The Old Testament Is Dying

The Old Testament makes up the majority of the Christian Bible and provides much of the language of Christian faith. However, many churches tend to neglect this crucial part of Scripture, leading to the loss of the Old Testament as a resource for faith and life. This timely book shows how the Old Testament is like a language--a language is used and learned or it falls into disuse and eventually dies. Brent Strawn details a number of ways the Old Testament is showing signs of decay, demise, and imminent death in the church and criticizes common misunderstandings of the Old Testament that contribute to its neglect. He also shows that it is possible for a language to be recovered. Drawing fresh insight from recent studies of how languages die and are revived, Strawn offers strategies for renewing the use of the Old Testament in Christian faith and practice. This clearly written book will appeal to professors and students of the Old Testament as well as pastors and church leaders. About the Series The Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic series is published in conjunction with Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. Leading scholars in biblical studies and systematic theology from a variety of theological traditions offer brief, suggestive treatments of specific topics, exploring the cutting edge of their current interests and latest thinking for the benefit of the whole church. Contents Testimonia Part 1: The Old Testament as a Dying Language 1. The Old Testament Is Dying A (Non)Telling Vignette The Diagnosis, in Brief, with a Caveat The Old Testament Is (Like) a Language Plan of the Book and Two Additional Caveats 2. Initial Testing The U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey The "Best"(?) Sermons The Psalms in Mainline Hymnody The Revised Common Lectionary (and the Psalms) Conclusion 3. On Language Growth and Change, Contact and Death Language Change and Language Contact Pidgins and Creoles, Pidginization and Creolization Language Death Conclusion Part 2: Signs of Morbidity 4. The New Atheism Dawkins and the New Atheists on the Old Testament Answering Dawkins Pidgin versus Pidgin 5. Marcionites Old and New The Old Marcion Tertullian contra Marcion Von Harnack pro Marcion, or the New Marcion(ism) Contra von Harnack, or the Deadly Ramifications 6. New Plastic Gospels: The "Happiologists" The Bible and Your Best Everything Right Now! Assessing Osteen "and Company" Conclusion to Part 2 Part 3: Path to Recovery 7. Recommended Treatment On Saving Dying Languages Resurrecting Hebrew Learning First, New, and Very Old Languages Bilingualism and Code-Switching It Could Happen to You (Us) 8. Saving the Old Testament Evidence of Further Decline Deuteronomy as a Model of/for Second-Language Acquisition (SLA) 9. Ways Forward and Not The Most Basic (and Obvious) Recommendation: Regular Use The Need for Adequate Linguistic Training Intentionality in Language Practice and Language Learning On Creating Bilinguals On "Bothness" The Challenge of Future Change Music, Memory, Poetry, . . . and Children (Again) Conclusion Appendix 1: Newton Series Appendix 2: Butler Series Appendix 3: Cox Series Appendix 4: Size of Testaments Appendix 5: Sermon Data from Walter Brueggemann Appendix 6: Old Testament Texts Used by Walter Brueggemann Indexes

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Products » BOOKS » Biblical Studies » Bible Commentaries OT
Products » BOOKS » Biblical Studies » Bible Commentaries OT