Holy People, Holy Land: A Theological Introduction to the Bible

by Matthew Levering Michael Dauphinais

The second-century heretic Marcion believed it was impossible to reconcile the Old Testament message of Law and sacrifice with the New Testament message of grace and forgiveness. Even today, many believers struggle to find unifying themes in scripture that can make sense of its great diversity. Dauphinais and Levering suggest that holiness--that is, love as communion with God and neighbor--is the common thread that runs through scripture. Holiness, they say, manifests itself in profuse biblical language about a promised land and a holy people, all of which reveals a holy God desiring to recreate us in his image. The authors point out that this idea is as old as the church itself and as new as the work of contemporary biblical scholars. Holy People, Holy Land is a mind-expanding journey through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The authors reveal that the Old Testament themes of land and Law, temple and covenant, all begin and end with God's gracious salvific work in Christ, who fulfills the Law, establishes perfect justice, and is the true Temple. This book is intended for undergraduate students in theology and the Bible, both Catholic and Protestant, who seek to learn the story of how love--revealed most prominently in the sacrifice of Christ--creates a holy people equipped to serve God and one another.

Genres: Theology, Faith, Religion, Scripture, Christian, Grad School, Nonfiction

266 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Dim Bulb]

A good, slightly more than basic introduction to the Bible focusing primarily on the two themes that make up it's title. This work, along with, "Bible Basics for Catholics," and "New Testament Basics for Catholics" (both by John Bergsma), as well as Dr. Scott Hahn's, "A Father Who Keeps His Promises," provide an excellent foundation for those new to bible study.

[Ben Eastman]

Read as part of required reading for a Graduate level Scripture course at the Augustine institute. Very interesting deep dive into the Old Testament. The authors get a little heavy handed at some points with their emphasis of the "Holy People" and the "Holy Land", but it is a useful device to understanding Scripture.

[Chase Hagemann]

Holy People Holy Land is a great book if you want to dive deep into scripture to understand the basics of our covenantal relationship with God. It quotes ton of scripture, which can sometimes mess with the flow, but it backs up what it talks about.

[John Damon Davis]

Some good insights here and there and a decent through line uniting the biblical story. However they absolutely butchered the book of Romans and seemed to be under the impression that the gospel points us to the (Papal) church rather than the church pointing us to the gospel.

[Brenda Gilbert]

I read the book twice and it’s a great source of reference.

[Justine Olawsky]

Well-considered journey through salvation history focused on God’s desire to form a holy people to inhabit a holy land. The final NT chapters are distinctly moving.

[Sara]

A study on Salvation History within the context of Holy People and Holy Land. Dauphinais and Levering deliver a powerful argument for the evolution of Holy People and Holy Land over the course of the Bible. From Eden to the Eucharist, the authors provide both summary analysis of these concepts in various covenants. The divine pedagogy results in a changing perception of what exactly is Holy - and where the divine indwelling can be found in modern times.