Reading the Old Testament Anew
Biblical Perspectives on Today's Issues
About This Book
Overview
Does the Bible remain relevant amid the complexities of the contemporary landscape? Absolutely, according to John Kaltner’s Reading the Old Testament Anew: Biblical Perspectives on Today’s Issues.
In fact, the stories of Scripture have shaped our understandings of the world—often without our even knowing it!
In Reading the Old Testament Anew: Biblical Perspectives on Today’s Issues, Kaltner presents an accessible overview of contemporary biblical scholarship as it relates to timely themes for today’s classroom, including creation, covenant, liberation, the human condition, the marginalized ‘other,’ and social justice. With real-world connections, pertinent artwork, informative and thought-provoking sidebars, and a robust bibliography, Reading the Old Testament Anew is the perfect guide for exploring the ancient context and modern relevance of the Bible as it relates to some of today’s most pressing themes.
Details
| Weight | .86 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6 × .5 × 9 in |
| Format | Softcover |
| Print ISBN | 978-1-59982-774-2 |
| Pages | 284 |
| Item # | 7081 |
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Customer Reviews
“Eschewing the traditional compulsion to cover the entirety of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in a single term, John Kaltner has crafted an introductory textbook that works from the principle that “less is more.” By limiting his attention to six key themes—creation, covenant, liberation, being human, “the other,” and social justice—and tracing them through the canon and beyond, Kaltner deftly exposes first-time readers to both the central ideas and major interpretive questions surrounding the biblical text. Breezy and readable, the book should prove useful to instructors who are looking for ways to make the academic study of the Hebrew Bible more accessible to introductory students.”
“Reading the Old Testament Anew: Biblical Perspectives on Today’s Issues shows that John Kaltner is not only a skilled biblical scholar but also an accomplished teacher. While the contents of the book consist of the findings of reliable and current biblical scholarship, its uniqueness lies in its carefully structured pedagogical format. Kaltner does not simply suggest a method of learning the material; he demonstrates it as he leads the reader step-by-step through each chapter. This begins with personal experience of reading the text; then an overview of general information about it; followed by in-depth study; ending with contemporary implications of its meaning. Reading the Old Testament Anew: Biblical Perspectives on Today’s Issues will serve as a valuable resource as well as a fine text for undergraduates.”
“While introductory textbooks on the Old Testament are a dime a dozen, John Kaltner has succeeded in creating something fresh and new. Most textbooks provide broad summaries of biblical texts and the various scholarly theories developed to interpret them. But Kaltner, by contrast, provides a detailed close reading of selected texts, showing how and why scholarly approaches have grown organically out of the critical issues encountered in a detailed engagement with biblical narratives. Kaltner does not just tell the reader what scholars say about these ancient texts. He instead shows the reader why the scholars say what they do and why this is important for how we interpret these texts in our contemporary context. This book will go a long way towards getting students of the Bible to critically engage with the Old Testament literature rather than just learn information about it. I highly recommend it.”
About the Author
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Perspectives on Creation
Images of Adam and Eve by Linda S. Schearing
Chapter 2: Perspectives on Covenant
Chapter 3: Perspectives on Liberation
Chapter 4: Perspectives on the Human Condition
The Devil Who Displays Wisdom by Ellen White
Chapter 5: Perspectives on the Other
Chapter 6: Perspectives on Social Justice
Hungering for Social Justice by Ellen White
Additional Resources
Index
Professional Reviews
John Kaltner, Reading the Old Testament Anew: Biblical Perspectives on Today’s Issues. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic (www.anselmacadmiec.org), 2017. Pages, 284. Paper, $29.95
The assumption behind this work is that the Old Testament can shed light on some of today’s more perplexing problems. Focusing on six topics (creation, covenant, liberation, the human condition, the Other, and social justice) gives the author the opportunity to demonstrate the value of the Bible as a resource for believers in shaping their response to the more significant political, social, and religious issues of the day. This book would suit college and seminary classes well. It directs the reader to appropriate texts from the Bible and offers leads to helpful secondary literature on each topic that can stimulate lively discussions.
John Kaltner, Reading the Old Testament Anew: Biblical Perspectives on Today’s Issues, Winona, Anselm Academic, 2017; 284 pp., $ 29.95.
In Reading the Old Testament Anew, John Kaltner provides a thematic introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Rather than writing a comprehensive introductory work, Kaltner concentrates on six themes in the Old Testament: Creation; Covenant; Liberation; the Human Condition; the Other; and Social Justice. The first chapter offers a succinct but up-to-date introduction to the Old Testament. Kaltner explains that his selection of themes reflects ‘the book’s intended purpose as a classroom resource for courses in religion or theology that have a biblical component in them’ (8). Each theme is discussed under three headings: First Impressions (which identifies and briefly introduces the most important Old Testament passages pertaining to the theme); Second Opinions (where Kaltner sketches debates in Biblical Studies on the selected themes); and Implications and Applications (which offers questions for further thinking and reflection). Moreover, each chapter contains a section that treats the reception of these themes in art and literature. The chapter on covenant can serve as an example of Kaltner’s approach: after briefly introducing Gen 6–9; Gen 15, 17; Exod; Deut; and ‘covenant elsewhere in the Old Testament’ in the first section of the chapter, Kaltner moves on to discuss issues of Pentateuchal source criticism, the role of covenant thinking in prophetic works, and the link between covenants in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near Eastern treatises in the second part. The Implications and Applications section offers questions such as: How has your understanding of the Bible changed after reading this chapter? or: Do you think the relationship between God and humanity as it is presented in the Old Testament is primarily healthy and positive? This shows that for Kaltner both exegetical and biblical-theological issues are of importance when reflecting on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Throughout the book Kaltner’s writing is careful and nuanced. Yet the book explicitly addresses an audience with no prior knowledge of Biblical literature and, as a result, engagement with the Hebrew text of the Old Testament is absent from Kaltner’s work. This would make the book somewhat harder to use in a context where general Introduction to Bible courses of the American type are not common, but I think Reading the Old Testament Anew can still fulfil a useful purpose as a resource in, for instance, an undergraduate Biblical Theology course. There, its thematic approach (which is still predominant in Biblical Studies, but has also been challenged on various grounds) would prove helpful, not only for how it collects the material, but also for stimulating debates on the losses and gains that come with thematic approaches. To sum up: Kaltner has written an engaging book, which is refreshing in how it opens up the Old Testament to students with no prior knowledge of it.
The Bible in Review
The Old Testament and Related Topics
John R. Barker, OFM
John Kaltner, Reading the Old Testament Anew: Biblical Perspectives on
Today’s Issues. Winona, MN: Anselm Academic (https://anselmacademic.org),
- Pages, 284. Paper, $29.95.
In this engaging and accessible volume, Kaltner explores with his readers the ongoing relevance of the OT, particularly as it relates to several issues that preoccupy many people of faith today. Framing his discussion under headings of “Perspectives on . . .”, the author (professor of Muslim-Christian relations at Rhodes College) attends to creation, covenant, liberation, the human condition, “the Other,” and social justice. Some notable features of this work include attention to contemporary artistic interpretations of biblical stories, sidebars throughout the book that ask the reader to consider questions that could easily be productive of a lively group or classroom discussion (examples: “Are attempts to explain the [Exodus] plagues by natural means persuasive?” and “Who offers a more plausible view of life, Job or Qoheleth?”). Although he is not a biblical scholar himself, Kaltner draws well on established scholarship, avoiding idiosyncratic readings. This volume could be an excellent textbook for either undergraduate or graduate Bible courses, or even for a Bible study group.