Lies My Preacher Told Me: An Honest Look at the Old Testament

by Brent A. Strawn

Overview

In this concise volume, Brent Strawn addresses ten common "lies" or mistruths about the Old Testament, from perceptions of God's personality (the “angry Old Testament God”) to the relevance of the Old Testament for Christians. Discover why stories and laws written thousands of years ago, centuries before Christ, are enriching and indispensable for modern Christians. Written by a leading scholar in Old Testament and designed for easy reading and group discussion, this book will expand your thinking about the Bible’s First (and largest) Testament.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780664265717
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	02/09/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,054,592
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Brent A. Strawn is Professor of Old Testament and Professor of Law at Duke University. Previously, he was the William Ragsdale Cannon Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and books, includingThe Old Testament Is Dying: A Diagnosis and Recommended TreatmentandThe Old Testament: A Concise Introduction. He is the editor of the Pivotal Moments in the Old Testament series.

Editorial Reviews

12/07/2020

Strawn (The OId Testament Is Dying), professor of theology at Duke University, “unabashedly borrows” from James W. Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me for this concise, insightful study that digs into 10 “mistruths” that are “more insidious and intractable than a bold-faced lie” about the Old Testament. Among the ideas he addresses are “The Old Testament Is a Boring History Book” and “The Old Testament Has Been Rendered Permanently Obsolete,” the latter of which he calls “a doozy” and “a very large mistake to correct.” Strawn refutes each straw-man statement, filling his defense with biblical quotes and references in his quest to reorient readers to the importance and relevance of the Old Testament. To that end, he suggests the Old Testament is only boring if one reads it without “knowing what to look for,” and that it remains “a lively and useful part of Scripture for Christian reflection.” Each chapter includes a clarifying statement (on “The Old Testament God Is Mean”: “God in scripture is deeply upset about injustice and sin”) and discussion questions. Strawn’s systematic analysis persuasively defends the Old Testament’s relevance for any Christian in doubt. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"Strawn's systematic analysis persuasively defends the Old Testament’s relevance for any Christian in doubt." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher