February, 1993

Micah, Nahum, and Obadiah. By Rex Mason (JSOT Press, $). This book is part of the Old Testament Guides series and provides basic orientation to the modern reading of these short and difficult prophetic books. M. carefully surveys and evaluates the historical critical options that have been proposed during the last century, and then outlines the message of these books within a post-exilic, canonical context. The post-exilic book of Micah is a call for faith in and obedience to a God whose purpose is to have mercy and to deliver his people. Both Jonah and Nahum end with questions dealing with the fate of Nineveh. In the mercy (Jonah) and judgment (Nahum) toward Nineveh, God is working out his purposes of justice in the world. Obadiah may serve as a commentary on Am 9:11-12 and thereby suggest that God judges sin but also shows grace to those who have sinned. RWK

In the Beginning: Creation and the Priestly History. By Robert R. Coote and David Robert Ord (Fortress, $12.95). While the authors claim to represent mainline views on the priestly document in the Pentateuch, they actually have a severely jaundiced view of the priests who are behind Genesis 1 and other priestly writings. For example: "The priests used their right to delineate what was holy or common to control the nation’s meat supply and to ‘rule over’ and give themselves access to meat in large quantities." They even have a critical attitude toward the Sabbath year, claiming that it exacerbated the indebted condition of the poor, making the legislated release of the 49th year of Jubilee all the more essential. They believe that Isa 61:1-2 (the spirit of the LORD is upon me...to bring good news to the poor) was meant also to enhance the priests’ status. Reconstructions of history appear authoritatively as "voices from above," and the untutored reader knows neither why the authors hold certain opinions or how tenuous they are (e.g., their proposal that all the writings of the Levites who supported Josiah were eventually demoted to secondary rank and are known to us as the prophets). This completes C & O’s trilogy on the Pentateuch (cf. The Bible’s First History (=J) and In Defense of Revolution (=E). RWK

Amos. By Shalom M. Paul (Fortress, $44.95). In this magnificent commentary, the second on Amos in the Hermeneia Series, P., an Israeli scholar, departs from such predecessors as Hans Walter Wolff by arguing for the integrity of the whole book, with one or two minor exceptions. By way of contrast, Wolff uncovered six layers of editing, that extended over several centuries. P. even dismisses linguistic and ideological arguments for the secondary character of 9:11-15 and shows how it offers a sure and happy future for those who will not be cut off by the sword (This remnant’s salvation is not conditional, as is that offered in 5:15: "Perhaps the Lord...will show favor to the remnant of Joseph." While repentance is a sine qua non, the "perhaps" actually protects the absolute sovereignty and freedom of Yahweh). The great wealth of information (almost seventy pages of bibliography and almost fifty pages of indexes) is presented with an economy of language and with great argumentative skill. Mark this down as the best commentary on Amos in any language. RWK

Analytical Key to the Old Testament. Volume 3 Ezra-Song of Solomon. By John Joseph Owens. (Baker, $39.95). This wonderful aid for students with a minimal knowledge of Hebrew proceeds through the books of the Bible verse by verse and gives the grammatical identification of each word, the page number in BDB where it appears, an English translation, and the root for verbs. RWK

Far More Precious Than Jewels. Perspectives on Biblical Women. By Katheryn Pfisterer Darr. (Westminster/John Knox, $15.95). This book brings together historical critical, rabbinical, and feminist insights on stories dealing with Ruth, Sarah, Hagar, and Esther. Each of the methods is carefully and simply explained in a way that will be accessible to lay people, but highly interesting also to pastors. D. decided not to adjudicate among the three hermeneutical approaches, but to "leave to readers the task of discerning the questions and concerns that motivate different interpreters." Her feminist interpretation identifies scholars who find in the book of Ruth women of independence, intelligence, and commitment, and those who find these role models projected on women by the anonymous male author. A fascinating and delightful study. RWK

Graphic Concordance to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by James H. Charlesworth (Westminster/John Knox, $150). This computer-generated reference tool concords all Qumran sectarian texts published before 1990 (223 texts and 3,500 fragments). Aimed primarily at specialists in the field, this concordance lists all forms alphabetically and makes no attempt to parse them. The editor notes that references to the Righteous Teacher and to the light-darkness paradigm appear in only a few of the scrolls. RWK

The Jews in the Greek Age. By Elias J. Bickerman (Harvard, $12.95). In this posthumous work, B. surveys Judaism from the time of Alexander to the eve of the Maccabean revolt. This was the time when biblical works like Ecclesiastes and Daniel 1-6 were written, as well as such non-canonical works as Tobit, Enoch, Jubilees, Ecclesiasticus, and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, but much literature has also been lost and B. laments throughout the book about the paucity of sources (We have no writings at all from those condemned as "sinners" in this literature though they, too, were Jews). Real Hellenization did not begin until later when native rulers enforced it, but at the beginning of the Greek age, contact between Greeks and Orientals was tangential, limited mostly to government. In the ancient world education did not include the learning of foreign languages, and so Jews in the dispersion gained their knowledge of the ancestral faith through the Greek Torah and through the Greek synagogal service. B. gives much attention to the temple and its leadership, to the economy and the legal system, and to characteristics of the religious life. He helps us to see them as real people and not just as descendants of the patriarchs and ancestors of the rabbis. RWK

An Introduction to Judaism. By Jacob Neusner (Westminster/John Knox, $24.99). The prolific N. has written a textbook that explores Judaism as an ancient religion, with influence on Christianity and Islam, and as a modern religion that still transforms the lives of people. Part I surveys contemporary Judaism; part II looks at the Old Testament, the Talmud, and the triumph of rabbinic Judaism; and part III defines the relationship between Judaism and the Torah. In each section he also provides an anthology of secondary readings. RWK

April, 1992

Exodus. By Terence E. Fretheim (John Knox, $21.95). As part of the Interpretation commentary series, this volume is an attempt to merge into a single story the experience of the people in the text and the contemporary experience of the people of God. The text is relevant and the commentator’s task is to enable that relevance to be seen. Example: The sixth commandment has a double standard on the roles of men and women. Any contemporary use of the commandment would be compelled to treat men and women in the same terms. Fretheim is a professor at Luther Northwestern and his commentary now becomes the volume of choice for those who want to use Exodus in the life of the church. The writing style is lively and accessible; exegesis of chapters 1-24 averages about 10 pages a chapter; exegesis of chapters 25-40, in which the tabernacle is erected in excruciating detail, averages about 3 pages a chapter.

While F. is fully aware of the pre-history of the text, he focuses on its last redactional stage during the exile--a hearing of the text as we now have it. He gives special attention to irony and to prefiguring (e.g. 4:24-26 prefigures the Passover). F. insists that the whole book is shaped by creation theology. What God does in redemption is in the service of his endangered goals in and for the creation, and the deliverance of Israel is ultimately for the sake of all creation. God’s work in redemption constitutes God’s efforts at re-creation and is cosmic in scope.

As for themes of liberation, F. reminds us that the exodus is a powerful symbol that the present situation does not define what is possible for God. Political interpretations have often ignored other dimensions of the event--God’s activity is also directed against Egypt’s gods. Furthermore, the Exodus was no declaration of independence. One cannot bypass Sinai on the way to the promised land. RWK

How My Mind Has Changed. Edited by James M. Wall and David Heim (Eerdmans, $8.95). These theological self-diagnoses were published in the Christian Century during 1990-1991. Included are essays by Hauerwas, Heyward, Mouw, Lindbeck, Achtemeier, Neuhaus, McCormick, Schüssler Fiorenza, Tracy, Berger, Bellah, Oden, Jüngel, McFague, Sobrino. RWK

Heilsgegenwart: Eine Theologie der Psalmen. By Hermann Spieckermann (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, DM 80). In this study of the theology of the Psalms, S. argues that the basic religious experience lying behind the Old Testament was Israel’s knowledge of God’s saving presence in the temple. There Yahweh’s kingship was celebrated, a kingship that was constantly threatened by hostile forces. And there also Israel learned and pondered Yahweh’s name and his abundant grace, that gave each person glory and honor, attributes normally associated with God himself (Ps 8:4-6; 84:11). An emphasis on God as creator and historical savior arose only in the context of the challenges of the exile. The theology of the Psalter arose not so much from the historical creeds, prophecy, or the wisdom movement, but from the practice of prayer. This fresh and creative approach to Old Testament theology deserves an English translation. RWK

An Introduction To Biblical Hebrew Syntax. By Bruce K. Waltke and M. O’Connor (Eisenbrauns, $37.50). This volume, which draws on the insights of medieval Jewry and modern linguistic study, could function as a textbook for a second year course in Hebrew or, more likely, as a reference tool for those who have mastered basic Hebrew. After introductory chapters that review the history of Hebrew and the study of Hebrew and that define the concepts used in the book and what is meant by various grammatical units, the authors divide their discussion into four major sections: Nouns; adjectives, numerals, and pronouns; verbal stems (Qal, Niphal, etc.); and verbal conjugations (perfect, imperfect, participle, etc.). The writers describe syntax clearly, completely, and interestingly, and always offer numerous examples. They reject the theory of time for the Hebrew "tenses," preferring instead an aspectual theory. Those who teach Hebrew will also profit immensely from this book since it goes into much greater detail about syntax than do any of the standard introductory grammars and since it provides teachers with illustrations of almost every possible syntactical variant. There are 48 pages of indexes! RWK

Lamentations. By Iain Provan (Eerdmans, $14.95). This excellent commentary in the New Century Bible series is a remarkably clear and accessible statement of the interpretive issues. P. claims we do not know who wrote these poems (one cannot prove or disprove the Jeremianic hypothesis), or when or where this person--or persons--wrote. He even doubts whether the destruction of 587 is the necessary background. The language of the book is identified as metaphor and hyperbole and could fit many tragic moments in Israel’s history, as its liturgical use shows. He questions whether this is a book of faith since hope and despair are often equally present, and the book is only occasionally truly hopeful. While it is true that the book ends in doubt, it is doubt expressed to God. I have always taken the Psalmist’s "My God, why have you forsaken me?" as a profound statement of faith. He trusted God enough to tell him how he really felt. That’s the way I feel about Lamentations as well. P. eschews emendation of the text, but pays attention to the progress of thought from chapter to chapter. This is truly a commentary on the book of Lamentations. RWK

Old Testament Theology: Basic Issues in the Current Debate. By Gerhard F. Hasel (Eerdmans, $14.95). This is the fourth edition of a work first published in 1972. As in previous editions H. presents chapters on the history of the discipline, methodology, the question of history, the center of OT theology, the relationship between the testaments, and proposals for doing theology. The methodology chapter has soared from 18 pages in the first edition to 87 in the fourth! In this chapter he summarizes and criticizes how numerous scholars have approached the task of writing an OT theology. A forty-three page bibliography is included. RWK

Friday Morning Reflections at the World Bank: Essays on Values and Development. By David Beckmann and others (Seven Locks Press, $10.95). The four authors--Hindu, Christian, humanist, and Muslim--led a series of Friday discussions that had this conclusion: Spiritual values have been dangerously slighted in shaping the world’s development, and consequently humanity’s survival may be at risk. In 1991 B. was elected president of Bread for the World. RWK

Understanding the Book of Amos. By Gerhard F. Hasel (Baker, $10.95). This book surveys and reviews the rich amount of research into the book of Amos in modern times: the content of the book and major stages in its interpretation; the prophet’s original vocation and hometown; his role as prophet; the oracles against the nations; his intellectual background and use of tradition; literary study of the book; social criticism and liberation theology in the light of Amos; the book’s conclusion. As usual, Hasel provides a massive, 46-page bibliography. RWK

Channels of Prophecy. By Thomas W. Overholt (Fortess, $21.95 ). O. uses sociological method to construct a model for the way prophets conducted intermediation between God and their audiences, including the feedback offered by the prophet to God and the audience to the prophet. He then compares his model with the activities of the biblical prophet Jeremiah and with two native American prophets, Wovoka and Handsome Lake. A similarity underlies these and all other prophets; prophetic intermediation is a cross-cultural phenomenon. A final chapter evaluates David Wilkerson and the phenomenon called "channelling" according to his eight point model. RWK

The English Bible from KJV to NIV. By Jack P. Lewis (Baker, $21.95 ). The first edition of this excellent analysis of modern Bible translations was reviewed in Currents 9 (1982):383. The second edition adds chapters on NKJV, REB, and NRSV. RWK

Psalm 119: Matrix, Form, and Setting. By Will Soll (Catholic Biblical Association, $9.00). In this revised Vanderbilt dissertation, S. discusses the acrostic character of this Psalm and the fact that a Torah word occurs in each verse. Then he proposes that the Psalm is an individual lament by an exiled king, perhaps Jehoiachin, which admits his own and his dynasty’s failings and grounds his hope for restoration in Torah. RWK

Basic Forms of Prophetic Speech. By Claus Westermann (Westminster/John Knox, $18.95). In a foreword to this second edition of a classic work on form criticism, Gene M. Tucker reviews the proposals of W. of thirty years ago: the prophets understood themselves as messengers, whose most characteristic speech was the announcement of punishment with reasons for that punishment. This genre had its roots in Israelite legal practice. Tucker points out that scholars today are much less optimistic than W. was about recovering the original oral form of these prophetic speeches before they were gathered into books, and he adds a brief bibliography on other investigations of prophetic forms. RWK

Archaeolgy of the Land of the Bible. 10,000-586 B.C.E. By Amihai Mazar (Doubleday, $30). This book is part of the Anchor Bible Reference Library and will also serve as a textbook in colleges and seminaries. It supersedes earlier surveys by Wright and Kenyon and reports the latest in archaeological findings. It begins with the first permanent settlements in Palestine and ends with the destruction of the first temple. About half the book is devoted to 1200-586 B.C.E., when correlations with biblical data can be most direct. There are hundreds of maps, diagrams, photographs, and other illustrations. In each chapter A. surveys such items as fortifications, art, architecture, housing, settlement patterns, writing, burial customs, pottery, weapons, and religious practices. Abundant footnotes refer the reader to further, more detailed discussions. Occasionally I found the correlations with the Bible somewhat unsatisfactory. A. chooses to locate the patriarchs in MB IIB-C, but his text is a rather weak rebuttal against the opposite opinion. His outline of the "conquest" hardly does justice to the startling array of theories currently being debated. In discussing Kuntillet ‘Ajrud, south of Kadesh-barnea, where an inscription mentioning "Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah" has been found, he remarks: "These important texts throw light on aspects of Israelite theology in the Old Testament period, of which there are few traces in the Bible." Was this "Asherah" merely a cultic symbol? Or did some (heterodox) Israelites believe Yahweh had a consort? Despite these weaknesses, this volume is an unbelievably rich compendium of archaeological findings relevant to the Bible. RWK