BOOK REVIEW - "WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN: THE BOOK OF DANIEL IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY" (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY) BY JAMES M. HAMILTON, JR.

 

Daniel is one of the most interesting and most controversial books of the Bible. Reason for the controversy: If this book was written when it was set, then it is very accurate prophesy. That's no problem for those who believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing God. For those who reject that premise, that's a different story.  So they claim it was a forgery written late enough that it's history pretending to be prophesy.

"With the Clouds of Heaven: The book of Daniel in biblical theology," authored by James M. Hamilton, Jr., is the 32nd of 67 books of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. For those unfamiliar of the concept of Biblical Theology, it is developing a theology through individual books and then analyzing how it fits in the whole of Scripture (as compared to Systematic Theology, which looks at all the verses on a particular subject to develop one's theology.

Hamilton starts off with the question of authorship, and points out the problems with the view of Daniel being a forgery. He then looks at how Daniel fits in the Scripture, the literary make-up of the book, and how the New Testament authors interpret it. Finally, he compares Joseph and Daniel, and notes how this comparison has parallels with Abraham, Jehoichin, Esther/Mordecai, and Nehemiah. 

I've read 18 of the books in this series. Some are basically intellectual, while others are inspirational. This one is somewhere in the beginning; the simplest way to put it is that it confirms and strengthens my faith in the truth of Scripture.

BOOK REVIEW - "THE FEASTS OF REPENTANCE: FROM LUKE-ACTS TO SYSTEMATIC AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY" (NEW STUDIES IN BIBILICAL THEOLOGY BOOK 49) BY MICHAEL J. OVEY

Does Christianity require repentance, or can we have faith without turning from sin and forgiveness?? Biblically, is the root sin we need to repent of idolatry, and if so, is that a problem that is relevant today?

When I saw the main title of Michael J. Ovey's book "The Feasts of Repentance," my first thought was this concerned the feasts God commanded in the Law, such as Passover, Pentecost, and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). However, the subtitle mentions the Biblical focus is on Luke's contributions to the Canon: Luke and Acts.

One debate in Christianity is the role of repentance. Is repentance merely a change of mind, or does it involve turning to God and thus turning from evil? The first chapter of this book introduces the puzzle of how the call to repentance can be universalized, and deals with the Greek words associated with repentance and turning.

Chapter 2 focuses on the book of Luke, with particular attention to six feasts that take place in this Gospel. These feasts often include someone considered a sinner who is repentant, as well as the Pharisees who not only are unrepentant but aren't happy when someone does. In the next chapter, Acts carries these issues from the Jewish church founded on Pentecost to the Gospel's spread into the Gentile world.

 The final three chapters take the concepts learned through looking at Scripture and applies them to identity and idolatry (Chapter 4), faith and faith and salvation (Chapter 5), and forgiveness and its importance in the lives of God's people (Chapter 6). 

I found it very intriguing when Ovey mentioned that idolatry is the main thing we need to repent of. Additionally, the dialog about the views of Calvin, MacLaren, and Barth was invigorating.

This was the 49th book in the New Studies in Biblical Theology. These books are definitely intelectual, but some help your head knowledge while others offer a challenge into a deeper relationship with God. This is one of the latter. I highly recommend this book. 

BOOK REVIEW - "ANSWERING THE PSALMIST'S PERPLEXITY:NEW COVENANT NEWNESS IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS" (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY) BY JAMES HELY HUTCHINSON

It seems that one book of the Bible that has interesting theories are based on Psalms. I heard one person suggest that Psalms 90-100 belong to Moses' blessing on the 12 tribes in Deuteronomy 32-33. Another taught that if you stick "19" in front of the number of the first 99 Psalms is a prophecy of what would happen in relatively recent history (e.g., Psalm 38 tells events that happened in 1938, or that, since "He is coming" is mentioned twice in chapter '96 and once in Psalm 98, it implies the rapture would take place in 1997. Okay, at least one of these above is off.

A similar but much more likely theory is proposed by James Hely Hutchinson in "Answering the Psalmist's Perplexity: New Covenant Newness in the Book of Psalms." His thesis is that the Psalmist in Psalm 89 was struggling between the unconditional covenant with David and the fact that Judah was in exile with the Davidic throne empty. As a result, Psalms develops an answer, which is in the New Testament with Christ.

In the first chapter, Hutchison defends his method including using a single book to deal with a 66 book issue and an Old Testament book to establish New Testament teaching. This is followed up with looking at seven views of how the Old and New Testaments interact from the Westminster Confession model to dispensationalism. 

He launches into his theory in chapter 3. First, he deals with how Books 1-3 of Psalms (respectively Psalms 1-41, 42-72, and 73-89) sets the scene for "the Psalmist's Perplexity." Next, he looks at how the Book 4 (90-106) provides the building blocks for the answer. The outworking of the answer is covered in Chapter 5 through Book 5 (Psalms 107-150), before he focuses on the Law and the New-Covenant Believer's ethical life. He concludes by reviewing the spectrum of beliefs covered in chapter 2 and - surprise, surprise - he favors the one in the middle, though he is quick to point out this is not even close to being a salvation issue.

I found this book interesting, but not the strongest in the series. "Answering The Psalmist's Perplexity" is the 62nd in what is currently a 62 book series, and none have been out in the past year and a half (it was published in January, 2024). Additionally, D.A. Carson is listed as the series editor, except in this one, he shares billing with Benjamin L. Gladd. So I'm curious what the future is of the New Studies in Biblical Theology.

BOOK REVIEW - "A CLEAR AND PRESENT WORD: THE CLARITY OF SCRIPTURE" BY MARK D. THOMPSON

Am I the only person who smiled when they saw this book title, thinking of the phrase as well as the title of a Tom Clancy novel and its theatrical adaptation? I haven't read the book or seen the film (might when I think of it), but I think I can say for certain there's no connection.

In "A Clear and Present Word: The Clarity of Scripture" Mark Thompson presents a doctrine that I never had heard of before by name but have held to and agree with the author concerning its importance. The clarity of Scripture means that, in spite of figurative language and differing interpretations, a born-again believer can understand what Scripture means, as opposed to being dependent on an authority telling you what it means and expecting you to accept them as the final word.

This book is part of the New Studies in Biblical Theology by Intervarsity Press. I have heard "Biblical Theology" to refer to both studying what each book/human author teaches regarding a specific doctrine and to looking at the overarching story-line of God's Redemption from Genesis to Revelation. (In either case, it's in contrast to Systematic Theology, where you focus on the doctrine and how it appears in Scripture.) The books in this series takes the former approach. 

However, I can argue if this fits the pattern. The first chapter looks at objections to the concept of Biblical clarity, both historic (particularly the Catholic/Protestant divide at the Reformation) and contemporary (via the Post-modern movement). Chapter 2 looks at God communicating with man. If you skip a chapter, chapter 4 takes a needed look at the field of hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation), while the fifth and final chapter looks at two Reformation era debates (Luther vs. Erasmus, Bellarmino vs. Whitaker) before dealing with the current application of this. Biblical Theology is primarily evident in the third chapter, particularly focusing on Jesus' and the Apostles' view of the clarity of Scripture in the old Testament.

These books in this series tend to be academic, and I'll confess I find myself skimming through some of the volumes. Not this one. This was worth the careful plodding. The result is that my views have been confirmed about the clarity of Scripture, and I highly recommend it.

'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #3 - "CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD" BY J. GARY MILLAR

I've had the honor of reading several good books on prayer, including "Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church" by John Onwuchekwa. That book recommended "Calling on the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer" by J. Gary Millar, which I'm recommending as summer reading.

"Calling on the Name of the Lord" is the first book I've read of the "New Studies in Biblical Theology" series. You may be familiar with the term "Systematic Theology," which is looking at what the Bible says about a certain topic. "Biblical Theology" looks at each book of the Bible in order, and then from there concludes what the whole teaching on the topic is.

Millar's premise is that prayer is first mentioned in Genesis 4:26, which tells us that when Enosh the son of Seth was born, men began to call on the name of the Lord. Thus, praying and calling on the name of prayer were synonymous, and develops that thesis through Scripture, ending with how we can apply this to our lives.
 

BOOK REVIEW - "IDENTITY AND IDOLATRY: THE IMAGE OF GOD AND ITS INVERSION" (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY)

 What should we consider the source of our identity either as a human being or as a believer? And why do we end up falling into idolatry?

In "Identity and Idolatry: The Image of God and its Inversion," Richard Lints gives an interesting persective in this book. With all the emphasis on our individual identity (e.g. race, gender, etc.) I expected this to be a critique of this mindset and pointing out that image seeking could be rooted in idolatry. Nope. He goes back to the beginning (Genesis 1), and investigates what is meant when the Bible teaches mankind is made in the image of God. He then goes to how humans have rejected worship of God and have created idols, such as when a month after Israel heard the voice of God give them the Ten Commandments, they ask Aaron to make a golden calf, and then declared that statue was the God who delivered them.

Lints also looks at how Christianity attacked idolatry, and then how Enlightenment Philosohers like Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche use the arguments Christians employed to discredit idols to discredit Christianity (and religion as a whole).

Definitely a though provoking book. I recommend it and also the New Studies in Biblical Theology series "Identity and Idolatry" is a part of.

BOOK REVIEW - "CHRIST, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS: PAUL'S THEOLOGY OF JUSTIFICATION" BY MARK A. SEIFRID

 

This is a great book looking at Paul's teaching on Christ, and of Him being our righteousness. It starts off giving an overview of Paul's life in Acts before moving to justification by faith, first through Romans, then looking at Paul's other letters, and finally analyzing how the other NT authors dealt with the subject.

One thought really moved me: That God not only justifies the ungodly, but that He ONLY justifies the ungodly. None of us can justify ourselves.

Another reviewer was disappointed that Seifrid didn't deal much with the New Perspectives of Paul (NPP). I also picked up that he focused more on the letters that all considered were by Paul and less space on those some don't believe were written by Paul (Ephesians, Colossians, the Pastoral Epistles, and Philemon). Unlike the above mentioned reviewer, I had no problem with those issues not being dealt with: The focus was what Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote in his letters about Christ being our righteousness.

I thoroughly enjoy the New Studies in Biblical Theology series that this book is a part of. It also is uplifting to read about justification. I recommend both this book and the series.

BOOK REVIEW - "NOW AND NOT YET: THEOLOGY AND MISSION IN EZRA-NEHEMIAH" (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY) BY DEAN ULRICH

 

Is God's Kingdom on earth a reality of the present or a promise of the future? Yes.

Dean Ulrich looks into Ezra-Nehemiah and gives an excellent commentary on that book (or is it two? We normally divide it into two books, but it is just one book in the Jewish OT). His focus is that the post-exilic period shows both the Promise of the restored kingdom and the fact that things still aren't perfect. For example, Nehemiah 12 deals with the victorious celebration of the completion of the wall. However, it is followed by chapter 13, which deals with the various problems Nehemiah was dealing with.

I highly recommend this book.

BOOK REVIEW - HEARING GOD'S WORDS: EXPLORING BIBLICAL SPIRITUALITY (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLGY) BY PETER ADAM

What does spirituality in Christianity look like? Is it primarily emotional, or is it more rational? Is it expressed in making pilgrimages or celebrating certain days?

Peter Adam's Hearing God's Words: Exploring Biblical Spirituality looks at how spirituality is shown in a brief study of 13 Biblical books (Genesis, Deuteronomy, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Jeremiah, Luke, Romans, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 Peter, 1 John, and Revelation), as well as dealing with historical approaches, such as Calvin's Theology of Revelation and the Puritan/Quaker debate on whether God speaks through the Bible or through the Spirit.

As an artist and novelist, I found chapter 5 interesting as it looks at various issues. Adam provides a defense for those who believe that paintings/statues of Christ are a violation of the 2nd Commandment, and that there is no New Testament instance of holy days for the Church or holy places. I'm not sure I completely agree, and I might reread this book to deal with the issue better. For example, one of my favorite novels ("An Unholy Communion," Monastery Murders book 3, by Donna Fletcher Crow) dealt with a pilgrimage; for me, the interest is not so much the destination as the travel with fellow believers.

If you want a book that looks at Spirituality and that may challenge your presuppositions, I highly recommend this book. After all, we DO need our assumptions challenged every now and then.

 

BOOK REVIEW - SALVATION TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF MISSION (2ND EDITION) BY ANDREAS KOSTENBERGER AND T. DESMOND ALEXANDER

 

 Does the Old Testament contain the concept of mission, and if so, is it the same or different than the New Testament's? How does Paul's view differ from Peter's and John's?

As far as I know, only one book of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series has two editions and two different numbers in the series. This one is Andreas Kostenberger's Salvation to the Ends of the Earth. (The original is book #11, this is #53.) I have not seen the first edition, but the intro points out that T. Desmond Alexander added a section on the Old Testament. 

Kostenberger divides the views of the New Testament into four groups. One would expect one of the groups to be the four Gospels, but no - each group includes one of the Gospels together. He combines the writings of John in one section and combines Matthew with the Jewish mindset of the epistles of James and to the Hebrews. Mark is linked with Peter and Jude, and you might want to bring a lunch when you tackle the 100 page chapter focused on Luke, Acts, and the epistles of Paul.

This is a very insightful book, pointing how there is a unified message through Scripture of God's desire to save the lost through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As the others I've read in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series, I recommend this volume.

BOOK REVIEW - CHANGED INTO HIS LIKENESS: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION, BY J. GARY MILLAR

 

Why does it seem hard to make lasting change in our lives for the better? Is it impossible, or does it take, for lack of a better term, an act of God?

J. Gary Millar does an excellent job of dealing with the issue of personal transformation and what the Bible teaches on the subject in his book "Changed Into His Image: A Biblical Theology of Personal Transformation." He starts off with our desire for transformation but various reasons why we're not capable of it, including the influence psychology, neuroscience, quantum physics, and philosophical considerations.

He then goes into the Old Testament, pointing out that while there's a promise of transformation, there aren't any true examples. In the New Testament, Millar focuses on the Gospel and the Holy Spirit being the source of empowerment to be able to live a transformed life.

This is the sixth book of the New Studies on Biblical Theology series, and the second one penned by J. Gary Millar, both of which are among my favorites. I highly recommend this book.

You may realize that today is Maunday Thursday. Personal transformation is possible because Christ died for us, rose again, and sent His Spirit into those who put their trust in Him.

BOOK REVIEW - INCLUDING THE STRANGER: FOREIGNERS IN THE EARLY PROPHETS

 Is Yahweh, the God of the Bible, a vengeful, violent despot who despises the majority of mankind? Or is inclusion or exclusion of individuals based not on ethnicity but on whether they follow and submit to Yahweh?

David Firth deals with this issue in Including The Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets, part of the New Studies In Biblical Theology series.  His view is that foreigners who are obedient to Yahweh are included with His people, such as Rahab, the Gibeonites, and Namaan (and theorizes that Caleb the son of Jephuneh, the Kenazite, was not Jewish). Likewise,  Israelites who are disobedient are treated as foreigners (e.g. Achan) and sometimes Israelites are treated like foreigners by fellow-Israelites (such as the virgin girls kidnapped by the Benjaminites).

Some may wonder what is meant by "The Former Prophets." The OT canon we normally use are divided into the Law, the Historical Books, the Poetic Books, and the Prophetic books, sub-divided by the major and minor prophets (designated not by importance but by book length). However, the Jewish canon divides those same books into the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (often referred to as Psalms, which is the first book of that section), with the Prophets divided by Early prophets and later prophets. The Early Prophets include Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (the Jews did not divide the books of Samuel and Kings).

This is the seventh book I've read in this series. Some books are ones that inspire me; others are ones that leave me more knowledgeable on the subject dealt with. Personally, I would consider this one of the latter. I feel richer intellectually for reading this, but it hasn't really effected my daily life like some of the others did.

 

BOOK REVIEW - THE BOOK OF ISAIAH AND GOD'S KINGDOM: A THEMATIC-THEOLOGICAL APPROACH BY ANDREW ABERNATHY

What should we expect when the Kingdom of God comes on earth? How does the Old Testament promises of a Davidic King and a theocracy relate to the New Testament?

The Book of Isaiah and God's Kingdom by Andrew Abernathy is the fifth book I've read in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. This is a great intellectual book dealing with the subject, but I found it a stimulating challenge to keep up with the flow. 

One major issue in looking at Isaiah as a whole is the debate on how many Isaiahs wrote the book of Isaiah. As is usual in this series, Abernathy acknowledges the difference of opinion without alienating any of the options. 

The main point of the book is that God is the King of the earth, presented with different emphases in three sections of Isaiah (1-39, 40-55, and 56-66). While the focus is on Isaiah, Abernathy also deals with how the text fits with the rest of the Canon.

If you're ready to wrestle with deep waters of theological thinking, this book is what you're looking for.

BOOK REVIEW - THANKSGIVING: AN INVESTIGATION OF A PAULINE THEME BY DAVID W. PAO

 

Have you noticed how often the Apostle Paul refers to thanksgiving in his epistles? How does this frequent theme reflect on his theology? How is Paul's thought influenced by the Old Testament, Jewish tradition, and Greco-Roman culture?

This is the 4th book I've read in the New Studies in Biblical Theology, and thus far it's my favorite. There are 57 books in this series, written by different authors.

The other three I've read usually take a chronological look at Scripture developing the book's theme, and in the final chapter the author offers practical applications. This book takes a different approach. It breaks the theme into the past, the present, and the future, and in each section looks at the foundation in the Old Testament before examining the subject in Paul's writing.

The author assumes that the Scripture gives the application. Instead of closing the book with how to carry the ideas out, he has a chapter on the positive, upbuilding topic of ingratitude, and has an appendix comparing Paul's theology to the Greco-Roman patronage model.

I did find this book uplifting, and my hunch is that this will be the first book of the series I'll reread.

BOOK REVIEW - CONTAGIOUS HOLINESS: JESUS' MEALS WITH SINNERS BY CRAIG L. BLOMBERG

 

When Jesus ate with "tax-collectors and sinners," was it for the purpose of repentance? Did the meals fit a more traditional Jewish setting, or were they more patterned after the pagan Sypnosium of the Greco-Roman culture?

In "Contagious Holiness: Jesus' Meals with Sinners," author Craig Blomberg takes a look at meals during the Biblical era. First, he mentions two areas of debate:
1. Were the meals more after the Jewish tradition with the participants sitting at the table, or did it reflect influence by the Greeks and Romans, where those around at the table reclined with discussion, a lot of drinking, and usually some entertainment (often sexual)?
2. Were the "sinners" Jesus ate with the immoral, without Jesus offering any condemnation, or was it more those seen as impure by the Jewish Society with the goal of leading them to repentance?

Blomberg then launches into a study looking at meal customs through the Old Testament, extra-Biblical books including the Deutero-Canonical Books (also known as the Apocrypha) and the customs of the world, both Jewish and the conquering Greeks and Romans. He follows this up by analyzing Jesus meals in the Gospels, including the dinner with Matthew/Levi and his friends and his invitations by Pharisees, dividing it between the accounts exclusive to Luke and those that aren't.

This is the third book I've read from the New Studies in Biblical Theology series, and in each case, the conclusion and application segment is the best part of the book, as it gives practical ideas to live out what is learned. In this case, the encouragement is for Christians to invite people different from us (including unbelievers) for the purpose of getting to know them and be a witness to them. It gives several examples how this is done around the world, such as a Denver church called Scum of the Earth.

I do have a minor quibble. The author holds to the Priority of Mark (meaning Mark was the first Gospel written and along with an unfound quotation source called Q - no connection to Star Trek the Next Generation). In comparing the accounts of the Feeding of the 4,000 in Matthew and Mark, he commented that the order was different enough that he considers Matthew relying on oral tradition. Now wait a minute! Where was Matthew during this event? Wouldn't he have been there in the flesh with the other eleven and maybe other followers like Mathias? Couldn't Matthew's version be an eyewitness account? Okay, I'll get off my soapbox.

This book (and this series) is aimed at intellectuals, but it is easy to read and helps one understand the issue. I recommend this book (and again, the series).

BOOK REVIEW - FROM EVERY PEOPLE AND NATION: A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF RACE, BY J. DANIEL HAYS

Do the people in Scripture look like they do in the paintings of European artists? How much racial diversity is there in the Bible?

The main title, "From Every People and Nation" makes one think of the promise in Revelation that God will gather people from all languages and ethnicities around the world. The subtitle, "A Biblical Theology of Race" reveals the focus on race, aimed at the divide between black and white in American Christianity.

Author J. Daniel Hays points out the importance of the Cushites (also known as Ethiopians) throughout Scripture, going from Genesis to Revelation looking both at the mention of black Africans as well as the teachings on unity of God's people throughout the Bible. In addition, he deals with how commentators through the ages ignore the importance of the Cushites and often consider them slaves when the Biblical text doesn't state that.

This is the second book I've read in the series "New Studies in Biblical Theology", and I am hooked. I highly recommend this book, especially to confront some of the prejudice and racist interpretations of Scripture. For example, he makes it clear the Bible does not condemn inter-racial marriage - the only prohibitions deal with faith and religion, not on ethnicity.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2022

Courtesy of Enclave Publishing

 

Okay, I've spent a few days looking back at 2021. What am I looking forward to the next year?

First off, since I'm a writer and do a lot of writing, I'll start off with what I'm looking forward to reading. As I did last year, I'll set the goal of reading one non-fiction and two fiction books a month.  

As far as non-fiction, I have a few on deck. Last year, I read three 9-Marks: Building A Healthy Church books, and I'm considering reading four more. I also discovered "New Studies in Biblical Theology," and I'm planning on reading more (though I'm not planning on reading all in the series, which is at 52 last time I checked). Plus, I might reread some books such as Discipled Warriors by Chuck Lawless and Superheroes Can't Save You by Todd Miles.

On the fiction end - am I through with my reading a lot of Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense? Probably not next year. I read 9 in '19 (only 3 before that), 11 in '20, and 18 in '21; I've got 21 on my docket for next year. Nancy Mehl and Donna Fletcher Crow are tied for second on my most-read-novelist list with 16 each, and the competition will occur next year, and there's an Agatha Christie book I plan to read, slightly increasing her lead at 23. Kerry Nietz has a couple of books I'm planning to read as well, and the long awaited third installment of Janet Sketchley's Green Dory Inn is due out. Of course, I'm hoping for something new by favorite authors like Randy Singer, John Otte, Julianna Deering, J.P. Leck, J.M. Hackman, and Allistair MacLean. (Okay, I don't expect a new MacLean book.)

Three of my favorite interviews this year were with Angie Leyda of Always 1 Ministries, which hosts the Kingdom Come and Pitt Fest music festivals Becca Sugg of the band Reclaim The Day, and Devin Cunningham.  Hopefully, I can get to one of those two festivals this year and be blessed with a RTD concert either at the festival or elsewhere. There's also the Indiana Gospel Music Festival which is different stylistically, where I can hear Cunningham again. Finally, I'm looking forward to judging NCFCA speech/debate contests, and hopefully live this year.

Finally, Becky and I are talking about various ministry opportunities we can get involved with, and I'm planning on taking the next step with what seems like the never ending road to publication. 

The one thing I haven't talked about are this blog. This will be the topic for New Year's Eve, which is also known as tomorrow. 

How about you? What do you plan to read this year? Is there anything on your to do list?

BOOK REVIEW: CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD BY J. GARY MILLAR

In "Calling on the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer", J. Gary Millar accomplishes what he promises, giving a thorough look at what the Bible says about prayer.

What is Biblical Theology? I've heard it used two different ways. I read 9Marks book Bibilcal Theology where the emphasis is on the flow of the Bible's metanarrative (i.e. big picture). When I first heard that phrase, though, I was given the impression it meant looking at how a specific theme is developed within a book and by the author, as opposed to Systematic Theology which focuses on what the Bible as a whole says about the subject. This book takes the latter approach.

Millar focuses on what he considers the first mention of prayer, when people began to call on the name of the Lord. He then goes through each book of Scripture to see how that theme is developed. He uses the Hebrew book order as he works his way through Scripture, focusing on how each Biblical author contributes to the picture of prayer. The author then adds an afterword, analyzing how the contemporary church is doing (or not doing) as far as prayer and making suggestions.

I'll admit that I'm more used to books written for a theologically conservative audience. Millar frequently mentions various discussions on authorship, and more often than not, he points out that the debates have no affect on his thesis. While I consider those issues important, I see Millar's goal is to paint the important issue he's focusing on broad where he keeps his audience large.

His approach can be tiring to read, and Millar's writing style helps keep you focused.

This book is the thirty-eighth volume in the collection New Studies in Biblical Theology. This is the first one I've read of this collection, but it is not going to be the last.