Preaching the Old Testament

Title: Preaching the Old Testament
Editor: Gibson, Scott M.
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Baker Books (October 1, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0801066239

My local library actually has a good religious studies section. And it was while browsing there that I came across Preaching the Old Testament. The book is edited by Scott M. Gibson, with each chapter chapter written by a different expert. The entire collection is dedicated to the eminent Old Testament scholar and teacher, Walter Kaiser.

In general, the book is aimed at helping preachers understand how to interpret and apply the Old Testament. The book isn't really about how to preach as much as it is about how to prepare to preach.

The pros of the book:
The chapters are written by scholars; yet the chapters are clear and concise. Of course, since each chapter is written by a different scholar, some writers stand out more than others. I especially liked "Preaching the Old Testament Narratives" by Jeffrey D. Arthurs.

The cons of the book:
The second chapter (after a short chapter 1) is about the important of being an expert in biblical Hebrew. I certainly understand how that chapter fits into the context of the whole book, and the chapter's thesis does undergird the concepts throughout the book. But, it seemed odd to me to begin the book by telling preachers who never learned Hebrew, or those who long ago forgot their Hebrew, that their exegesis is weak unless they have a strong understand of biblical Hebrew. If this were intended as a seminary text, I would understand the emphasis as encouraging students to develop and maintain their language skills. But, since this is not intended as a textbook, the chapter seemed to be a strange starting point.

Recommendation:
If a relatively short, straight-forward book about interpreting and applying Old Testament genres seems interesting to you, this might well be a good choice. I enjoyed the book, and I found it easy to read. Nothing in the book seemed ground-breaking, but the book was intended more to reinforce the significance and relevance of preaching from the Old Testament. I think the contributors succeeded in that goal.

How to write a great book review

I just came across this interesting post about "How to write a great book review."

Why did I start this blog?

I'm not actually an avid reader. But I know I should read more good, Christian books. I need to read more about theology, Christian living, evangelism, etc. When I do read such books, they often help me; some have changed my life.

But, because I'm not someone who reads a book a week, I need to be especially judicious in what I do read. I don't want to waste time reading a book with minimal theology, or worse. I don't want to waste my time reading a book with fine, but superficial or elementary, theology.

I want to read books that will impact my faith, that will help me grow closer to God, that will change the way I live out my faith, and that will change the way my living faith impacts the world around me.

I want to read good, Christian books.

The only problem is, it's not easy to know which books to read.

There are some great book reviewers out there, already. Tim Challies is pillar in that regard.

But, even with as much as he reads and reviews, he doesn't cover everything. So, my goal isn't to compete with Challies or any other Christian reviewers. Instead, my goal is to add to their valuable work.

How will I choose what to review? Unlike most similar reviewers, I am not going to limit myself to just new books. Limiting the reviews to new books is great for avid readers who are up-to-date. I, on the other hand, know there's great stuff out there I've never even heard of. So, I am going to incorporate books that might be on interest to people like me.

And there are some great books I won't even bother to review. John Piper's Desiring God would be an example. That is an awesome book that I would strongly recommend to every Christian. But, there are so many great reviews of that book, and it is so well-established as a modern classic, that there's nothing I can add of value.

And, ultimately, this review blog is here to be of value.