The Writings

Abstract

The Writings Fred W. Guyette, Richard A. Taylor, Joel M. LeMon, Thomas Hieke, and Christopher T. Begg Fred W. Guyette Erskine College and Seminary Richard A. Taylor Dallas Theological Seminary Joel M. LeMon Chandler School of Theology, Emory University Thomas Hieke Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz Christopher T. Begg Catholic University of America 868. [The Writings] Jonathan Teram, Illuminating Counsel: How the Least Holy Books of the Hebrew Bible Explore Life's Most Important Issues (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2021). Pp. x + 329. $30. ISBN 9781532672453. This is a study of eleven books of the Hebrew Bible, known collectively as the Ketuvim, or "Writings." Christians value the Hebrew Bible as Holy Scripture, but they tend to overlook these books, perhaps because they seem to be "less holy" than the books of the NT. Nevertheless, these books can be redemptive and life-changing. Their poetry and prose cover many emotions, many forms of behavior. Each book offers a unique response to human suffering—and often they seem to be engaged in an intertextual debate with each other. Psalms responds to suffering through prayer. Proverbs seeks to prevent suffering by teaching the virtue of wisdom. Job's ultimate response to suffering is humility before God. There is much suffering in Ruth and the proper response is kindness, which is portrayed in many dimensions. In the Song of Songs, the response to suffering is romantic love, though to be sure, lovers suffer, too. In Ecclesiastes, we read about a life-long dialogue between suffering and joy. Lamentations shows us how to lift up our deepest losses and sorrows to God. Esther responds to the suffering of her people by becoming a courageous advocate for them, even though it means putting her own life at risk. In the face of persecution and suffering, Daniel remains a faithful witness to God. Ezra and Nehemiah show the importance of being persistent and to keep working with a community that is trying to rebuild itself after many years of exile in a foreign land. And finally, how does Chronicles respond to suffering? By weaving Psalms, Wisdom, and Torah into a vision of worship in God's presence.—F.W.G. Google Scholar 869. [Job and the Mission of God] Tim J. Davy, The Book of Job and the Mission of God: A Missional Reading, with a foreword by J. Gordon McConville (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2020). Pp. xviii + 239. Paper $31. ISBN 978-1-4982-9739-4. This volume is a revised Ph.D. thesis completed at the University of Gloucestershire under the supervision of J. Gordon McConville and Alison Lo. D. seeks to apply a missional hermeneutic to the Book of Job in order to understand Job in light of the missional nature (or the missio Dei) of the whole of Scripture. After evaluating the use (or non-use) of the Book of Job in biblical and missional scholarship, D. sets forth his missional approach to Job, building on earlier contributions to missional hermeneutics scholarship. He then applies this missional hermeneutic to the Book of Job, giving attention to three aspects. First, in chap. 4 he develops what he calls "the universalizing impulse" in Job, showing that the Book of Job reflects universal concerns and purposes consistent with the larger biblical emphasis on the missio Dei. Here he focuses on the non-Israelite element in Job and the question asked by the Satan, "Is it for nothing (ḥinnām) that Job fears God?" (Job 1:9b). Second, in chap. 5 D. discusses missional encounter with other cultures in the Book of Job with reference to six ANE texts that have similarities to the Book of Job: (1) Dispute over Suicide/Dispute of a Man with His "Ba"; (2) Protests of the Eloquent Peasant; (3) the Sumerian poem Man and His God; (4) Dialogue between a Man and His God; (5) Poem of the Righteous Sufferer/The Babylonian Job/I Will Praise the Lord of Wisdom (Ludlul bēl nēmeqi); and (6) The Babylonian Theodicy. Third, in chap. 6, D. further develops his missional treatment of Job by examining the book's attitude toward the poor. Three texts receive special attention here...