John Goldingay’s Theology of the Book of Isaiah: An Appreciative Response

Abstract

This review of John Goldingay’s Theology of the Book of Isaiah, presented in the light of Goldingay’s fruitful engagements with Pentecostal scholars for many years, affirms its deft handling of the richness and complexities of Isaiah’s thought in a way that is highly accessible and refreshingly creative. Particular note is taken of Goldingay’s skillful way of laying out the theological themes of the book of Isaiah in relation to its structural features, both in its parts and in its entirety, and also to the author’s effective rhetorical tactic of drawing out the newness of Isaiah’s key theological terms by rendering and elaborating them in entirely fresh ways. The review points to two areas that might have been given more attention in Goldingay’s work as key embodiments of Isaiah’s theology: the historical narratives in Isaiah that focus on Ahaz and Hezekiah, respectively, and the theme of the raising up of children.