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Rating: 
Summary: A Foundation in Wisdom Literature
Review: I began reading this book with hardly any knowledge about Old Testament wisdom literature, and now that I've finished, I am able to carry on a fairly intelligent discussion about the whys and wherefores of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Character in Crisis explores the above writings and explains how they reinvent the traditional view of wisdom found in Old Testament times. Each wisdom writer is on a quest to discover how to live with integrity and godliness in spite of suffering, frustration, and daily difficulties. Brown details each person's journey, keeping his explanations weighty enough to be interesting but colorful and applicable so that they are not lost in theological babble. His arguments keep the mind churning in an effort to work out the questions presented by the Old Testament books, and he encourages readers to embark on their own quest for character. Books that delve into the theology of the wisdom writings are far and few between, so if you desire a solid foundation in Old Testament wisdom literature, this may be the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: A liberal approach to Scripture
Review: The key feature that stood out to me while reading Character in Crisis, was that his conclusions demonstrate the natural outcome of liberal presuppositions centered in higher critical thinking. His presuppositions make themselves apparent in every chapter. The first chapter, which purports in its title to describe "The Ethics and Ethos of Biblical Wisdom" focuses on defining character based on literary and ethical scholarship and then fitting biblical depictions of character into that model. Here we are first introduced to a theme that will continue throughout this book, community. Brown sees moral rules and principles, not as an eternal standard, but as a product of the community (pg. 14). This is in line with the post-modern philosophical idea that truth is created, not discovered. The theme of community continues into the second chapter, where Brown links wisdom with the promotion of communal values and then states, "In stark contrast, the way of the wicked is essentially one that threatens to collapse the established structures of the community, undermining its ethical foundations." (pg. 34) He goes on to summarize the book of Proverbs as, "essentially about the journey from home to community and back again, a rite de passage that requires letting go of the parental ties of security to seek one's own security and identity through service to the community." (pg. 49) The concept that the community produces and defines wisdom and character continues to the end of the book where Brown concludes by stating, "The final test of wisdom and character is the quality of community it engenders" (pg. 164). I propose that he has it backwards. He is judging God's Word by its outcome. Rather, we need to judge the outcome by God's Word. Then we would conclude that the final test of a community is the wisdom and character of its individual members, looking to Scripture to define wisdom and character for us. Brown's references to the authors of the wisdom books, such as, "the editors who produced the book of Proverbs" (pg. 47) reveal another of his presuppositions, that these are merely human works. Nowhere does he mention divine inspiration. Job is depicted as a product of the "joban poet," created to play a part in a work of fiction, instead of presenting him as an historical figure. This is shown by statements like, "The poet transforms or re-profiles Job's character" (pg. 82) or "Job is a character in transition.". (pg. 115) He is willing to let Qoheleth stand as the author of Ecclesiastes except for the last few verses, which he insists are the work of a final editor. (pg. 120) Brown's failure to bring out the divine nature of these books serves to undermine their impact. Instead of carrying the weight of a statement such as, "this is the inspired, inerrant Word of God," these books are reduced to merely being works of men which have stood the test of time, comparable to any other ancient Arabic, Egyptian, or Greek literature. I was refreshed when the chapter on Ecclesiastes began fairly simply as a commentary on the text, outlining and summarizing Qoheleth's statements. This refreshment only lasted a few pages, though, before Brown sidetracked himself by moving into a comparison of Qoheleth with various ancient philosophers. His commentary on Ecclesiastes goes further astray near the end of the chapter where he weakens the numerous admonitions to fear God by defining fear in merely temporal terms. He rightly says that to fear God is to, "embrace one's creaturely status", "be quietly receptive", and "acknowledge the unsurpassable chasm between the transcendent God and the frail human being." (pg. 145) However, in Brown's presentation, this chasm is not caused by sin separating man from a personal God. It is depicted only as the gap between finite man and transcendent God. Perhaps because he has downplayed the personal nature of God, Brown focuses his conclusion of the chapter on what he calls, "Qoheleth's brand of carpe diem" (pg. 149). Instead of emphasizing the call in the closing verses of Ecclesiastes to "Fear God and keep His commandments" (Eccl. 12:13), He dismisses this as an addition by a final editor and concludes that the primary message of Ecclesiastes is to enjoy the little pleasures of life along the way, to "eat, drink, and find enjoyment in one's labors." (pg. 150) By the middle of the book, I was so leery of anything Brown had to say, that even if anything worthwhile was buried in there, the effort to dig it out, clean it off, and then verify it with a trustworthy source would be a counterproductive waste of time and energy. Because of Brown's apparent attitude of anti-supernaturalism and a low view of Scripture that, I cannot value this book as a resource for commentary on the wisdom books. Instead, it shows me the natural outcome of the author's presuppositions. As a Conservative Christian who believes in the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture, I cannot recommend this book as anything other than a study in the natural outcome of the liberal, higher critical approach to Scripture.
Rating:
Summary: A liberal approach to Scripture
Review: The key feature that stood out to me while reading Character in Crisis, was that his conclusions demonstrate the natural outcome of liberal presuppositions centered in higher critical thinking. His presuppositions make themselves apparent in every chapter. The first chapter, which purports in its title to describe "The Ethics and Ethos of Biblical Wisdom" focuses on defining character based on literary and ethical scholarship and then fitting biblical depictions of character into that model. Here we are first introduced to a theme that will continue throughout this book, community. Brown sees moral rules and principles, not as an eternal standard, but as a product of the community (pg. 14). This is in line with the post-modern philosophical idea that truth is created, not discovered. The theme of community continues into the second chapter, where Brown links wisdom with the promotion of communal values and then states, "In stark contrast, the way of the wicked is essentially one that threatens to collapse the established structures of the community, undermining its ethical foundations." (pg. 34) He goes on to summarize the book of Proverbs as, "essentially about the journey from home to community and back again, a rite de passage that requires letting go of the parental ties of security to seek one's own security and identity through service to the community." (pg. 49) The concept that the community produces and defines wisdom and character continues to the end of the book where Brown concludes by stating, "The final test of wisdom and character is the quality of community it engenders" (pg. 164). I propose that he has it backwards. He is judging God's Word by its outcome. Rather, we need to judge the outcome by God's Word. Then we would conclude that the final test of a community is the wisdom and character of its individual members, looking to Scripture to define wisdom and character for us. Brown's references to the authors of the wisdom books, such as, "the editors who produced the book of Proverbs" (pg. 47) reveal another of his presuppositions, that these are merely human works. Nowhere does he mention divine inspiration. Job is depicted as a product of the "joban poet," created to play a part in a work of fiction, instead of presenting him as an historical figure. This is shown by statements like, "The poet transforms or re-profiles Job's character" (pg. 82) or "Job is a character in transition.". (pg. 115) He is willing to let Qoheleth stand as the author of Ecclesiastes except for the last few verses, which he insists are the work of a final editor. (pg. 120) Brown's failure to bring out the divine nature of these books serves to undermine their impact. Instead of carrying the weight of a statement such as, "this is the inspired, inerrant Word of God," these books are reduced to merely being works of men which have stood the test of time, comparable to any other ancient Arabic, Egyptian, or Greek literature. I was refreshed when the chapter on Ecclesiastes began fairly simply as a commentary on the text, outlining and summarizing Qoheleth's statements. This refreshment only lasted a few pages, though, before Brown sidetracked himself by moving into a comparison of Qoheleth with various ancient philosophers. His commentary on Ecclesiastes goes further astray near the end of the chapter where he weakens the numerous admonitions to fear God by defining fear in merely temporal terms. He rightly says that to fear God is to, "embrace one's creaturely status", "be quietly receptive", and "acknowledge the unsurpassable chasm between the transcendent God and the frail human being." (pg. 145) However, in Brown's presentation, this chasm is not caused by sin separating man from a personal God. It is depicted only as the gap between finite man and transcendent God. Perhaps because he has downplayed the personal nature of God, Brown focuses his conclusion of the chapter on what he calls, "Qoheleth's brand of carpe diem" (pg. 149). Instead of emphasizing the call in the closing verses of Ecclesiastes to "Fear God and keep His commandments" (Eccl. 12:13), He dismisses this as an addition by a final editor and concludes that the primary message of Ecclesiastes is to enjoy the little pleasures of life along the way, to "eat, drink, and find enjoyment in one's labors." (pg. 150) By the middle of the book, I was so leery of anything Brown had to say, that even if anything worthwhile was buried in there, the effort to dig it out, clean it off, and then verify it with a trustworthy source would be a counterproductive waste of time and energy. Because of Brown's apparent attitude of anti-supernaturalism and a low view of Scripture that, I cannot value this book as a resource for commentary on the wisdom books. Instead, it shows me the natural outcome of the author's presuppositions. As a Conservative Christian who believes in the inerrancy and inspiration of Scripture, I cannot recommend this book as anything other than a study in the natural outcome of the liberal, higher critical approach to Scripture.
Rating:
Summary: A fresh theological reflection on biblical wisdom
Review: William Brown is talented as a biblical scholar, a theologian and a writer. Alarmed that the Church has virtually ignored the diverse and theologically-rich books of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes, Brown makes a strong argument that the function of biblical wisdom is character formation. He also shows an interest in ethics, speculating throughout about how individuals embodying sapiential virtues might interact with the larger community. Brown finally argues that the NT letter of James draws on the OT wisdom tradition's emphasis on consistency of conduct and conviction for the individual and the community. His conclusion, like the rest of the book, is provocative: "The final test of wisdom and character is the quality of community it engenders" (164).
Rating:
Summary: A fresh theological reflection on biblical wisdom
Review: William Brown is talented as a biblical scholar, a theologian and a writer. Alarmed that the Church has virtually ignored the diverse and theologically-rich books of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes, Brown makes a strong argument that the function of biblical wisdom is character formation. He also shows an interest in ethics, speculating throughout about how individuals embodying sapiential virtues might interact with the larger community. Brown finally argues that the NT letter of James draws on the OT wisdom tradition's emphasis on consistency of conduct and conviction for the individual and the community. His conclusion, like the rest of the book, is provocative: "The final test of wisdom and character is the quality of community it engenders" (164).
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