The Contours of Old Testament Theology

Rating:
Summary: Impressive introduction
Review: Anderson provides a helpful and much-needed introduction to Old Testament theology. The book is particularly well suited to the church or college classroom. Laity and students will find the writing style generally accessible and the shortish chapters very manageable. Anderson's outline, based around yet not limited to a scheme of three successive covenants, allows him to balance a forthright accounting for the diversity of Old Testament literature with an emphasis on the common themes that unite the literature. The breadth of Anderson's treatment is impressive. Biblical specialists and theologians, however, are likely to wish for more depth in the treatment of various topics and more justification for some unusual moves (like treating "holiness" as per Rudolf Otto rather than as per Leviticus). If approached as an introduction and invitation to further study rather than as a digest of results or conclusions, the book renders a great service.

Rating:
Summary: response to reader from Worcester review
Review: Please note that the author is not Steve Bishop (he is assistant) but Bernhard W. Anderson, emeriatus professor of Old Testament Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary

Rating:
Summary: You call this book CHRISTIAN???
Review: To everyone who wants an Old Testament theology book from a conservative and evangelical viewpoint should NOT look here. Anderson writes from a historic-criticalist perspective with some sociological and liberal balls thrown into the bag. I was appalled with some of his arguments that the Israelite (or OT) religion was partly based on epic-myths of surrounding pagan cults. He also advocates a sort of moral-relativism in regards to the Mosaic Law (changing depending on one's social situation). This book doesn't deserve to be called Christian even though in the preface Anderson claims to write this book for the church. For a far better OT theology book check out books written by Walter Kaiser, Elmer Martens, John H. Sailhamer, Willem VanGemeren, and Bruce Waltke.