An Introduction to the Old Testament

by Tremper Longman, Tremper Longman III

Several distinctives set this volume apart from other introductions to the Old - It is thoroughly evangelical in its perspective. - It emphasizes 'special introduction' -- the study of individual books. -It interacts in an irenic spirit with the historical-critical method. - It features high points of research history and representative scholars rather than an exhaustive treatment of past scholarship. - It deals with the meaning of each book, not in isolation but in a canonical context. - It probes the meaning of each book in the setting of its culture. With an eye on understanding the nature of the Old Testament historiography, An Introduction to the Old Testament offers the reader a solid understanding of three key historical background, literary analysis, and theological message.

Genres: Theology, Old Testament, Reference, Religion, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction

480 pages, Hardcover

First published December 22, 1994

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started this a long time ago and have whittled away at it over the years as I've studied or preached through Old Testament books. I've now finished it - and what an excellent book it is! From its survey of critical scholarship, its defense of moderately conservative evangelical positions, and its lucid overviews of historical issues to its balanced use of hermeneutical tools, its sensitivity to literary analysis and inter-canonical themes, and its insightful sections on "Approaching the New Testament," this book is a goldmine.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was much pleased when I bought this intro to the Old Testament. In short, Dillard and Longman have done the church and teh believing community a great service by providing a scholarly and evangelical introduction that is not afraid to tackle the hard questions of the Bible.

They divide each section of the introduction into Historical/literary/Theological message/Approaching the New Testament. As to one reviewer commenting that this is very biased, I actually think that this was quite objective. Longman analyzes the prevailing critics presuppositions and then provides a logical counterpart. And also, they are (while remaining robustly evangelical) more balanced in their conclusion than other evangelical scholars (cf. Gleason Archer for a passionate, well written, if a little biased example).

In my eyes, this books greatest strengths were its incorporating the theological message and approaching the New Testament into each book. The Bible then comes alive. Its weakness is similar to many other scholarly works, it could get overly teachnical at times. Overall, a well organized intro. Interestingly, this is much better than its New Testament counterpart. That said, I prefer Archer's Introductory Survey.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights. I especially liked the sections on the Theological Message and Link to the new testament. A little thick in some sections, but overall a nice supporting tool for teaching a lower level OT survey class.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not the most easily readable book on the Old Testament. Each book has its own chapter with a brief rundown of the book and how it applies to the Gospel. That is the best part. It reads very much like a textbook. While very informative, it’s not for light reading.

[Grace (alatteofliterature) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great supplement to Bible reading that provides historical context and other insights on a book-by-book basis.

[Patrick Couch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the OT books is reviewed in the same manner, giving background material that helps the Christian understand the issues the book presents to the church and to theological studies. Particularly useful are the (very) brief sections relating the OT book to the NT.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't agree with everything in here, but it really is an amazing introduction to the Old Testament. Provides a great foundation for digging further.

[Bauer Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the books of the Old Testament. A useful resource for church leaders and church members alike, wishing to delve more deeply into the pages of their bibles.