Old Testament

Trying Abraham

Abraham is closest to God when, in Kierkegaard’s phrase, he goes “no farther than faith”—when he simply, merely, obeys the command. Continue Reading »

29 Nov 2019

The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary by robert alter norton, 3500 pages, $125 In 1582, Catholic scholars in exile at Rheims published an English version of the New Testament prefaced by a lengthy explanation and defence of their rendering, which, they said, accorded with the rule of . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Aug 2019

Marcion on the Elbe

by Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger

Accusations of anti-Judaism are flying in Germany. In a 2013 essay, “Die Kirche und das Alte Testament” (The Church and the Old Testament), Notger Slenczka, a Protestant theologian at the Humboldt University of Berlin, argued that the Old Testament “should not have canonical validity in the . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Dec 2018

Leviticus and the Times

by Robert A. J. Gagnon

The speculations of Dershowitz should have little relevance. Continue Reading »

1 Aug 2018

Did Joseph Forgive His Brothers?

by Shalom Carmy

We still claim to think well of forgiveness, but it has in fact very nearly lost its moral weight by having been translated into an act of random kindness whose chief value lies in the sense of personal release it gives us.” So writes Wilfred McClay in a recent essay, “The Strange Persistence of . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Aug 2018

Andy Stanley’s Modern Marcionism

by Wesley Hill

According to Evangelical pastor Andy Stanley, Christians should “unhitch” the Old Testament from their faith. Continue Reading »

11 May 2018

David as Politician

by Francesca Aran Murphy

The Beginning of Politics: Power in the Biblical Book of Samuelby moshe halbertal and stephen holmesprinceton, 232 pages, $27.95 Jews and Christians ought to be proud of having a Bible that contains pro-God and anti-God material. Not many religions can boast of sacred scriptures that provide support . . . . Continue Reading »

1 May 2018

Observe His Prayer

by Shalom Carmy

At the outset of Moby Dick, Father Mapple preaches to a congregation of whalers. His text is the Book of Jonah, and it stands out as one of the most enjoyable fictional sermons of all time. After God has assigned him the task of preaching repentance to the city of Nineveh, Jonah flees “with . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Aug 2017