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Theodicy and Hope in the Book of the Twelve
This volume explores the themes of theodicy and hope in both individual portions of the Twelve (books and sub-sections) and in the Book of the Twelve as a whole, as the contributors use a diversity of approaches to the text(s) with a particular interest in synchronic perspectives. While these essays regularly engage the mostly redactional scholarship surrounding the Book of Twelve, there is also an examination of various forms of literary analysis of final text forms, and engagement in descriptions of the thematic and theological perspectives of the individual books and of the collection as a whole.
The synchronic work in these essays is thus in regular conversation with diachronic research, and as a general rule they take various conclusions of redactional research as a point of departure. The specific themes, theodicy and hope, are key ideas that have provided the opportunity for contributors to explore individual books or sub-sections within the Twelve, and the overarching development (in both historical and literary terms) and deployment of these themes in the collection.
The synchronic work in these essays is thus in regular conversation with diachronic research, and as a general rule they take various conclusions of redactional research as a point of departure. The specific themes, theodicy and hope, are key ideas that have provided the opportunity for contributors to explore individual books or sub-sections within the Twelve, and the overarching development (in both historical and literary terms) and deployment of these themes in the collection.
300 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2021
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August 5, 2025
Rating each essay out of five and dividing the scores landed me at 77.27/100 -- almost, but not quite, four stars. More detailed thoughts on each chapter below.
"Theodicy and Hope in the Book of the Twelve" by Grace Ko - 3/5
Good overview. The centrality of Ex 34:6-7 in prophetic expressions of hope is a good insight. But the insistence on divine mutibility and passibility throughout drove me up a wall. So did the assumption of Mosaic covenanantal nomism. And her egregious overuse of the verb "opine."
"Exile and Re-exile in the Book of the Twelve" by Anthony R. Petterson - 5/5
A helpful survey that uses lexemes related to exile to show how the Twelve builds toward the need of a "re-exile" of Jerusalem to finally deal with the problem of sin. A central feature of that "re-exile" is the death of a Davidic king which will result in purification for God's people.
"'How Can I Give You Up, Ephraim?' (Hosea 11:8a): Theodicy in Hosea" by Brittany Kim - 3.5/5
A solid presentation of Hosea's techniques for defending God's goodness and communicating both the gravity of Israel's sin with the certainty of future restoration. As with Ko's chapter, the doctrine of God was sub-par.
"Hope Through Human Trafficking? Theodicy in Joel 4:4-8" by Heath Thomas - 4.5/5
A solid delineation of Joel's rhetorical and poetic skill in support of his message, along with a compelling explanation for why the crime in v5 apparently goes unpunished in a passage that otherwise emphasizes retributive justice.
"The Lawlessness of the Lion-God: Theodicy in the Book of Amos" by Chelsea Mak - 4/5
A high rating mostly for being intriguing. I can't agree with every conclusion, but the chapter as a whole is well-argued. With some modification, the thesis might even fit well with a more scholastic theological framework (though one that'd be too voluntaristic for my taste).
"Theodicy in Micah" by Rainer Kessler - 2/5
Not impressed. The arguments depend on a piecemeal approach to the book and explicit rejection of inner-biblical exegesis (Jer 26). Much of what's said here would also need revision in line with better covenant theology.
"'Ah, Assyria Is No More!' Retribution, Theodicy, and Hope in Nahum" by Daniel Timmer - 5/5
A thorough, theologically sound theodicy working with the issues raised in Nahum -- particularly the question of how Yahweh may justly punish an entire nation for the sins of its elite.
"The Triumph of Hope in Habakkuk" by David Fuller - 3/5
A somewhat boring article that takes 20 pages to say what you already knew (expressions of hope in Habakkuk are unique because of their dismal situational context). Bur it's still valuable since it wades through the weeds to explain why you already knew it.
"The Hope of Habakkuk in the Anthropocene Age" by Michael Floyd - 4/5
Fascinating observations intriguingly applied, though a bit spoiled by liberal theologizing. God suffers with his creation as he inadvertently causes random suffering through his creative acts of redemption -- acts which he calls his people to help bring about. Still totally worth reading, though (perhaps inexplicably).
"Creating and Bridging the Gap: Assyria and Babylon in the Presentation of Theodicy and Hope in the Book of the Twelve" by Mark Boda - 4.5/5
Today offers some intriguing suggestions about the arrangement of the Twelve that indicate a recommended approach to dealing with the trauma of the Babylonian exile on the part of the post-exilic editor(s). I appreciated the comparison with other prophetic books and Boda's hint at contemporary application. I wonder how important the compositional date of Habakkuk is to his case.
"The Failure of Davidic Hope? Configuring Theodicy in the Book of the Twelve in Support of a Davidic Kingdom" by George Athas - 4/5
Intriguing! (I keep using that word today...) Argued in impressive detail, full of nuance and careful clarifications. But accepting Athas's thesis involves accepting so many supporting claims that I truly have no clue if I agree with Athas on this one.
Concluding Miscellany
Several of these articles assume the premise that the minor prophets have been deliberately arranged by post-exilic editors to communicate a particular canonical message. This is in line with the general trend in biblical scholarship that sees pattern (even narratives) in the editorial arrangement of everything. The Book of the Twelve might be one place I can get behind it.
The jury is still out on how far I'm willing to go with it, though. Athas in particular felt pretty far down the line, seemingly interpreting the Persian-era editors as coopting the earlier prophets into a new message for a new historical situation. In that case, the interpreter needs to read the books in their original contexts, in the post-exilic context, and then finally in the canonical context (including the NT) to get the full message, acknowledging that the original and post-exilic contexts may contribute to the canonical context in completely different ways. I'm not necessarily against the approach on principle, but man, that seems like a lot of work -- and a lot of guess-work!
"Theodicy and Hope in the Book of the Twelve" by Grace Ko - 3/5
Good overview. The centrality of Ex 34:6-7 in prophetic expressions of hope is a good insight. But the insistence on divine mutibility and passibility throughout drove me up a wall. So did the assumption of Mosaic covenanantal nomism. And her egregious overuse of the verb "opine."
"Exile and Re-exile in the Book of the Twelve" by Anthony R. Petterson - 5/5
A helpful survey that uses lexemes related to exile to show how the Twelve builds toward the need of a "re-exile" of Jerusalem to finally deal with the problem of sin. A central feature of that "re-exile" is the death of a Davidic king which will result in purification for God's people.
"'How Can I Give You Up, Ephraim?' (Hosea 11:8a): Theodicy in Hosea" by Brittany Kim - 3.5/5
A solid presentation of Hosea's techniques for defending God's goodness and communicating both the gravity of Israel's sin with the certainty of future restoration. As with Ko's chapter, the doctrine of God was sub-par.
"Hope Through Human Trafficking? Theodicy in Joel 4:4-8" by Heath Thomas - 4.5/5
A solid delineation of Joel's rhetorical and poetic skill in support of his message, along with a compelling explanation for why the crime in v5 apparently goes unpunished in a passage that otherwise emphasizes retributive justice.
"The Lawlessness of the Lion-God: Theodicy in the Book of Amos" by Chelsea Mak - 4/5
A high rating mostly for being intriguing. I can't agree with every conclusion, but the chapter as a whole is well-argued. With some modification, the thesis might even fit well with a more scholastic theological framework (though one that'd be too voluntaristic for my taste).
"Theodicy in Micah" by Rainer Kessler - 2/5
Not impressed. The arguments depend on a piecemeal approach to the book and explicit rejection of inner-biblical exegesis (Jer 26). Much of what's said here would also need revision in line with better covenant theology.
"'Ah, Assyria Is No More!' Retribution, Theodicy, and Hope in Nahum" by Daniel Timmer - 5/5
A thorough, theologically sound theodicy working with the issues raised in Nahum -- particularly the question of how Yahweh may justly punish an entire nation for the sins of its elite.
"The Triumph of Hope in Habakkuk" by David Fuller - 3/5
A somewhat boring article that takes 20 pages to say what you already knew (expressions of hope in Habakkuk are unique because of their dismal situational context). Bur it's still valuable since it wades through the weeds to explain why you already knew it.
"The Hope of Habakkuk in the Anthropocene Age" by Michael Floyd - 4/5
Fascinating observations intriguingly applied, though a bit spoiled by liberal theologizing. God suffers with his creation as he inadvertently causes random suffering through his creative acts of redemption -- acts which he calls his people to help bring about. Still totally worth reading, though (perhaps inexplicably).
"Creating and Bridging the Gap: Assyria and Babylon in the Presentation of Theodicy and Hope in the Book of the Twelve" by Mark Boda - 4.5/5
Today offers some intriguing suggestions about the arrangement of the Twelve that indicate a recommended approach to dealing with the trauma of the Babylonian exile on the part of the post-exilic editor(s). I appreciated the comparison with other prophetic books and Boda's hint at contemporary application. I wonder how important the compositional date of Habakkuk is to his case.
"The Failure of Davidic Hope? Configuring Theodicy in the Book of the Twelve in Support of a Davidic Kingdom" by George Athas - 4/5
Intriguing! (I keep using that word today...) Argued in impressive detail, full of nuance and careful clarifications. But accepting Athas's thesis involves accepting so many supporting claims that I truly have no clue if I agree with Athas on this one.
Concluding Miscellany
Several of these articles assume the premise that the minor prophets have been deliberately arranged by post-exilic editors to communicate a particular canonical message. This is in line with the general trend in biblical scholarship that sees pattern (even narratives) in the editorial arrangement of everything. The Book of the Twelve might be one place I can get behind it.
The jury is still out on how far I'm willing to go with it, though. Athas in particular felt pretty far down the line, seemingly interpreting the Persian-era editors as coopting the earlier prophets into a new message for a new historical situation. In that case, the interpreter needs to read the books in their original contexts, in the post-exilic context, and then finally in the canonical context (including the NT) to get the full message, acknowledging that the original and post-exilic contexts may contribute to the canonical context in completely different ways. I'm not necessarily against the approach on principle, but man, that seems like a lot of work -- and a lot of guess-work!
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