INVITATION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT

The professor of Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg draws together here some thirty chapters dealing with most of the books of the Old Testament, or with important sections of these books. The resulting small volume is intended for the lay reader who wishes to be better informed about the Old Testament and to learn what it may offer as guidance on today's complex problems. A number of reasons for such study of the Old Testament are put forth: its place as ""Holy Scripture"" and as the ""Word of God par excellence""; its use by Jesus; and its relation to the New Testament. How cogent these may be to the modern lay reader is open to question. While the legendary and mythological character of some of the persons and events of the Old Testament is recognized, there is a somewhat confusing ambiguity as to when the author regards the material under discussion as having this character, or as factual historical record. The compression required by any effort to treat the whole of the Old Testament is noticeable here. Often well handled, it tends at times to cryptic allusions rather than simplification. The lay reader already versed in some elements of Old Testament scholarship may find this book a useful further step.