additional information either supporting or contradicting the conclusions in this book.For this reason, I might recommend a more current version or a newer work entirely.In addition, this book could use more tables, charts, timelines, and better photos.

All said, this book has given me a better understanding of the cultural context surrounding the Biblical OT narrative.

Excellent, contains an enormous amount of Material!
I really am enjoying the book.I use the present tense as I have not yet completed my journey (I use this word strategically.) through it.It contains too much material to soak up in one study I am afraid, but makesfor an incredible look at the lives around many of our Old Testamentfriends.I would encourage anyone who is looking to take a look at theOld Testament from a fresh, new perspective to pick up this book.Dr.Pfeiffer does an incredible job of consistently bringing the study back tothe Word of God as not to make the study overly academic. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a sequel to the author's "The Making of the New Testament Documents" (Brill, 1999), placing it within the context of two centuries of research and then expanding its brief treatment of a number of important issues. It critiques the hypothesis of "innocent" apostolic pseudepigrapha and investigates historical and literary evidence for dating the New Testament books, for Paul's mission to Spain, and for his subsequent composition of the Pastoral epistles. It also gives extended attention to the identity and the roles of Paul's co-workers. With respect to preformed traditions, a major topic of the earlier volume, it devotes special attention to biblical expositions in the teaching of Jesus and in the New Testament generally. In conclusion it draws out the implications of preformed traditions for the origins of Paul's christology. ... Read more

Product Description
The fourth in a series of books that result from annual conferences of the top evangelical hermeneutical scholars in the world. The topic for this book probes contemporary theories on the philosophy and theology of history and analyzes how those views intersect with the concept of the Bible as history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Scholarly academic level text
This book is the fourth volume of the Scripture and Hermeneutics Series.In it the editors make the point that Christianity is a religion that believes in a God who acts in history.Most of the stories in the Bible are set in specific historical contexts and are designed to show God working with individuals and groups in a historical context.Because history is so bound up in the Bible stories it is impossible to read the Bible without addressing the issue of history.

Sometimes the particular historical view that a reader holds affects their interpretation of Bible passages.This is one of the primary areas this book examines - biblical hermeneutics with an eye toward the relationship between faith and history and how that relationship both affected how historical events were reported and how biblical events are interpreted.

This is a scholarly collection of articles that is written in an academic style and highly suitable for Bible colleges and Seminaries more than the average reader.Behind the Text: History and Biblical Interpretation is recommended for the serious Bible student. ... Read more