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Kingdom Prologue: Genesis Foundations for a Covenantal Worldview
As intimated by the subtitle, Genesis Foundations for a Covenantal Worldview, the immediate literary focus of this study is the book of Genesis and its account of the formative ages in the eschatological movement of the kingdom of God from creation to consummation. As also indicated by the subtitle, our biblical-theological commentary on Genesis is designed to uncover the foundations of God's covenantally administered kingdom with its major historical developments and its institutional structures and functions. In this way Kingdom Prologue seeks to provide an introductory sketch of the overall shape of the biblical worldview and the character of biblical religion.
418 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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About the author
Meredith G. Kline
22 books34 followersMeredith G. Kline was Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He received his B.D. and Th.M. degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) and his Ph.D. degree in Assyriology and Egyptology from Dropsie College. Professor Kline maintained an active writing and teaching ministry, serving on the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California. He was also an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The collection of essays in the recently-published Creator, Redeemer, Consummator, a festschrift written in honor of Dr. Kline, attests to the indelible influence his work has exerted on contemporary biblical and theological scholarship.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 26, 2021
“Magnum opus” is a great description for this book. The definitive work on the book of Genesis for me. Not an easy read, but when you come to understand how Kline writes his writing style becomes pretty endearing.
Will never forget sentences like “it can be seen that the eschatological blessing sanction of the creational covenant, the omega-hope of the covenant, was disclosed from the earliest beginning in the theophanic alpha-original of the human temple-image” 😂
Will never forget sentences like “it can be seen that the eschatological blessing sanction of the creational covenant, the omega-hope of the covenant, was disclosed from the earliest beginning in the theophanic alpha-original of the human temple-image” 😂
June 13, 2025
Exceptionally insightful and difficult to read.
Especially helpful was his discussion on the pre-diluvian altar communities, and what he has to say about altars in the patriarchal period. He is right in his emphasis on holy places in Genesis, and how that has significance throughout the rest of the OT. He's exceptionally insightful about many things, but he also has quite a bit of very debatable exegetical moves.
The most infuriating thing is that he doesn't ever cite his supporters or detractors, and does not often deal with other opposing views in detail. Where are the footnotes? It makes his argument and thematic development of Genesis seem more watertight than it is, and when one encounters opposing views, you also aren't really sure what Kline would say against it, in defense of his own view.
Also, the book's structure makes it seem like Kline thinks there's a sharper distinction pre-flood and post-flood than pre-fall and post-fall, which I assume he doesn't actually believe. So that's a problem. Many of his sections are not perspicuous or intuitive. But his points are made.
Some things just seem too neat and tidy. How much ANE land grant/suzerain-vassal treaties are there? It seems like every passage in Gen. 12 onwards is a suzerain vassal treaty.
Did I say he was super insightful? Deserves 5 stars.
Especially helpful was his discussion on the pre-diluvian altar communities, and what he has to say about altars in the patriarchal period. He is right in his emphasis on holy places in Genesis, and how that has significance throughout the rest of the OT. He's exceptionally insightful about many things, but he also has quite a bit of very debatable exegetical moves.
The most infuriating thing is that he doesn't ever cite his supporters or detractors, and does not often deal with other opposing views in detail. Where are the footnotes? It makes his argument and thematic development of Genesis seem more watertight than it is, and when one encounters opposing views, you also aren't really sure what Kline would say against it, in defense of his own view.
Also, the book's structure makes it seem like Kline thinks there's a sharper distinction pre-flood and post-flood than pre-fall and post-fall, which I assume he doesn't actually believe. So that's a problem. Many of his sections are not perspicuous or intuitive. But his points are made.
Some things just seem too neat and tidy. How much ANE land grant/suzerain-vassal treaties are there? It seems like every passage in Gen. 12 onwards is a suzerain vassal treaty.
Did I say he was super insightful? Deserves 5 stars.
April 20, 2022
It is important to note that while Kline is setting the stage for his controversial “framework theory,” that is not the main point of this argument.
Common Grace
Unlike many popular accounts of common grace, Kline actually works through it. Too often, especially in neo-Kuyperian circles, common grace is used as a mantra to justify what one already likes about the current order. To be fair, Kuyper himself did anchor it in the Noahic Covenant, and Kline will do so as well.
To understand Kline’s view of common grace, we need to see the difference between the Kingdom City (Metapolis) and the City of Man. Megapolis is not exactly the city of man. It is the earthly sphere. Metapolis is the kingdom city. As Kline notes, it has “undergone eschatological metamorphosis at the hands of the Omega-Spirit” (100). It is the temple of God’s presence.
Kline’s account of common grace is far more robust than neo-Kuyperian accounts. He notes that “common grace and common curse are correlative to each other (154). Without a common curse, it is not clear why one would need common grace. I think this is the point Klaas Schilder was trying to make against Abraham Kuyper. Schilder was never clear about it, though. The goal of common grace is to provide an interim for the gospel to work (155).
All of this is good and few Reformed would disagree. Kline takes this fact and expounds a new concept: the common. Everything that is not sacred space is the common. The common opens the door for “holy redemptive history” (156).
Therefore, the non-common, the holy, is “the kingdom-intrusion.” It is the anticipation of the final redemptive judgment (158). This means in our modern civil government “we always have the responsibility, whether dealing with…laws of community life, to distinguish which features of Israelite law were peculiarly theocratic (or typologically symbolic) and which are still normative in our present nontheocratic situation (159).
Not surprisingly, Kline pushes back against Kuyperians and “neo-Dooyeweerdians,” particularly the desire to identify creation in a “monistic fashion with the kingdom of God” (171). Although there are not many Dooyeweerdians today, there is a tendency to desire theocracy of some sort. Far from being a liberal, Kline’s vision of the state is quite conservative, almost libertarian at times. The state “is not redemptive. Accordingly, the state as an institutional embodiment of common grace is not designed to provide ultimate and complete solutions for malfunctioning society” (178).
This means the state has to be “non-confessional” (179). If the state is about justice, not justification, then the point of the state is not religion.
Covenant of Works
The covenant of works safeguards the principle of “do this and live.” This is in sharp contrast with the covenant of grace. Kline’s argument is that muting the works principle in the Adamic covenant creates a continuum between works and grace. Pressed hard enough, the gospel is not seen as purely gracious (108).
Most Reformed would agree with him on this point. Kline’s more controversial move, albeit not without precedent in the Reformed tradition, is applying the words principle on a typological basis to the Mosaic economy of Israel. He is not saying Israel earned eternal life by works. Rather, the works principle of Leviticus 18:5 must obtain. Kline’s argument at the surface level is simple: if the Mosaic economy was purely one of grace, then why did Israel get rejected from the land?
Analysis and Conclusion
I do not think anyone fully agrees with Kline. I do think he is a far more important thinker than many of his critics believe. Some might not like his republication of the covenant of works, but it does have precedent in the Reformed world. Even if one were to finally reject Kline on that point, his analysis forced Reformed people to think more rigorously on the covenant of works, especially in light of the Federal Vision heresy.
His take on common grace might be more difficult. As it stands, this is not the traditional Reformed view on the civil magistrate. That needs to be stated. On the other hand, most NAPARC ministers are not lobbying Congress to reinstate the Solemn League and Covenant. Moreover, I don’t think Reformed theocrats have fully worked out what it means to institute case laws in today’s world. It is not as simple as banning abortion (the outlawing of which is justifiable on natural law grounds). It is not as simple as promoting the sanctity of marriage (also natural law).
The references to natural law, which, surprisingly, Kline does not seem to employ, illustrate why this debate has always been difficult in Reformed circles. It is tempting to identify “neutral” with “common.” Man cannot be neutral before God. Man can live in common areas, though. That is undeniable.
For my own part, if Kline’s position is wedded to a robust natural law ethic, I think it is sustainable. It avoids some of the disasters of antinomianism while avoiding any kind of legalism. Although this is an important book, I do not think it is Kline’s best book. Moreover, this review did not touch on all the rich typological insights. Those insights, if studied carefully, will richly repay one’s study.
Common Grace
Unlike many popular accounts of common grace, Kline actually works through it. Too often, especially in neo-Kuyperian circles, common grace is used as a mantra to justify what one already likes about the current order. To be fair, Kuyper himself did anchor it in the Noahic Covenant, and Kline will do so as well.
To understand Kline’s view of common grace, we need to see the difference between the Kingdom City (Metapolis) and the City of Man. Megapolis is not exactly the city of man. It is the earthly sphere. Metapolis is the kingdom city. As Kline notes, it has “undergone eschatological metamorphosis at the hands of the Omega-Spirit” (100). It is the temple of God’s presence.
Kline’s account of common grace is far more robust than neo-Kuyperian accounts. He notes that “common grace and common curse are correlative to each other (154). Without a common curse, it is not clear why one would need common grace. I think this is the point Klaas Schilder was trying to make against Abraham Kuyper. Schilder was never clear about it, though. The goal of common grace is to provide an interim for the gospel to work (155).
All of this is good and few Reformed would disagree. Kline takes this fact and expounds a new concept: the common. Everything that is not sacred space is the common. The common opens the door for “holy redemptive history” (156).
Therefore, the non-common, the holy, is “the kingdom-intrusion.” It is the anticipation of the final redemptive judgment (158). This means in our modern civil government “we always have the responsibility, whether dealing with…laws of community life, to distinguish which features of Israelite law were peculiarly theocratic (or typologically symbolic) and which are still normative in our present nontheocratic situation (159).
Not surprisingly, Kline pushes back against Kuyperians and “neo-Dooyeweerdians,” particularly the desire to identify creation in a “monistic fashion with the kingdom of God” (171). Although there are not many Dooyeweerdians today, there is a tendency to desire theocracy of some sort. Far from being a liberal, Kline’s vision of the state is quite conservative, almost libertarian at times. The state “is not redemptive. Accordingly, the state as an institutional embodiment of common grace is not designed to provide ultimate and complete solutions for malfunctioning society” (178).
This means the state has to be “non-confessional” (179). If the state is about justice, not justification, then the point of the state is not religion.
Covenant of Works
The covenant of works safeguards the principle of “do this and live.” This is in sharp contrast with the covenant of grace. Kline’s argument is that muting the works principle in the Adamic covenant creates a continuum between works and grace. Pressed hard enough, the gospel is not seen as purely gracious (108).
Most Reformed would agree with him on this point. Kline’s more controversial move, albeit not without precedent in the Reformed tradition, is applying the words principle on a typological basis to the Mosaic economy of Israel. He is not saying Israel earned eternal life by works. Rather, the works principle of Leviticus 18:5 must obtain. Kline’s argument at the surface level is simple: if the Mosaic economy was purely one of grace, then why did Israel get rejected from the land?
Analysis and Conclusion
I do not think anyone fully agrees with Kline. I do think he is a far more important thinker than many of his critics believe. Some might not like his republication of the covenant of works, but it does have precedent in the Reformed world. Even if one were to finally reject Kline on that point, his analysis forced Reformed people to think more rigorously on the covenant of works, especially in light of the Federal Vision heresy.
His take on common grace might be more difficult. As it stands, this is not the traditional Reformed view on the civil magistrate. That needs to be stated. On the other hand, most NAPARC ministers are not lobbying Congress to reinstate the Solemn League and Covenant. Moreover, I don’t think Reformed theocrats have fully worked out what it means to institute case laws in today’s world. It is not as simple as banning abortion (the outlawing of which is justifiable on natural law grounds). It is not as simple as promoting the sanctity of marriage (also natural law).
The references to natural law, which, surprisingly, Kline does not seem to employ, illustrate why this debate has always been difficult in Reformed circles. It is tempting to identify “neutral” with “common.” Man cannot be neutral before God. Man can live in common areas, though. That is undeniable.
For my own part, if Kline’s position is wedded to a robust natural law ethic, I think it is sustainable. It avoids some of the disasters of antinomianism while avoiding any kind of legalism. Although this is an important book, I do not think it is Kline’s best book. Moreover, this review did not touch on all the rich typological insights. Those insights, if studied carefully, will richly repay one’s study.
May 7, 2022
//second read through. Still a great and groundbreaking work. But having read Vos’s BT alongside of Kingdom Prologue this semester, i am thoroughly convinced Vos is the Biblical-Theologian par excellence, and the superior exegete of the two. Kline is very much worthwhile (especially Images of the Spirit), but Vos is THE man.
March 9, 2022
A true tour de force. Absolutely fascinating content - I especially found Section B of Part I interesting (mostly dealing with Noah). Lots of connections that aren't talked about often or at all, literary style and structure information, outline of "worlds" (the world that then was versus the world that now is), Christological typology, etc.
Unfortunately, this is basically lecture notes compiled by a man who may have been a great teacher but is a nearly unreadable writer. (He seriously doesn't know what the active voice is...) To make reading easier, read Kline's Images of the Spirit first as it is heavily reviewed and expanded on in Section A of Part I. And don't bother attempting to read unless you already have a pretty good grasp of the inside baseball of covenant theology.
Unfortunately, this is basically lecture notes compiled by a man who may have been a great teacher but is a nearly unreadable writer. (He seriously doesn't know what the active voice is...) To make reading easier, read Kline's Images of the Spirit first as it is heavily reviewed and expanded on in Section A of Part I. And don't bother attempting to read unless you already have a pretty good grasp of the inside baseball of covenant theology.
September 2, 2018
It's an understatement to say that Meredith Kline's Kingdom Prologue is a work of immeasurably fantastic biblical theology and exegesis in the Reformed tradition. Kline's ANE scholarship andPrincetonian biblical theology culminate in a biblical theological walkthrough of Genesis worthy of being re-read for years to come.
August 20, 2024
It was my first-time reading Kline and I had to get accustomed to his writing style and unique expressions, but once I had, I found him much pleasant to read. The content of the book is fascinating, always engaging and sometimes controversial. Kingdom Prologue isn’t a biblical commentary on Genesis but a biblical-theological study of God’s covenantal kingdom, using the book of Genesis as the main source, or foundation, of that study. As Kline himself wrote at the beginning of his introduction: “Kingdom Prologue engages in a biblico-theological analysis of the foundational revelation contained in the book of Genesis. Taking the kingdom of God as our central, organizing theme, we inevitably find ourselves fully involved with the subject of the divine covenants of Scripture; for to follow the course of the kingdom is to trace the series of covenants by which the Lord administers his kingdom.”
Just as Ancient Near Eastern treaties tended to have a first section describing the events leading up to the treaty, Kline is taking Genesis—or at least the first half of it with which he’s dealing with—as the historical prologue leading to the typological kingdom established in the book of Exodus.
Concerning his dealings of the actual biblical covenants, much is so very helpful, whether one is Reformed or Baptist. The way Kline drawn some of his massive conclusions from what may seemingly be seen as only details in Scriptures is simply extraordinary. His discussion on common grace and the cultural mandate are enlightening and most be considered in any debate concerning these subjects. His view of the Mosaic covenant is probably the most controversial for the Reformed flock, but not without precedent in history. Reformed Baptists may now smirkingly use Kline to formulate their covenant theology, just as the Peculiar Baptist did with Cameron!
Anyone interest in biblical theology, covenant theology, the kingdom of God, the cultural mandate and in Genesis, will assuredly benefit by taking Kline’s Kingdom Prologue and work through it.
Just as Ancient Near Eastern treaties tended to have a first section describing the events leading up to the treaty, Kline is taking Genesis—or at least the first half of it with which he’s dealing with—as the historical prologue leading to the typological kingdom established in the book of Exodus.
Concerning his dealings of the actual biblical covenants, much is so very helpful, whether one is Reformed or Baptist. The way Kline drawn some of his massive conclusions from what may seemingly be seen as only details in Scriptures is simply extraordinary. His discussion on common grace and the cultural mandate are enlightening and most be considered in any debate concerning these subjects. His view of the Mosaic covenant is probably the most controversial for the Reformed flock, but not without precedent in history. Reformed Baptists may now smirkingly use Kline to formulate their covenant theology, just as the Peculiar Baptist did with Cameron!
Anyone interest in biblical theology, covenant theology, the kingdom of God, the cultural mandate and in Genesis, will assuredly benefit by taking Kline’s Kingdom Prologue and work through it.
May 1, 2018
Kingdom Prologue sounds like the beginning of an epic fantasy series. I think epic fantasy could use an infusion of Ancient Near-East suzerain-vassal treaty technical minutiae. After this book, I am not so sure Biblical studies needs it as much. Kline manages to be compelling and repelling in equal measures. If someone were to tell me that the twin pillars of this monument to the early chapters of Genesis stands on the twin pillars of Assyriology and LSD, I would not too much surprised.
October 5, 2022
Kingdom Prologue is a hard book to review. It's not for general audiences because it's not a book - it's self-published lecture notes. The lack of familiar graces reserves this book for people who are serious about learning covenental theology. That isn't to say seminarians per se, but it's not a light read.
The content is mind-blowing. If you were to open the book and read one of Kline's conclusions at random, you'd probably think it was a crazy eisegesis. "How does he get all THAT from this obscure text?" But if you go with him from the beginning - maybe even read Images of the Spirit first - you'll see Kline slowly exegete these crazy arguments one point at a time, beginning with Genesis 1:1 and drawing from all of scripture to Revelation. (The reference index at the end lists some 60+ books of the canon. And this is ostensibly a Genesis commentary!)
If you have been discipled in a tradition that does not approach revelation with an understanding of covenant and typology, Kline will develop a lucid picture from the most vague passages that confused you in your childhood. It's one eureka moment after another, accumulating until you start to sense the incredible precision and intentional nature of scripture - nothing is out of place, and God does indeed intend to make himself known. Post tenebras lux.
The prose style can be obscure and mannerist. Kline's hyphenations snowball into an avalanche of double meaning, e.g. the Presence-Spirit glory-cloud was the locus-axis on the temple-mountain, binding together the cultic-cultural activities of the priest-judges... That's not a real Klinism, but it's hard to shake the sense that somehow Kline's writing here is the product of the era he came out of. There are 'whoa' ideas and cosmic images in this beggar the trippy fantasies of the sixties and seventies - Herbert, Tolkien, etc. - and he struggles to find an idiom to express these staggering realities.
The content is mind-blowing. If you were to open the book and read one of Kline's conclusions at random, you'd probably think it was a crazy eisegesis. "How does he get all THAT from this obscure text?" But if you go with him from the beginning - maybe even read Images of the Spirit first - you'll see Kline slowly exegete these crazy arguments one point at a time, beginning with Genesis 1:1 and drawing from all of scripture to Revelation. (The reference index at the end lists some 60+ books of the canon. And this is ostensibly a Genesis commentary!)
If you have been discipled in a tradition that does not approach revelation with an understanding of covenant and typology, Kline will develop a lucid picture from the most vague passages that confused you in your childhood. It's one eureka moment after another, accumulating until you start to sense the incredible precision and intentional nature of scripture - nothing is out of place, and God does indeed intend to make himself known. Post tenebras lux.
The prose style can be obscure and mannerist. Kline's hyphenations snowball into an avalanche of double meaning, e.g. the Presence-Spirit glory-cloud was the locus-axis on the temple-mountain, binding together the cultic-cultural activities of the priest-judges... That's not a real Klinism, but it's hard to shake the sense that somehow Kline's writing here is the product of the era he came out of. There are 'whoa' ideas and cosmic images in this beggar the trippy fantasies of the sixties and seventies - Herbert, Tolkien, etc. - and he struggles to find an idiom to express these staggering realities.
May 30, 2017
A wonderful treatment of Genesis and its foundational contribution to the Bible. Kline draws on his expertise of the ancient near east--its culture, language, and politics, especially Canaanite treaty documents--to illuminate the composition and function of Genesis in the biblical Canon. This in no way detracts from the nature and place of Genesis as an Israelite composition belonging to the biblical Canon by virtue of its divine inspiration. In fact, Kline teaches us to read Genesis as more integrally and intimately related to the rest of the biblical story than most of us are in the habit of doing. He traces its themes forward through redemptive history, as well as reading the Genesis account in the fullness of the light of Christ now revealed in the New Testament. The result is a strong biblical-theological understanding of Genesis that is both culturally sensitive and Christologically centered.
Kline is not for the faint of heart, and those brave enough to venture into his hyphenated world of biblical-theological-glory-terminology will frequently wish he used an editor. Kingdom Prologue is probably not the best place to start, The Structure of Biblical Authority or his newly published Genesis Commentary are safer bets. That said, the work put into understanding Kline will be, in my opinion, richly rewarded.
Kline is not for the faint of heart, and those brave enough to venture into his hyphenated world of biblical-theological-glory-terminology will frequently wish he used an editor. Kingdom Prologue is probably not the best place to start, The Structure of Biblical Authority or his newly published Genesis Commentary are safer bets. That said, the work put into understanding Kline will be, in my opinion, richly rewarded.
March 16, 2008
10 stars for content, 0 stars for readability.
August 15, 2025
I think this was a book from my seminary days. I wanted to reread it to see what I thought about it and whether it was worth keeping. It didn't take long to realize this book just wasn't for me. While I do believe that covenants are a part of understanding the Old and New Testaments, I do not go nearly as far as Kline on this.
Kline tries to find covenant reality in everything. Creation, that's a covenant; the family structure of the patriarchs, that's a covenant too. It often feels like an enormous stretch the ways he's trying to make a covenant out of everything. I guess in my thought, if everything is a covenant it kind of reduces the importance of the more explicit uses of covenant within the Bible. There is nothing special or noteworthy about the concept when you try to make every action of God or system somehow about covenant.
Kline also feels like one of those scholars who tries to make things as difficult to understand as possible. There is no clear presentation of information, but everything is stilted and presented in this round about way that I often find frustrating regardless of the topic at hand. Kline's way of writing just feels labyrinthine and hard to parse out.
Considering I often found myself not quite sure I agreed with a decent amount of what Kline had to present, the work definitely wasn't worth it. That doesn't mean I didn't find anything at all good in Kline's work, but given his style I didn't really feel like the amount of work was worth what there was for me in this book.
Maybe if you're a huge lover of covenant theology you'll find this more worth your time. I am not one of those people, so I found this work by Kline to be not really worth the amount of effort you have to put into it.
Kline tries to find covenant reality in everything. Creation, that's a covenant; the family structure of the patriarchs, that's a covenant too. It often feels like an enormous stretch the ways he's trying to make a covenant out of everything. I guess in my thought, if everything is a covenant it kind of reduces the importance of the more explicit uses of covenant within the Bible. There is nothing special or noteworthy about the concept when you try to make every action of God or system somehow about covenant.
Kline also feels like one of those scholars who tries to make things as difficult to understand as possible. There is no clear presentation of information, but everything is stilted and presented in this round about way that I often find frustrating regardless of the topic at hand. Kline's way of writing just feels labyrinthine and hard to parse out.
Considering I often found myself not quite sure I agreed with a decent amount of what Kline had to present, the work definitely wasn't worth it. That doesn't mean I didn't find anything at all good in Kline's work, but given his style I didn't really feel like the amount of work was worth what there was for me in this book.
Maybe if you're a huge lover of covenant theology you'll find this more worth your time. I am not one of those people, so I found this work by Kline to be not really worth the amount of effort you have to put into it.
June 16, 2017
This was my second reading of this book, and it continues to amaze me. Kline writes a superb tracing of the biblical theology relating to God's covenants and kingdom in Genesis. Many people complain about his style being hard to read, but he had a wonderful way of building drama in a dense theological work, which isn't easy to do; Kline writes as a theologian-drama-poet (*wink*).
September 21, 2019
People have a tendency to hate on Kline. The first 200 pages or so of the book are brilliant. Kline has a very idiosyncratic writing style, and the book lacks footnotes. The sections following the exposition of the flood narrative are Kline at his most controversial. It's an important book if you are in Reformed circles.
Read
November 27, 2021A mixture of great insights into Genesis and some material that seems off topic and out of place. Kline takes 2 Peter 3:5-7 seriously, looking at the pre-Deluge world as a separate world with its own history and drawing lessons from that to understand the post-Deluge world. Worth working through to get the insights for sure.
December 10, 2022
I don't agree with everything Kline presents, but man - agree or disagree with him - the content cannot be considered boring. The writing style is a bit difficult, but after 50 pages or so I got used to it. There is a lot of interesting information in this book, and is generally orthodox. I recommend it to anyone who wants to take a deeper look at Genesis through a covenantal hermeneutic.
September 9, 2023
Immensely thought provoking. Kline provides deeply considered biblical theological reflection on the book of Genesis, and in the process lays his foundation for Reformed covenantal theology. Some familiarity with Kline is probably helpful (I read some of his articles first), but there is much treasure to be mined here.
November 16, 2019
A theological Silmarillion. Prerequisite: competency in Near Eastern languages - and Elvish.
February 4, 2015
Substance: 5/5
Readability: 2/5
I'm a seminary student and this was required for reading for class. The class was taught by Gordon Hugenberger at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - Dr. Hugenberger was mentored by Meredith Kline (author of Kingdom Prologue).
I will agree with most the reviews - this was fantastic. Kline zooms in on Genesis and explores the theme of covenant, promise, and humanity in the antediluvian context.
Like most reviews, I will agree and say that Kline is not the best writer...some sentences are awkward and clunky grammatically. Of course, the ideas about which he is writing are HUGE and complex (hence the 2/5 readability), so one can expect HUGE and complex sentences.
However, I consider the brilliant thinker (and why this book doesn't get a 5 from me) the one who can brilliantly THINK and then effectively COMMUNICATE.
If you're this type of mind, I fully recommend Kingdom Prologue. There were many, "Oh, wow!" or "Man..that's great" moments from me while I read. Yet there were also many times when I had to close the book at the end of a sitting simply because I was exhausted.
Enjoy!
Readability: 2/5
I'm a seminary student and this was required for reading for class. The class was taught by Gordon Hugenberger at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary - Dr. Hugenberger was mentored by Meredith Kline (author of Kingdom Prologue).
I will agree with most the reviews - this was fantastic. Kline zooms in on Genesis and explores the theme of covenant, promise, and humanity in the antediluvian context.
Like most reviews, I will agree and say that Kline is not the best writer...some sentences are awkward and clunky grammatically. Of course, the ideas about which he is writing are HUGE and complex (hence the 2/5 readability), so one can expect HUGE and complex sentences.
However, I consider the brilliant thinker (and why this book doesn't get a 5 from me) the one who can brilliantly THINK and then effectively COMMUNICATE.
If you're this type of mind, I fully recommend Kingdom Prologue. There were many, "Oh, wow!" or "Man..that's great" moments from me while I read. Yet there were also many times when I had to close the book at the end of a sitting simply because I was exhausted.
Enjoy!
September 21, 2025
An absolutely fantastic book. I'll admit, at first Kline's odd diction and writing style was a turn off, but if the reader can push past the initial hardship, this mine is riddled with diamonds. A brilliant picture of the foundations of God's covenant that will color not only the readers view of Genesis, but of the entire Scriptures.
October 29, 2009
The depth of Kline's thought and pondering over Genesis is amazing. Although this is not useful as a normal Genesis commentary, his insight into how the book sets/shapes the covenantal worldview is amazing.
November 16, 2007
A difficult read, but an overall interesting bok on Covenant Theology.
July 19, 2012
Exegesis and Theological is deep and thick! If you can hang in there, it will change your life!!!
February 5, 2014
Great book, but it is pretty dense. Meredith Kline is known for his difficult writing style, but this book is worth the work.
December 26, 2012
The standard by which all modern treatments of the book of Genesis are measured.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews