Name: Stephen T. Adair Student ID Number: 2060329784 Email Address: adair.steve@gmail.

com Course Name: Old Testament Theology Course Number: TH-683-ISR203 Assignment Number: Assignment 4 Audio Number: N/A Project Number: N/A Date of seminar (if applicable): N/A Course instructor for seminar (if applicable): Location of seminar (if applicable): N/A **The Module Number, Audio Number (if applicable), and Project Number (if applicable) must be accurate in order to process the lesson and record the grade. The correct information is stated in the Course Study Guide. --------------------------------------------------------------Study Guide Code/Date/Version found on the first page of the Study Guide: 20101112 Degree Program: MA in Biblical Studies Address: PO Box 2132 City: Mossel Bay State: Western Cape Zip: 6500 Country: South Africa Telephone: +27 44 690 5133 --------------------End of Coversheet-------------------PLEASE TYPE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS LESSON SUBMISSION AS THEY APPEAR IN YOUR STUDY GUIDE HERE

Read Goldingays book Old Testament Theology: Israels Faith. Then write a review of at least 1000 words about the book. Stress the Old Testament theological motifs that he discussed. Note what you can learn about the author from the Internet. Discuss what you can learn about the authors theological presuppositions from the content of the book. Discuss areas of the book with which you disagree. Finally, note how you evaluate the usefulness of the book.

INTRODUCTION Holding a BA from Oxford, a PhD from Nottingham, and a Lambeth DD, Goldingay is the David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament in the School of Theology of Fuller Theological Seminary1, and is regarded as one of the worlds leading evangelical Old Testament scholars2. His three volume series, Old Testament Theology3, is widely regarded as a comprehensive and magisterial contribution to Old Testament studies4. This document seeks to review the first volume of this series, which concentrates on Old Testament narratives covering creation through to the birth of Christ. METHODOLOGY AND THEOLOGICAL PRESUPPOSITIONS A major factor in Goldingays methodology is his belief in the trustworthiness of the entire Old Testament text5, which leads to his assertion that the Old Testament text must be allowed to stand on its

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Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay. http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2010/01/14/a-review-of-old-testament-theology-3-vols-by-john-goldingay/. 3 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003; Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 2: Israel's Faith, InterVarsity Press, 2006; Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 3: Israel's Life, InterVarsity Press, 2009. 4 See for instance: Barrick, W. D., Reviews, The Masters Seminary Journal, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2009, pp103-106; Lessing, R., Concordia Journal, Vol. 33, No 4, 2007, pp418-420; Green, B., Book Reviews, Theological Studies, Vol. 68, No 2, 2007, pp433-434; Warstler, K., Book Reviews, Criswell Theological Review, Vol. 4, No 1, 2006, p 113-116; Chisholm, R. B. Jr., Book Reviews, Bibliotheca sacra, Vol. 163, No 651, 2006, p 357-359; Ollenburger, B. C., Reviews, Interpretation, Vol. 60, No 2, 2006, pp214-216; Kissling, P. J., Book Reviews, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vol. 48, No 2, 2005, p 368-370; Spawn, K. L., Book Reviews, Pneuma, Vol. 28, No 1, 2006, p 172-174. 5 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003. P19.
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own merit6. Goldingay is critical of Brueggemanns postmodern, liberal approach to Old Testament theology, which seeks to deconstruct the Old Testament narrative7. Although writing from a Christian perspective8, Goldingay argues that the Christian should resist reading Christian beliefs back into the Old Testament9. Consequently, Goldingay seeks to derive his theology directly from the Old Testament text, without imposing Christian views onto the text, and with little systematic theological harmonization or philosophical reflection. Scripture Whilst Goldingay identifies himself with those Christians who affirm the entire trustworthiness and authority of Scripture10, he expresses an affinity with the documentary hypothesis11, assuming that the Pentateuch is a post exilic creation12. Creation Of the many metaphors employed for Gods work of creation, Goldingay prefers the idea of God giving birth to His creation13. Thus, creation came through pain and travail on Gods part, and thus, Goldingay is not surprised that God desired a day of rest following completion of His work14.

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Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p25. Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p22. 8 This can be seen particularly in the inclusion of the eleventh chapter, God Sent, dealing with the birth, life and ministry of Christ. 9 Goldingay says In this volume I shall not pay much attention to the way the New Testament uses the Old Testament. That usage emerges from the New Testaments distinctive concerns. It especially wants to understand the significance of Jesus and the significance of the church, and that determines the lenses it brings to the Old Testament. Its approach to the Old Testament therefore need not influence an attempt to work out the inherent theological significance of the Old Testamentindeed, we must resist its doing so., Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p25. 10 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p19. 11 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, pp381-382. 12 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p697. 13 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p61. 14 Ibid.
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Moreover, Goldingay regards creation as triumph of God over other dynamic forces15, implying some form of eternal dualism; a view which contradicts the conventional conservative evangelical view of creation as the act of an omnipotent and unopposed divine being16. Goldingay holds to an evolutionary model for creation17, and regards the Old Testament creation accounts to be divinely inspired but humanly created imaginative parables18. This view appears to reflect a departure from Goldingays intended approach of permitting the Old Testament text to stand on its own merit, but rather interprets the Old Testament text through the lens of modern scientific theory. God Goldingay asserts that the idea of Gods omniscience is a Christian one, which is heavily influenced by Greek philosophy19. From his reading of the Old Testament Goldingay concludes that whilst God has extraordinary knowledge, which may be considered to be supernatural, God is not omniscient20. Goldingay argues that in creation, God had an aim, a vision, some goals 21, and that this occasionally extends to a specific plan in particular circumstances22. However, Goldingay asserts that the Old

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Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, pp64, 67-67. See, for instance: House, P. R., Old Testament theology, InterVarsity Press, 1998, p59; Carson, D. A., New Bible commentary : 21st century edition, Inter-Varsity Press, 1994; Grudem. W., Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, p320 . 17 Goldingay says: What we know empirically raises questions about this. As far as we can tell, God did not bring the animate world into being by a series of transcendent, supranatural acts but by an immanent process involving trial and error. Species came into being and became extinct through chance mutations and the survival of the fittest. Like the ecology of nature in the state in which we know it, it depended on strife, pain and death. At least this thesis about the manner of Gods original creation matches nature as we know it, which works via process and death. It also matches the nature of Gods work in history as the First (and Second) Testament describes it, and as we experience it, Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, pp114-115. 18 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p879. 19 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, pp137-138. 20 Goldingay writes: Sometimes God manifests supernatural knowledgeBut even Gods supernatural knowledge of us comes about through discovery, through searching out, rather than because God possesses this knowledge automaticallyStories about Babel and about Abraham (Gen 11; 18; 22) will concretely show God taking steps to come to know things. They will again show that God has extraordinary knowledge, but will incorporate no declaration that Yhwh is omniscient, and preclude that by the way they portray God acting so as to discover things; Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p137. 21 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p60. 22 Ibid.
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Testament never speaks of God having a plan for the world or a plan of salvation, or a plan for individuals lives23. Thus, Goldingay views God more as an executive director, providing direction and values to a company, but allowing the company to determine the details of implementation, rather than a micro-manager seeking to make every decision Himself24. STRENGTHS OF THE BOOK The structure of the book is formulated around the Old Testament narrative, allowing the Biblical narrative to direct the development of theological concepts in an order that replicates the progressive revelation of the Old Testament to its original recipients. Moreover, each chapter emphasises an action of God25 within the unfolding story, demonstrating that Gods revelation involves His actions, His relations and interactions with mankind and not just His messages to His people. Thus, although some critics, such as Warstler, have argued that Goldingays Old Testament Theology lacks a centre or unifying principle26, these views can be regarded as harsh as the book centres around the relationship between God and mankind in general and Israel27 in particular28. This intention can be seen clearly in the structure of the book and the titles of each chapter29. Throughout the book Goldingay seeks to draw theological principles from careful attention to the detail of the Old Testament text, thus clearly demonstrating his faith in the trustworthiness of the text. This may be seen in much of his discussion, including matters such as covenant, models for the occupation of Palestine, and equality:

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Ibid. Ibid. 25 God Began; God Started Over; God Promised; God Delivered; God Sealed; God Gave; God Accommodated; God Wrestled; God Preserved; God Sent. 26 Warstler, K., Book Reviews, Criswell Theological Review, Vol. 4, No 1, 2006, p 113-116. 27 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p36. 28 Thus, Goldingays central theme may be regarded as pretty conventional; see for instance: Hafemann, S. J., The Covenant Relationship, in Hafeman, S. J., House, P. R., Central Themes in Biblical Theology, Baker Academic, 2007, p20. 29 God Began; God Started Over; God Promised; God Delivered; God Sealed; God Gave; God Accommodated; God Wrestled; God Preserved; God Sent.
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Covenant: Taking a position that challenges conventional Covenant Theology, Goldingay argues robustly that the Old Testament narrative does not suggest a formal covenant between God and mankind prior to the Noahic Covenant30, concluding that there was no need for formally binding commitments before the time of human disobedience and divine punishment31.

Invasion Models: Goldingay provides a robust comparison of the four common Promised Land invasion models, and expresses a preference for the military invasion model because it is the model which remains faithful to the Old Testament narrative32.

Equality: By paying careful attention to the text, Goldingay is able to provide a robust defence of the equality of the sexes, by demonstrating that man is only complete when he is in union with woman33.

WEAKNESSES OF THE BOOK Goldingay considers that the historical narrative of the Old Testament contains the use of traditions having varied relationships to actual events, a reworking [of] existing literary versions in order to present Israel in a favourable light34. This approach tends to undermine the historical integrity of the Old Testament narrative, challenges the assumption of scriptural inerrancy, and ultimately, for those that hold to the divine inspiration of the scriptures, questions the moral character of God35.

30

The Hebrew term for covenant (berit) is first used in Gen. 6:18, where it is used of the Noahic Covenant. Covenant Theology asserts that whilst the technical term Covenant is not used of the relationship between God and mankind in the creation account, the descriptions of the relationship between God and Adam and Eve is sufficient to infer a covenant relationship. See, for instance, Hafemann, S. J., The Covenant Relationship, in Hafeman, S. J., House, P. R., Central Themes in Biblical Theology, Baker Academic, 2007, pp40-42. 31 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p181. 32 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p488. 33 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, pp103-107. 34 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p862. 35 Warstler notes if the scriptures are divinely inspired, the inclusion of historical inaccuracies in the Old Testament narrative would reflect [poorly] on Gods truthfulness. Warstler, K., Book Reviews, Criswell Theological Review, Vol. 4, No 1, 2006, p 113-116.
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Goldingay argues that the Old Testaments insights must be seen in light of those of the New, but only as long as we immediately add that it is just as essential to see the New Testaments insights in light of those of the Old36. Goldingay explains further, it is inappropriate to describe the New Testament as the authoritative interpretation of the Old without adding that the Old Testament is the authoritative interpretation of the New37, and only when people have learned to take the Old Testament really seriously can they be entrusted with the story of Jesus38. It is surprising therefore, that Goldingay makes a conscious decision not to focus on the Old Testaments witness to Christ; its pointing to Christ; its prophesying of Christ; its foreshadowing of the New Testament; the New Testament use of the Old Testament39. Through his self-imposed restriction, Goldingay dismisses the value of Christs own interpretation of the Old Testament narrative, as well as that of those most intimately associated with him40, and of Paul, an Old Testament theologian par excellence, and yet is happy to allow interpretation through the lenses of current (and disputed) scientific41 and archaeological understanding42. CONCLUSION Goldingays Old Testament Theology is comprehensive and well-crafted. It offers fresh and challenging insights into the Old Testament narrative, and hence is a welcome addition to any Biblical studies library. Goldingay considers the Old Testament narrative seriously, allowing the text to determine the structure and direction of the book. Unfortunately, Goldingay falls short of achieving his stated goal of allowing the Old Testament narrative to speak for itself by disallowing the text to be viewed the

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Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p20. Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p25. 38 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p20. 39 Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, pp26-27. 40 For instance, John, Matthew, Peter and James. 41 Note Goldingays views on creation, discussed earlier. 42 Note Goldingays rejection of the Old Testament account of the conquest of Jericho on the basis on a disputed archaeological opinion concerning Jericho. This position seems strange and inconsistent with Godlingays stated intention to allow the text to speak for itself (Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, pp25-27), and his view that the military invasion model is the most credible model for the occupation of the Holy Land (Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003, p488).
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lenses of New Testament light, whilst allowing interpretation through the lenses of current scientific and archaeological theories.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY GENERAL REFERENCES The Holy Bible, New International Version, Zondervan Bible Publishers, International Bible Society, 1984. REFERENCES Barrick, W. D., Reviews, The Masters Seminary Journal, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2009, pp103-106. Carson, D. A., New Bible Commentary: 21st century edition, Inter-Varsity Press, 1994. Chisholm, R. B. Jr., Book Reviews, Bibliotheca sacra, Vol. 163, No 651, 2006, p 357-359. Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 1: Israel's Gospel, InterVarsity Press, 2003. Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 2: Israel's Faith, InterVarsity Press, 2006. Goldingay, J., Old Testament Theology Volume 3: Israel's Life, InterVarsity Press, 2009. Green, B., Book Reviews, Theological Studies, Vol. 68, No 2, 2007, pp433-434. Grudem. W., Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Inter-Varsity Press, 1994. Hafeman, S. J., House, P. R., Central Themes in Biblical Theology, Baker Academic, 2007. House, P. R., Old Testament theology, InterVarsity Press, 1998. http://www.billmuehlenberg.com/2010/01/14/a-review-of-old-testament-theology-3-vols-byjohn-goldingay/. Kissling, P. J., Book Reviews, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vol. 48, No 2, 2005, p 368-370. Lessing, R., Concordia Journal, Vol. 33, No 4, 2007, pp418-420. Ollenburger, B. C., Reviews, Interpretation, Vol. 60, No 2, 2006, pp214-216. Spawn, K. L., Book Reviews, Pneuma, Vol. 28, No 1, 2006, p 172-174. Warstler, K., Book Reviews, Criswell Theological Review, Vol. 4, No 1, 2006, p 113-116. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Goldingay.
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