Theologians often complain when biblical scholars take to criticizing doctrinal formulations, on the grounds that biblical scholars often mischaracterize or under appreciate exactly what those doctrines were saying and attempting to do. And, no doubt, biblical scholars often complain that theologians mishandle the biblical text in dramatic ways, taking the text to destinations that are miles from the plain sense. Gary Anderson's Christian Doctrine and the Old Testament is outstanding for the degree to which he evades both these sorts of complaints. He is already noted as a senior Old Testament scholar, and in this book he shows himself to have an impressive command of a wide range of Christian doctrine. Most importantly, these two features are brought together in a way that mutually enriches both his biblical interpretation and his theology. Indeed, that is the central claim he pursues throughout the diverse chapters that constitute the book, namely, "the rather audacious claim that theological doctrines need not be a hindrance to exegesis but, when properly deployed, play a key role in uncovering a text's meaning."
While this works as a hermeneutic disposition, Anderson wisely, in my view, avoids engaging in any lengthy throat-clearing exercise in which he attempts to justify what he is doing. Rather, the proof is in the exegesis itself. Rather than offering a theory of interpretation, he goes about the business of interpreting, which allows him much more agility (and honesty) in his reading of Scripture, letting each doctrine arise in its own way from the text, rather than proceeding in an overly principle way. "As will be clear from a reading of the entire volume, each doctrine is related to Scripture in its own unique way." That being said, there is a commitment to the canonical form, per Brevard Childs that, while maybe controversial in some circles, is increasingly recognized as a legitimate pursuit. In this case, however, the canonical form does not mean simply the individual book being granted the integrity that the canon affords it, but the book's relationship to the two Testaments that make up the canon as a whole. This allows Anderson to "propose christological readings of the Old Testament that take the Jewish character and integrity of the text with utmost seriousness." Indeed, this book as a whole models well its concern to uphold the Jewish character of Holy Scripture, all the while being resolutely christological.
Each of the ten chapters are given to a particular doctrine that Anderson attempts to show can legitimately be derived from either a story or passage of Scripture, or perhaps a theme that appears throughout Scripture. Interestingly, Anderson does not pick easy doctrines, taking up diving impassibility in the second chapter, creation ex nihilo in the third, Original Sin in the fourth, Mariology in the seventh, and purgatory (!) in the final chapter. One of the noteworthy things about this book is the degree to which he actually picks themes of great significance for Christian theology, and he tackles them head on. In each case, Anderson shows, I think with considerable success, the way that many traditional Christian teachings are deeply harmonious with the Old Testament Scriptures, in a way that upholds there plain sense, all the while making inferences that follow the text's own suggestions.
Strangely, I suspect this book may in fact be most profitably read by Protestants who are suspicious of some of the doctrines Anderson takes up, not least, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Treasury of Merits, and Purgatory. Not because they will be convinced (I remain with lingering questions about all three, some of which I'll mention below), but because they will have to consider carefully why they are persuaded by his earlier chapters but not his later ones, which espouse Roman doctrines usually rejected by Protestants. An orthodox Roman Catholic reader may happily embrace Anderson's book, a Protestant (like myself) will likely be forced to contend with it less univocally, which means engaging with it at the level of exegesis and theological argument. Of course, this is exactly what we need more of. It is not enough to argue that Scripture and theology need to be brought back together. Or even to publish essays and books that attempt this and then to praise these books for the endeavor. A sign of the true recovery of Scripture's role in theology would be that theologians again are debating exegesis and a right reading of the Bible. Happily, I found myself less concerned with methodological and hermeneutical question, and more directly engaged with understanding what God is instructing us through Holy Scripture. For that this book is a resounding success.
All that said, I want to commend a couple chapters, and raise some questions about a few others. First, the chapter on apophatic theology, considering the dark and perplexing story of Nadab and Abihu, was both subtle and persuasive. Anderson sees in their deaths a sign of the LORD's transcendence over the cult. That their deaths are unexplained shows the fact that God is not absorbed into the cult in an ex opere operato sort of way. Ritual action does not compel God, he retains his freedom even in the midst of his condescension to humanity. Approaching the LORD can never be a matter of simple routine, "God will not be reduced to an object subject to human control." Second, the chapter on the Temple and its relationship to Christ was fascinating. I've often thought that theology needed to take more seriously Hebrews' temple cosmology and what a metaphysics that took the temple paradigmatically might look like. Anderson convinced me that it's not only Hebrews, but the Old Testament itself that goes a long ways toward this. Sure enough, there is the 7 days of creation and the 7 speeches of temple construction, but more than that, the temple presents a seriously challenge for our thinking about God's relationship to creation and sanctified created things. Anderson argues for what he calls the Bible's 'realism' about liturgical language. In this case, "the tabernacle furniture was understood as possessing something of the very being of the God of Israel," or put otherwise, "the furniture of the temple was treated as quasi-divine." Quasi-divine because of the "impossibility of dividing with precision the house of God from the being of God." To look on the holy things of God was in some way to look on God himself.
Anderson seeks to cash this out in a christological direction, showing how the New Testament's use of temple language works with what we know of the Temple in the Old Testament. Here's where the questions begin. Some of them innocent and exploratory, others more firmly problematic. First, what does it mean to talk about God's being somehow possessed by the temple? Does this threaten the transcendence of God that was argued in chapter one? If not, what theological account of God's localized presence can we give that does not make God somehow a being among beings? It seems to me that these are important questions for theologians to consider that are often ignored. Now, more problematically, is Anderson saying that was is true of the temple is true of Christ in the same way? If so, then do we have multiple incarnations? How does what happened in Christ not become merely one in a series, rather than the climactic once and for all? This problem gets ramped up when Mary is seen as figured by the temple in another chapter. If Mary is prefigured by the temple, and Christ is prefigured by the temple, what distinguishes God's presence in Mary from God's presence in Christ? This either demotes Christ, or divinizes Mary. Either way, we've got a problem.
This may merely point to the limitations of treating one theme, for, of course, an adequate christology would take up the whole array of christological images and titles and whatnot. Nonetheless, these questions don't find any resolution in the volume. I will say, however, that Anderson left me challenged on the role of the visual in devotion to God. I have often repeated the claim that Scripture emphasizes hearing, not seeing, and yet, Anderson has drawn out the degree to which beholding the temple was a great delight of Israel, and how this was carried forward in beholding the body of Christ. For me, at least, this raises questions about what proper Eucharistic devotion might look like (Calvin argued against gazing at the bread and wine, quipping that what matters is reception—union—but perhaps gazing may be more legitimate than he allowed).
Each chapter raises similar challenging questions, amounting, in the end, to a very strong, very rewarding book. I do hope we see more of this sort of reflection from Gary Anderson, and, indeed, from more among the guild of Old Testament scholars.
NOTE: This book was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
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