Old Testament Theology: Israel's Faith (Vol. 2)
Old Testament Theology: Israel's Faith (Vol. 2)

Old Testament Theology: Israel's Faith (Vol. 2)

by John Goldingay

4.75 Rank Score: 4.99 from 2 reviews, 0 featured collections, and 2 user libraries
Pages 891
Publisher IVP Academic
Published 12/9/2006
ISBN-13 9780830825622
About the Book

Old Testament Theology: Israel's Faith is the second of John Goldingay's magisterial three-volume Old Testament Theology. The award-winning first volume, Old Testament Theology: Israel's Gospel, followed the story line of the First Testament, developing its narrative theology. This volume finds its point of departure in the Prophets, Psalms and Wisdom literature, where we encounter a more discursive thinking that is closer to traditional theology.

Whereas the first volume followed the epochal divine acts of Israel's "gospel" narrative, here Goldingay sets out the faith of Israel under the major rubrics of

God Israel The Nightmare The Vision The World The Nations Humanity

In a style that cleaves closely to the text, Goldingay offers up a masterful exposition of the faith of the First Testament, one born of living long with the text and the refined skill of asking interesting questions and listening with trained attention. Never one to sacrifice a close hearing of a text for an easy generality, or to mute a discordant note for the sake of reassuring harmony, Goldingay gives us an Old Testament theology shot through with the edge-of-the-seat vitality of discovery.

The first volume of Old Testament Theology has triggered lively discussion in the academy. This volume too will be welcomed and discussed by scholars. But its fresh presentations of theological motifs, as well as its engagement with contemporary contexts, will also greatly enrich the treasury of insights this series makes available to preachers and communicators of the Old Testament.

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Denver Seminary Journal Denver Seminary Journal December 5, 2009
Evangelical and readable survey of the theological message of the narrative books of the Old Testament. Volume two considers major theological themes related to God, Israel and the nations. [Full Review]
Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Pp. 891. Cloth. $45.00. ISBN 0830825622. Stephen A. Reed Jamestown College Jamestown, North Dakota This is volume 2 of an anticipated three-volume Old Testament Theology. The first volume was published in 2003 (John Goldingay, Old Testament Theology: Israel’s Gospel). Although the second volume can stand on its own, it is useful to understand how Goldingay has conceptualized the three volumes. His short introduction to the second volume (15–20) and his somewhat longer introduction to his first volume (1:15-41) are helpful here even if they are rather brief. The division into three volumes is based partly on canonical groupings of First Testament books and partly on central concerns found predominantly in those canonical groupings. Volume 1 focuses on what the narrative texts of the Pentateuch and historical books say about God and Israel. The gospel story begins with creation and then proceeds through central historical events. Chapters of the first volume are: “God Began”; “God Started Over”; “God Promised”; “God Delivered”; “God Sealed”; “God Gave”; “God Accommodated”; “God Wrestled”; “God Preserved.” Volume 2 focuses on the prophetic and wisdom books and Psalms, which include more “discursive thinking” about the nature of God and Israel. Volume 3 will focus on what God expects humans to do in their everyday lives, which can be found in the Psalms and instructional material in the Torah. More briefly one might say (19): volume 1 tells about what God and Israel did; volume 2 tells about who God and Israel are, and volume 3 will tell us how people should live in light of this. [Full Review]