Reading the Old Testament as Christian Scripture: A Literary, Canonical, and Theological Survey (Reading Christian Scripture) - Hardcover

Mark S. Gignilliat; Heath A. Thomas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801098033 ISBN 13: 9780801098031

Publisher: Baker Publishing Group, 2025

Synopsis

This survey textbook by two respected Old Testament scholars is designed to meet the needs of contemporary undergraduate students. The book effectively covers the Old Testament books and major topics in the Old Testament, assuming no prior academic study of the Bible. Mark Gignilliat and Heath Thomas pay attention to the subject matter of the Old Testament: God’s revelation of himself. Their focus is on the triune God and God’s engagement with the world. The authors attend to the Old Testament’s literary, theological, and historical dimensions and explore how these texts are received and interpreted in Christian (and Jewish) tradition. The book is organized according to the Hebrew structure of the Old Testament: Law, Prophets, and Writings. The authors utilize this structure to generate numerous interpretive and theological insights as well as fresh avenues of discovery for Christian readers who may lack familiarity with the Hebrew ordering of the Old Testament documents. Chapters can be assigned in any order, making this an ideal textbook for one-semester courses. Beautifully designed in full color, this addition to the Reading Christian Scripture series offers a full array of pedagogical aids that hold interest and aid learning: photographs, sidebars, maps, time lines, charts, glossary, and discussion questions. Additional resources for instructors and students are available through Textbook eSources.

About this title

About the Author

Mark S. Gignilliat (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, and theologian in residence at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Birmingham, Alabama. His books include Reading Scripture Canonically. Heath A. Thomas (PhD, University of Gloucestershire) is president and professor of Old Testament at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. His books include The Minor Prophets: A Theological Introduction, Habakkuk: A Commentary, and The Gospel of Our King (with Bruce Riley Ashford).

From the Back Cover

"A gift for both the classroom and the church!"

This survey textbook offers an accessible introduction to the Old Testament, assuming no prior academic study of the Bible. The authors pay attention to the Old Testament's subject matter--God's revelation of himself--and focus on the triune God and God's engagement with the world. They attend to the Old Testament's literary, theological, and historical dimensions and explore how these texts are received and interpreted in Christian (and Jewish) tradition. The book is organized according to the Hebrew structure of the Old Testament: Law, Prophets, and Writings. This structure generates numerous interpretive and theological insights.

"Sadly, the Old Testament remains a stumbling block for many. Gignilliat and Thomas make what could easily be a crooked way straight, deftly attending to, and balancing, each book's literary integrity, place in the canon as a whole, and relation to Christ. Highly recommended!"
--Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"This is one of those textbooks that won't be discarded at the semester's end but will be cherished as a valuable, lifelong resource. A gift for both the classroom and the church!"
--Elizabeth H. P. Backfish, Jessup University

"Gignilliat and Thomas brilliantly illustrate the layered complexity of interpreting the Old Testament as Christian Scripture. Their book-by-book introduction is enhanced by lavish illustrations from Christian art, informative sidebars, elegant and cultivated writing, and above all a deeply learned sensitivity to the particularities of the Old Testament books understood as witnesses to Christ."
--J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire (emeritus)

"A clear and well-structured overview. This textbook will help to reinvigorate the witness of the Old Testament for the church through the classroom."
--Aubrey E. Buster, Wheaton College

"A beautifully produced volume, with artwork, diagrams, maps, sidebars, key verses, and discussion questions. It will have wide appeal and, one hopes, extensive use."
--Stephen B. Chapman, Duke University

"If only I'd had this as my Old Testament textbook at university, I would have realized much earlier how to integrate theology and biblical studies, been more sensitive to and informed about the relationship between Jewish and Christian traditions, and become more nuanced in my understanding of scholarly discussions. Gignilliat and Thomas offer all these in a clear, helpful, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing format."
--Brittany N. Melton, Regent College

"An outstanding resource. This book is sure to be seen in undergraduate and seminary classrooms. Bravo."
--Christopher Seitz, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto

"This theologically attuned and literarily sensitive introduction demonstrates how to read the Old Testament as Christian revelation. Highly recommended!"
--Scott C. Jones, Covenant College

Edition details

• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0801098033
• ISBN 13: 9780801098031
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 464