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What Is Biblical Theology?: A Guide To The Bible's Story, Symbolism, And Patterns (2013)

by James M. Hamilton Jr.(Favorite Author)

4.23 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1433537710 (ISBN13: 9781433537714)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Crossway

review 1: In the summer of 2011, I took up a post as a counselor at Pine Cove Christian camps. Going into the summer, I didn't know what the Lord would have for me, but I knew that whatever it was it would be a good gift from Him. So, I packed up some things -- a mandolin, some clothes -- but most importantly, a stack of books. On my off days, I planned to work through the stack. On the top of the list was a book that struck me the first time I saw it, both from the title and the superb book cover. The book was James M. Hamilton's "God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment: A Biblical Theology." I knew that God was going to teach me that summer. What I didn't know was that one of the things He was going to do, in particular, was teach me to truly delight in His Word. And Hamilton's ... morebook was going to play a crucial role in that formation. To this day, GGSTJ is one of the most impactful books I have read in my entire life. It reshaped the way that I look at the Bible, think about the canon, and understand the deep intertexuality and typology in Scripture. It has opened up worlds of exploration in the glorious depths of what's called biblical theology and given me a deeper love for the Lord Jesus. Hamilton would be delighted by all of these things, for that is the goal of GGSTJ.Unfortunately, GGSTJ can be a little too "heady" for some. For me, it happened to be a highlight since it was through footnotes and otherwise "dry" academic excursuses that I learned more and more. Yet, I know many people that have no interest in diving into some of those explorations because of that reason alone. Thus, my recommendation often fell on deaf ears. Which is why I am delighted about Hamilton's "What Is Biblical Theology?" There is no question that this is a book written to students, not scholars. There are no footnotes, the style is often anecdotal, and Hamilton is able to really shine in his gift of writing, uncommon amongst many academics. His goal is to give the reader an exalted imagination for Scripture -- the type of imagination I walked away with from GGSTJ. Yet, while the bar has been lowered significantly, the content is still as high as the highest heaven. In many ways, this Hamilton's version of T.D. Alexander's "From Eden to New Jerusalem," an intro to biblical theology that aims to whet the readers appetite for more. While there are plenty of stout biblical theologies available (one thinks of Beale or Gentry & Wellum), readership often cries out for a light pilsner or kolsch. But Hamilton is a Baptist, so lets' move away from beer analogies: green tea, not Early Grey? I don't know -- I don't drink tea. By overviewing the Bible's story, symbolism, and patterns, the reader is able to have a toolkit for whole Bible consumption and will be healthier because of it. This will be my new book I recommend to folks who are wanting to learn more about how to think biblically about the Bible, but secretly I'll be praying more that it captures their imaginations and beckons them to spend their life drinking from the deep pools of Scripture.
review 2: This is an excellent, convincing, and easy-to-read book describing the Bible’s over arching story. Hamilton says that the stories in the Old Testament hint at a mystery resolved in Christ. The Bible from beginning to end is one story. He outlines key patterns, symbols and themes that unite the Bible into One Story. Finally he delineates the part the Church plays in the Bible’s story. This is an excellent reference that can and must be read over and over again. less

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