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J. Richard Middleton

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January 14

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https://jrichardmiddleton.com/

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JRichMiddleton

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J. Richard Middleton (PhD, Free University of Amsterdam) is professor of biblical worldview and exegesis at Northeastern Seminary and adjunct professor of theology at Roberts Wesleyan College, both in Rochester, New York. He authored Abraham's Silence (2021), A New Heaven and a New Earth (2014), The Liberating Image (2005), and coauthored the bestsellers Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be (1995) and The Transforming Vision (1984). Middleton is past president of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2019–2021) and past president of the Canadian-American Theological Association (2011–2014). ...more

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Really loved Abraham's Silence. I started expecting just the Akeidah but your explanation of Job and lament psalms helped explain my feelings of confusion and anger in dealing with tragedy. I liked your inclusion of Jewish scholars and Jewish historical teachings. I've explored some current Rabbis and their thoughts (e.g. Fohrman of Aleph Beta). As a Christian, how "critical" should I be of their teachings? Thanks!

J. Richard Middleton I'm glad the book was helpful. There is no general answer about how critical you should be of any teachings, Jewish or Christian. Truth is to be found…moreI'm glad the book was helpful. There is no general answer about how critical you should be of any teachings, Jewish or Christian. Truth is to be found everywhere. You may notice that while I quote and cite a lot of secondary sources, including Rabbinic teachings, I don't necessarily agree with them. But I find knowing other viewpoints helpful in thinking about my own interpretation. In the case of Rabbi Fohrman of Aleph Beta, I think that his approach to Scripture is similar to my own; he focuses on a literary reading of the text (peshat), while also looking (critically) at the history of tradition for insights.(less)

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What are you currently working on?

J. Richard Middleton Having just finished a book on the Aqedah in Genesis 22 (Abraham's Silence, which will be published later this Fall), my next project is a book with E…moreHaving just finished a book on the Aqedah in Genesis 22 (Abraham's Silence, which will be published later this Fall), my next project is a book with Eerdmans on the power dynamics between the prophet Samuel and the new king Saul in 1 Samuel 1–15. The working title is Portrait of a Disgruntled Prophet: Samuel's Resistance to God and the Undoing of Saul.(less)

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J. Richard Middleton’s books

Average rating: 4.26 · 1,862 ratings · 338 reviews · 14 distinct works • Similar authors

	Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters by Carmen Joy Imes (Goodreads Author), J. Richard Middleton (Goodreads Author) (Foreword) 4.41 avg rating — 760 ratings — published 2023 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology 4.32 avg rating — 364 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View by Brian J. Walsh, J. Richard Middleton (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 235 ratings — published 1984 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Abraham's Silence The Binding of Isaac, the Suffering of Job, and How to Talk Back to God 4.45 avg rating — 180 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 4.16 avg rating — 140 ratings — published 2005 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age by J. Richard Middleton (Goodreads Author), Brian J. Walsh 3.79 avg rating — 136 ratings — published 1995 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Four Views on Heaven by John S. Feinberg, Michael E. Wittmer (Editor), Stanley N. Gundry (Editor) 3.81 avg rating — 111 ratings — published 2021 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Embracing Evolution: How Understanding Science Can Strengthen Your Christian Life by Matthew Nelson Hill, J. Richard Middleton (Goodreads Author) (Foreword) 3.83 avg rating — 12 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Advent of Justice: A Book of Meditations by Brian J. Walsh, J. Richard Middleton (Goodreads Author), Sylvia Keesmaat (Editor) 3.89 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rags of Light: Leonard Cohen and the Landscape of Biblical Imagination by Brian J. Walsh, J. Richard Middleton (Goodreads Author) (foreword) 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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J. Richard Middleton's Blog

How My Rewrite of The Transforming Vision Will Vary from the Original

I am currently doing a total rewrite of the book on a Christian worldview that Brian Walsh and I coauthored, called The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984). The book has found a wide audience in both English and other languages (especially Korean, where it has just about […]

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J. Richard Middleton wrote a new blog post How My Rewrite of The Transforming Vision Will Vary from the Original I am currently doing a total rewrite of the book on a Christian worldview that Brian Walsh and I coauthored, called The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Read more of this blog post »
Aug 05, 2025 06:18AM · like

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Quotes by J. Richard Middleton (?)

“Peter makes clear in an early sermon in Acts. You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, “And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. (Acts 3:25–26) So before Jesus is the savior of the world, he is the savior of Israel, restoring them to their status and role as God’s elect people.”
― J. Richard Middleton, A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology

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“The important point here is that the idea of “heaven” as the eternal hope of the righteous has no structural place in the story. It is simply irrelevant and extraneous to the plot. Heaven was never part of God’s purposes for humanity in the beginning of the story and has no intrinsic role as the final destiny of human salvation.”
― J. Richard Middleton, A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology

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“I believe that the time is ripe for contemporary Christians to engage in serious reflection on the shape of our eschatology. This eschatology must be grounded firmly in the entire biblical story, beginning with God’s original intent for earthly flourishing and culminating in God’s redemptive purpose of restoring earthly life to what it was meant to be—a purpose accomplished through Christ. We especially need to grapple with the robust ethical implications of this biblical eschatology, exploring how a holistic vision of the future can motivate and ground compassionate yet bold redemptive living in God’s world.”
― J. Richard Middleton, A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology

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