Brent A. Strawn

Leviticus as Discourse

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Engaging both the best biblical scholars (Douglas, Milgrom) and the best literary theorists (Steiner, Ricoeur), Allison Hamm takes up the real difficulty posed by the book of Leviticus. Combining deep theoretical insight with deft exegetical probes—all written with a beautiful pen—Hamm moves us from the book’s difficulty to its profound generativity for reading communities today. Leviticus moves from back then to here and now, with wide-ranging and life-giving consequences, even in the public square, for all who have ears to attend to this discourse. Hamm’s book is a most promising development in Leviticus studies but also has serious ramifications for the study of every book of the Bible.”

Neo-Assyrian Historical Inscriptions and Syria-Palestine

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Jeffrey Kah-Jin Kuan's Neo-Assyrian Historical Inscriptions and Syria-Palestine was immensely useful when it first appeared in 1995 and it has retained its utility and significance despite the fact that it has long been out of print and hard to find. This reprinted edition is a most welcome development, then, and scholars will find themselves once again in Kuan's debt for his careful presentation of the evidence pertaining to Israelite/Judean relations from the reign of Shalmaneser III through Shalmaneser V.”

Numbers

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries are well known and highly regarded, not least for their accessible and manageable treatments of the biblical text. In this commentary, Altmann and Peres have hit those high marks while simultaneously including an immense amount of reflection and up-to-date research—all very well-written and supremely crafted. The result is a remarkable achievement, with every page brimming with insight that repeatedly demonstrates the ongoing and contemporary utility of Numbers. I recommend it enthusiastically.”

Old Testament Theology

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Walter Moberly is easily among the best and most compelling Old Testament theologians working today. In his latest offering, he builds off of previous work, advancing a reading of Israel's scriptures within a Christian frame of reference such that the claims of the ancient text are repeatedly shown to have lively and enduring implications for contemporary faith. Moberly reads the text with careful attention to both its large conceptions and its detailed philology, offering an interpretation that is at once theological and existential, designed ultimately for lively and faithful performance. More than anything else, this volume distinguishes itself (and its author) as exceedingly wise--something that can be said for precious few books these days. Here is a volume that I will use and return to often.”

Old Testament Theology for Christians

Theology

“John Walton, a longtime leader in Old Testament and ancient Near East studies, sets himself to a large task in his latest book: to use historical inquiry to discover the Bible's enduring theological revelation for the church today. He does this by what he calls 'cognitive environment criticism,' which allows him to integrate history and theology within a confessional context so as to read the Old Testament 'from an Israelite perspective' with a focus on God's plans and purposes. Walton's weighty goal, coupled with his capacious approach, means that readers of all stripes will find much here to both agree and disagree with. What cannot be debated in the least, however, is that Walton has covered immense ground, categorized a vast range of data, and offered us a treasure trove of information and reflections that will repay reading and rereading.”

Praise and Petition in the Old Testament

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Erhard Gerstenberger, one of the great Psalms scholars of our time, passed away in 2023, much to the field’s detriment. Thanks to Cascade Books and the work of editor extraordinaire K. C. Hanson, we are able to continue to learn and benefit from Gersternberger’s remarkable range (he taught on three continents and took another doctorate, focusing on Sumerian hymns, at the age of 82) and deep insights in this, the second of a three-volume collection of his essays. Readers will be especially interested in the never-before published study, ‘Form Criticism in Action: Psalm 22,’ which is the longest essay and centerpiece in this wonderful anthology.”

Preaching Jeremiah

Preaching & Worship

“Brueggemann, for decades one of our leading interpreters of Jeremiah, here conducts a homiletical experiment, considering how the book preaches and what it says to the preaching task. The experiment is a resounding success as Brueggemann, attentive to how Jeremiah is a "multivoiced meditation" on the abyss of exile--an extended Holy Saturday--considers three traumas pertinent then and now: the loss of Jerusalem, the crucifixion of Jesus, and the demise of American chosenness. Brueggemann may call his work an "old-fashioned reading" of Jeremiah, intended "to serve an old-fashioned notion of preaching," but do not be fooled. In his hands, everything old is new again!”

Psalms 1–72

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this inaugural volume in the Pillar Old Testament Commentary series, Duane Garrett charts his own way, adopting new positions amid current research—positions that call back, in some ways, to earlier perspectives. He places great value, for instance, on the (Davidic) superscriptions, even as he is skeptical of many attempts to find an overall structure to the Psalter. Students of the psalms will find much to grapple with here.”

Psalms in an Age of Distraction

Christian Living

“T. S. Eliot once wrote that we are ‘distracted from distraction by distraction,’ and that was long before our present plethora of mobile devices and social media sites came along. In this thoughtful volume, Ethan Jones offers a remedy for the distraction and boredom that plague us—namely, the poetry of the Psalms. What biblical poetry offers us is not relaxation into ‘pampered self-care’ but ‘a better life’: one marked by the habits of attention and studiousness. After introducing readers to Hebrew poetry and the content and nature of the Psalter, Jones displays his approach (and his gifts) in insightful readings of ten psalms, each oriented toward a particular aspect of biblical poetry. Designed for nonspecialists, this book will prove edifying and instructive for a wide range of readers—from beginners to seasoned experts.”

Reading the First Five Books

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this wonderful book, Toombs helps us to become ‘attuned to the artistry’ of the Pentateuch. By attending to five important features of biblical storytelling, she demonstrates once again (per her muse, Flannery O’Connor) that ‘the only suitable way to know what a story is about is to read it.’ And read it well, we might add, which is precisely what Toombs models throughout the volume with keen theological-literary acumen, a deft and beautiful hand, and the gifts of a seasoned pedagogue. In the end, Toombs encourages us to eat these stories. Following another one of her muses (Eugene Peterson), I can only say ‘eat this book.’ You will be very glad you did.”

Reading the Pentateuch as Christian Scripture

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This latest addition to Baker Academic's Reading Christian Scripture series is, quite literally, outstanding: It stands out in a crowded market of introductions both to the Bible generally and to the Pentateuch specifically. It does so in a host of ways, including its design and its numerous sidebars, figures, and other helps that make this volume perfect for classroom use. It's also remarkably thorough. Hardly had an issue or question crossed my mind before I found Beldman and Rhodes addressing it. No stone is left unturned here, with the stones in question running from the ancient context right down to our present moment with its manifold concerns. Simply put, there is a great deal of information to be found in this book, but even more wisdom. The greenest of students and the most seasoned of scholars will learn much from this book.”

Reading Wisdom and Psalms as Christian Scripture

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Do not let the size of this concise volume fool you: Ansberry provides here an attractive and accessible but also remarkably thorough, completely up-to-date, and highly learned introduction to Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and the Psalms. I was repeatedly both instructed and impressed. This may well be the best—even the ideal—textbook on this corpus for classroom (and personal) use currently available.”

Readings from the Ancient Near East

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The first edition of this reader was a godsend, but this new version is even more so. Twelve new compositions have been added, and many of the others have been expanded in length or otherwise updated and improved based on recent research. This is an extraordinarily useful volume, perfect for classroom use. Teachers and students alike will make frequent use of it and will be better off for doing so.”

Sabbath Gospel

Theology

“Most Christians know that the Sabbath is the one commandment of the Decalogue explicitly given for our immediate and obvious benefit. Why, then, do so many of us not 'keep Sabbath' (asking for a friend)? In their joint volume, G. P. Wagenfuhr and Amy J. Erickson answer this question and many more. Like the Sabbath journey they describe, this book is a peregrination, as Wagenfuhr and Erickson lead us on an exodus away from dream houses into full maturity and freedom. They worry that the result is 'wildly ambitious and woefully ineffective,' but I believe those fears are unfounded: readers who take this book seriously will learn an immense amount and live quite differently as a result.”

School with a Big Why

Discipleship & Christian Education

“Peter ‘Chip’ Denton—cofounder and first (and only) head of Trinity School in North Carolina for the past thirty years—is a real theologian, and not just because he holds a PhD in New Testament. His theological prowess is perhaps nowhere more obvious than his monthly newsletters. Following St. Paul, Chip offers a master class in Christian formation via letter writing, ‘trying to write Trinity into the school I hope it will be,’ is how he puts it. My youngest son attended Trinity in middle and high school, and my wife and I were regularly inspired and moved to tears by Chip’s Head Lines, which is to say, by the theology and the theologizing at work in them. Whether you have a stake in Christian education or not, you will be changed by this book and the power of Chip’s pen, wisdom, and vision. Be prepared to be instructed, moved, and transformed. Here is a stunning example of how real theology gets done.”

Table and Temple

Theology

“This book shows the ongoing liveliness of the ‘oracles of God’—from both testaments—for a proper understanding and appreciation of the Lord’s Supper. David Stubbs is among the best theologians active today in his careful attention to Scripture; that ability is again on display here, though Scripture is just one of a treasure trove of theological, ecumenical, liturgical, even architectural resources he deploys. Stubbs has thought long and hard about his subject matter and, as a result, has given us a beautiful and inspiring book that will change how we think about—and practice—the Eucharist. We are in his debt.”

Tenacious Solidarity

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Tenacious solidarity indeed! Both words well describe Walter Brueggemann’s entire career not just this latest collection of essays—once again admirably edited and introduced by his major interpreter, Davis Hankins. These remarkable provocations range widely across our most urgent, pressing, and relevant issues: racism, the economy, the environment, totalism. Brueggemann’s profound, magisterial, and native fluency in Scripture is as much on display here as in any one of his countless other books. While he notes in the front matter that this collection may be his last outing, his faithful followers will pray that isn’t the case. Either way, and despite his avoidance of the prophetic moniker, I, for one, am immediately reminded of the words of Deut 34:10: “Never has a prophet arisen like Moses...”

The Book of Amos

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“M. Daniel Carroll R. has been a leading figure in Amos studies (among other areas) for decades. Here, in commentary form, is his definitive treatment of the book after a lifetime of devoted study to our most articulate prophet of judgment. Every page reflects meticulous scholarship with an eye on the most pressing concerns of Amos’s day and of our own, leavened and bettered by Carroll’s keen insight and judicious assessment. This will be the first commentary on Amos I consult for years to come.”

The Book of Deuteronomy, Chapters 1–11

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Bill T. Arnold has been working toward this commentary for some time now. Here at last comes the first installment of what is nothing short of a monumental gift to biblical interpreters of all kinds. Arnold has given us the most extensive, careful exposition of the text of Deuteronomy 1–11 we’ve seen in decades. We are all in his considerable debt, and we will remain there for a very long time to come.”

The Commentarial Impulse

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In this book—composed of previously published and unpublished essays—David Lincicum, a leader among a new generation of top-flight scholars of the New Testament and early Christianity, addresses what he calls ‘the commentarial impulse.’ Lincicum traces this impulse, and the origins of both early and much later Christian commentary, to the New Testament, particularly the writings of St. Paul, deftly proving his argument across a brilliant collection that bears evidence of its author’s compelling and coherent program. The whole is a remarkable achievement, and I found myself repeatedly instructed and impressed.”