Brent A. Strawn

The Genesis of Good and Evil

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Mark Smith’s latest book is an effort ‘to come to grips with Christian claims about the Fall and original sin in Genesis 3.’ He then sets off, in his inimitable way, to explore seven questions that lead him not only back to Genesis 2, and then forward to Genesis 4 and 6, but also beyond: to Augustine, Calvin, the Catholic Catechism, and seemingly every pertinent nook and cranny in the ancient Near East. Spoiler alert: Smith disagrees with a large swath of Christian tradition, finding not a fall in Genesis 3 but a fallout that comes about thereafter, though also remarkable possibilities for human goodness despite our ‘Adam-ness’ and ‘Eve-ness.’ Smith’s goal is to find out what Genesis 3 ‘really says’—which is a hackneyed and usually dubious claim, but not in the case of Smith, whose erudition will educate even the most serious scholar while his fluid prose remains intended for ‘anyone intrigued by what happened in the Garden of Eden.’ Smith ends his study in praise of theological mystery and human curiosity; there is equally also a great deal to praise in this book and in Smith’s work among us.”

The Lord Roars

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In The Lord Roars, Daniel Carroll, easily one of our best scholars and teachers on the prophets, offers a concise and erudite—indeed, ideal—introduction to these all-important messengers of God. Carroll focuses on selected texts from Amos, Isaiah, and Micah while at the same time engaging everything from Don Quijote and Charles Dickens to immigration, the Inquisition, liberation theology, and much, much more. The Prophetic Voice for Today, indeed! And it has been fully recovered too, thanks to Carroll’s masterful treatment.”

The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Do you have a friend who is an antinomian or, alternatively, a legalist? Maybe it's a family member or even the person who looks back at you in the mirror. Whatever the case, this is the book for them (and you!). Richard Averbeck has long been a leading scholar of biblical law in its ancient Near Eastern context—the doyen, in fact, of such studies within evangelical circles. In this thorough and yet accessible volume, he shows how the entirety of biblical law is good and profitable for Christians. Even if readers find things to quibble with along the way, Averbeck repeatedly proves himself an authoritative and—most importantly—a faithful guide.”

The Role of Old Testament Theology in Old Testament Interpretation

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The present collection of essays by Walter Brueggemann, handily edited by K. C. Hanson, is most welcome. All of the essays originally appeared in Festschriften, which means they are often hard to locate or track down. Readers will be very happy, as am I, to have them gathered together in one place, especially since each essay, and the collection as a whole, is vintage Brueggemann.”

The Ten Commandments through the Ages

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Sara Koenig’s new book on the Ten Commandments is an eminently readable and entirely fascinating tour of the Decalogue and its almost stupefying range of interpretation throughout the ages. Not afraid to offer something of a ‘scrapbook’ that focuses in especially on themes, Koenig’s selection is nevertheless remarkably thorough in scope even as she pays close attention to the smallest of exegetical details. This will be the first book I consult on the meaning(s) of the Ten Commandments in the history of reception.”

The Triumph of Grace

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Although these studies will not convince everyone, Block has covered immense ground, providing us with much food for thought. I, for one, hope Block continues ‘conversing with Moses’ for years to come.”

Tragedy of the Commons

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Daniel Stulac's Tragedy of the Commons is a breathtaking sequel to his earlier Gift of the Grotesque. In a stunning, truly remarkable interpretation that combines biblical scholarship with memoir and homily, and that engages poetry, film, contemporary culture, and his own life, Stulac models what he says the Bible wants from its readers: unconditional surrender. This is christological interpretation unlike anything you've read before. Stulac writes with a depth and insight unmatched except for a precious few. Prepare to be blown away.”

Truth and Hope

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“‘There can be no hope until truth is told,’ Brueggemann states early in this volume. He then tells us the truth about Daniel and difference, the Psalms and pastoral care, Proverbs and higher education, holy truth versus certitude, Ezra-Nehemiah and prayer and justice—to name only a few of his numerous topics and texts—all the while injecting real and profound hope in us, the church, and the world amidst many anxieties, uncertainties, failures, and sins. When he writes ‘I am aware, of course, that a little Bible study changes nothing,’ we have this latest installment of his oeuvre to prove otherwise. As Brueggemann demonstrates throughout this stunning volume, ‘the beginning point of public policy is text, text, text.’ Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

Understanding Biblical Law

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“We have had a number of important books published on biblical law, not least from within a Christian framework, but none are as reasonable or as clever as this new volume by Dru Johnson. That is likely because Johnson himself is exceedingly both reasonable and clever—and wise to boot. I know of precious few who read or write as widely as he, and here he puts all of us in his debt by deploying his intellectual prowess with his pedagogical acumen to produce a wonderfully insightful and engaging, yet simultaneously remarkably lean, treatment of biblical law in its vast depth and breadth. This is the ideal textbook for classroom use.”

Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination

History & Biography

“I can think of no biblical scholar more worthy of a biography than Walter Brueggemann, the most gifted, insightful, and prolific scholar the field of Old Testament studies has ever seen. Conrad Kanagy has provided us with just that in a volume that is equal parts biography of Brueggemann, an account of his career, and reflection on his breakthrough book, The Prophetic Imagination --all written in an engaging, lively style. Kanagy's treatment consistently delivers profound insights into all three of these things (and their remarkable interrelations) and is especially noteworthy in its attention to Brueggemann's early years: how formative his family of origin, his upbringing, and his pre-professorial days were to all that followed. Even if you know Walter and his work well--or just think you do--be prepared to learn an immense amount in this book, which left me yet again awed and inspired by one whom I deem no less than a modern-day prophet.”

Weathering the Psalms

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Wiggins is a first-rate scholar and editor. In this long-awaited book, he offers an indispensable survey of weather imagery in the Psalter that covers everything from translation issues to palaeoclimatology to what he calls 'meteorotheology'--the theological understanding of the weather by the ancients. Throughout, Wiggins proves a central point: '[t]o understand the weather is somehow to glimpse the divine.' This is a treasure trove of a book (the bibliography alone is worth the price), underscoring the never-ending complexity of the Bible, and the countless ways it moves from its ancient contexts to the present-day scientific world. I will consult it often.”

Wisdom's Wonder

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This book is no mere ‘second edition’ of William Brown’s earlier Character in Crisis. While bits and pieces of that book remain, the whole has been completely reenvisioned: character is here combined with creation under the rubric of wonder. In the process, Brown has reconceived the very nature of wisdom itself as 'fear seeking understanding.' In bravely rethinking both his own project and wisdom more broadly, Brown not only discusses the sages but proves that he himself is one.”

Worship and Waste

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“In Worship and Waste, Daniel Stulac completes his trilogy on Judges and 1–2 Samuel. Subtitled A Christological Companion, this is nothing like the Christological approaches you’ve seen before. Indeed, this volume no less than its predecessors is hard to characterize: part close exegesis, part theological interpretation, part memoir, part homily—all mixed up with poetry and film and bits of contemporary culture, presented by Stulac’s arrestingly beautiful prose in service to his keen, incisive insight. . . . A stunning achievement.”

Wrestling with Job

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Has anything like this ever appeared: a father-son duo teaming up on the book of Job? Even if one heard of such a thing with the hearing of the ear, now the eye can see it—and in the flesh! Across ten chapters covering all of Job, the elder Kynes, a pastor, offers wise ministerial exposition, with the younger Kynes, a biblical scholar, providing profound interpretive commentary. As the authors note, study of Job can be unsettling but, if done patiently and well can, at the end, be challenging and encouraging. I found all that to be true—and then some—in this rich and moving book. I recommend it most highly.”