John
Anderson and I are reading the same trilogy: John Goldingay’s Old
Testament Theology. In this post, I take preliminary stock of all three volumes.
IVP Academic is to be thanked for bringing
such a massive opus to print in sturdy hardbound volumes. The font size and
paper color are easy on the eyes. Besides the 883 + 834 + 839 pages of text with
user-friendly footnotes, there are extensive bibliographies, and subject, author,
and scripture indices. The contrast with the editorial choices made by
Westminster John Knox Press, for example, in the case of a comparable volume, Leo
Purdue’s Wisdom Literature: A Theological History (Louisville: Westminster
John Knox Press, 2007), could not be sharper. Purdue’s excellent volume is a
paperback printed on inferior paper. The font size used is smaller;
endnotes rather than footnotes are provided, a great inconvenience; and there are no indices of any kind. None.
There ought to be a law.
When reading a work of scholarship, I like to
begin with footnotes and indices. Who is the author interacting with, and at
what level of detail? Goldingay's trilogy is a work of Old Testament Theology. Let me make a
brief confession. I am convinced that important advances in Christian theology
will take place when the New Testament and Christian theology are rethought in
Old Testament terms. Better still, in Jewish terms. Until Christian scholars of
both the Old and New Testaments learn to fully engage with the Jewish
tradition, I’m not convinced much good will come from rehashing old questions in
blissful disregard of that tradition of interpretation.
Therefore I am happy to see how much
attention Goldingay gives to interacting with the work of Jewish theologians
such as Abraham Heschel, Jon Levenson, Judith Plaskow, and Michael Wyschogrod, plus
exegetes like Jacob Milgrom, Baruch Levine, and Sara Japhet. This is a huge step
forward. By no means enough in my view, but better than any competitor I can
think of, except perhaps for Paul van Buren in the realm of systematic
theology, an author Goldingay also, and gratefully, takes very seriously. Another
massive step in the right direction.
UPDATE: Duane Smith is more forthright than I
am about the evils of endnotes. He is spot on. Go here.
Bibliography
John Goldingay, Old Testament Theology. Volume
One: Israel’s Gospel (Downers Grove: IVP Academic; London: Paternoster,
2003); idem, Old Testament Theology. Volume Two: Israel’s Faith (Downers
Grove: IVP Academic; London: Paternoster, 2006); idem, Old Testament
Theology. Volume Three: Israel’s Life (Downers Grove: IVP Academic; London:
Paternoster, 2009)
Don't you find they've been bound far too tightly for comfortable reading?
Posted by: Puissant reader | January 05, 2010 at 04:19 PM
Yes, I find I have to "crack" the volumes a few times before they sit properly. A lot of hardbound volumes printed in the US have this inconvenience.
In my experience, the best books from this standpoint are printed in Germany. Of course they are also quite expensive.
Posted by: JohnFH | January 05, 2010 at 05:29 PM
You are obviously reading these far more quickly than I! I am, however, enjoying reading them.
Posted by: John Anderson | January 05, 2010 at 07:51 PM
They really are an amazing read. Here I thought I had the theology of the texts figured out, and then Goldingay comes along and reopens one can of worms after another. I am immensely grateful.
Posted by: JohnFH | January 05, 2010 at 08:38 PM
Having taken a number of John Goldingay's courses at Fuller, I can say I am very grateful for this man's scholarship.
Posted by: Jenelle | January 06, 2010 at 04:22 AM
Thanks for chiming in, Jenelle. A blessing indeed to have someone like Goldingay as a prof.
Posted by: JohnFH | January 06, 2010 at 08:11 AM