The God of the Old Testament: Encountering the Divine in Christian Scripture by R. W. L. Moberly

Abstract

Reviewed by: The God of the Old Testament: Encountering the Divine in Christian Scripture by R. W. L. Moberly Catherine Petrany r. w. l. moberly, The God of the Old Testament: Encountering the Divine in Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2020). Pp. xiv + 333. $34.99. This book comprises extended versions of the Hulsean Lectures that R. W. L. Moberly delivered at Cambridge University in the 2019–2020 academic year. Those familiar with M.'s rich body of work will recognize here the hallmarks of his theological approach, developed in previous books such as Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013). As in that volume, M. here eschews any claims to a systematic biblical theology in favor of localized interpretations of "significant and representative" texts attached to broader theological themes (p. 2). Overall, M.'s approach straddles the boundary between theological ambition and interpretive restraint. His introduction begins with the statement that "[t]his is a book about God," but he qualifies this intention by clarifying his aim to draw out "aspects" of a "grammar" of God (p. 1). In other words, M. wants to articulate what it means for contemporary Christians to respond in word and practice to the sacred texts of ancient Israel, guided by the imperative of Ps 100:3, namely, to "Know that the Lord is God." Hermeneutically astute, M. presents his claims as text-based and partial, set within living contexts that constantly change. As in his other works, M. here shows a particular sensitivity to Jewish–Christian dialogue, evident in his rich interactions with Jewish scholars as well as in his claim that his exegesis is not "the way" but "a way" (p. 3; emphasis original). In all this, one can sense M. deftly, but perhaps also guardedly, tiptoeing around the well-established potholes of any "biblical theology" project, while also affirming his commitment to make qualified claims about the theological implications of these texts as Christian Scripture. The six chapters of the book are arranged neither chronologically nor canonically, but rather in a sequence that seems personally intuitive to M. The topics are as follows: (1) "The Wise God" (Proverbs 8); (2) "The Mysterious God" (Exodus 3); (3) "The Just God" (Psalm 82); (4) "The Inscrutable God" (Genesis 4); (5) "The Only God" (2 Kings 5); and (6) "The Trustworthy God" (Psalm 46; Jeremiah 7; Micah 3). Each chapter begins with a captivating and thematically relevant scene, drawn from contexts as varied as the Parisian storm that transformed Blaise Pascal's life (chap. 2) to the contemporary television show Homeland (chap. 3). A close reading of the selected text follows and is variously supplemented with traditional Jewish and Christian interpretations, modern readings of the text or theological issue at stake, and hermeneutical reflections. M. thus weaves together disparate strands of history and interpretive tradition, with contemporary voices both religious and secular, to [End Page 117] create illuminating readings of these texts, some well loved (e.g., Exodus 3) and others perhaps less familiar to nonspecialists (e.g., Psalm 46). This does lead to chapters that, at times, seem a bit uneven. M.'s approach is highly selective not only in his choice of texts but also in his engagement with past and present voices. For example, in his reading of the history of interpretation of Exod 3:14, M. briefly looks at its iterations in the LXX, the NT, and Hilary of Poitiers's De Trinitate. In his reading of Psalm 82, his historical interlocutors include John Calvin, Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, and Robert Bellarmine. While M. acknowledges this selectivity, it is not always clear why this or that voice is heard except that M. himself finds it compelling. Perhaps this is reason enough! Certain omissions, however, such as the lack of any sustained interaction with feminist interpreters, might be a barrier for some readers. Two standout and loosely connected chapters engage the related themes of divine justice (chap. 3) and divine "inscrutability" (chap. 4). M.'s choice of the enigmatic Psalm 82 over more obvious prophetic or legal texts to raise questions of divine justice elevates his discussion. M. sees in the psalm...