A Theological Approach to the Old Testament: Major Themes and New Testament Connections

by Leslie Tonkin Allen

Overview

The Old Testament has two great themes: creation and covenant. They embrace subthemes: wisdom in the case of creation; Israel's religion and the Davidic covenant under the general umbrella of covenant; and internationalism, which mostly develops the theme of covenant and partly the theme of creation. These topics cluster around a common center: Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament. This God is portrayed in different roles, which have attached to them role expectations for both Yahweh and those with whom he assumes relationship. Through contextual exegesis of key texts, we come to understand these roles and associated themes. While the Old Testament has its own distinctive contributions to make to divine revelation, much of its material is reused in the New Testament to explain and validate the New Testament message. By concentrating on the Old Testament, we learn to appreciate the enormous debt the New Testament owes to the Old in clarifying New Testament theological and moral perspectives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630874636
Publisher:	Cascade Books
Publication date:	09/26/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	218
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Leslie C. Allen is Senior Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. His most recent books are A Liturgy of Grief: A Pastoral Commentary on Lamentations (2011), Jeremiah (Old Testament Library, 2008), Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (New International Biblical Commentary, 2003), and Psalms 101-150 (Word Biblical Commentary, 2002).

Table of Contents

Preface ix

List of Abbreviations x

1 Introduction 1

2 God as Creator of the World 12

3 Wisdom 29

4 God in Covenant Relationship 54

5 Israel's Religious Life 89

6 The Davidic Covenant 102

7 Internationalism 113

8 The Relation between Creation and Covenant 141

9 New Testament Factors 152

Bibiography 175

Scripture Index 183

Author Index 205

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This marvelous book grew out of a course of lectures expounding a 'Biblical Theology of the Old Testament for Pastors.' Who better than my colleague, Leslie Allen, to write on this subject? He loves the Old Testament and he has a pastor's heart (every Friday he puts his Hebrew Bible down and visits our local hospital as a chaplain). No danger that this volume will either sell the reader short on the inherent significance of the Old Testament or sell the reader short on its significance in the context of Christian faith. And it does indeed fulfill both of those expectations."
—John Goldingay, Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, CA

Editorial Reviews

"This marvelous book grew out of a course of lectures expounding a 'Biblical Theology of the Old Testament for Pastors.' Who better than my colleague, Leslie Allen, to write on this subject? He loves the Old Testament and he has a pastor's heart (every Friday he puts his Hebrew Bible down and visits our local hospital as a chaplain). No danger that this volume will either sell the reader short on the inherent significance of the Old Testament or sell the reader short on its significance in the context of Christian faith. And it does indeed fulfill both of those expectations."
—John Goldingay, Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, CA

From the Publisher