God with Us: A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament

God's dynamic initiative" is the main theme of biblical testimony, says Christoph Barth. Here he expounds the message of the Old Testament in a manner that is faithful to the Old Testament itself — as an account of the mighty acts of God rather than a series of abstract doctrines. A theology of the Old Testament is not simply a study of God, however. Old Testament theology also encompasses teaching about the world and humanity, about life and death, about origin, nature, and destiny. And Old Testament theology must also take into account the New Testament, which confirms what is announced in Israel's Scripture and thus is part of it. Barth elucidates the importance of the Old Testament for the New Testament and hence for Christians, surveys God's redemptive acts as recorded in the confessional summaries of history in the Old and New Testaments, and offers contemporary applications of these biblical themes. Working his way through the Old Testament, Barth treats nine key topics, each of which deals with one of the divine acts that are the essential subject matter of Israel's Scripture: creation, election of the patriarchs, exodus, wilderness wandering, Sinai revelation, gift of Canaan, election of David (kingship), election of Jerusalem and sending of prophets. He has divided each of the nine chapters into sections on one main aspect of the topic, considering theological, anthropological, soteriological, and eschatological points as well. Throughout his examination of each theme Barth pays special attention to its scriptural context. God With Us is an excellent textbook for introductory or survey courses in the Old Testament: each section begins with a thesis statement, summarizing its contents, and details are treated in small-print sections. Barth originally wrote his Old Testament theology in Indonesian and later rewrote the entire book in English; Geoffrey Bromiley has condensed the original four volumes in this edition.

Bromiley, Rector of St. Thomas' English Episcopal Church, Edinburgh, Scotland.