Art of Biblical History, The [Paperback]

V. Philips Long (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 1994 | Series: Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation (Book 5)

This fifth volume in the Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation series is an exploration of both the historical nature of the Bible and the character of biblical history writing. In view of recent trends in biblical studies, the age-old question of the relationship between history and faith must again take center stage in hermeneutical discussion. The Art of Biblical History seeks to address basic questions that all Bible readers might ask: Is the Bible a history book? What do we mean by 'history' anyway? In what sense is biblical historicity important for faith? Are there guidelines for discovering what historical truth claims a particular passage may be making? The discussions take account of both current thinking among biblical scholars and the best insights of secular historians. The result is an attempt to describe biblical history writing as a kind of representational art and to commend a hermeneutical approach that does justice not merely to the historical or literary or theological character of the Bible, but to all three at once.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...delightfully written and eminently readable..."; "Addressing a crucial topic not often well handled by modern scholars of any theological stripe, Long charts a judicious course...abundantly punctuated with actual illustrations from Scripture, .... And most of these come from the OT, where in general we have fewer resources for valid interpretive procedures than in the NT! -- Professor Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary),Themelios

...this is a very able and irenic piece of conservative Christian apologetic for the essential historicity of the biblical record. The six main chapters offer a wealth of well-informed introduction to a series of recent and current literary, hermeneutical and archaeological debates within biblical and theological studies. -- Professor Graeme Auld, University of Edinburgh, Theology Journal

I read it from beginning to end, word-for-word, and delighted in its thoroughness and clarity.... I know integrity of mind and good scholarship when I see it. -- Professor J. Maxwell Miller, Emory University

Of all such efforts [i.e. 'to find a via media that retains the Bible as a vehicle of both history and theology'], none has succeeded as admirably as this work by Long, an erudite and sophisticated analysis of the OT as history writing that will for years provide the point of departure for similar efforts. ...[Long] writes in a lively and engaging style, peppering much of the profundity of his analyses and arguments with imagery and illustrations that immediately clarify the points in question. The book is a model of the art of making the complex easy.... -- Professor Eugene H. Merrill, Dallas Theological Seminary, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

This is the best work about history writing that I have read by a biblical scholar. -- Professor David M. Howard, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Trinity Journal

From the Back Cover

This fifth volume in the Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation series is an exploration of both the historical nature of the Bible and the character of biblical history writing. In view of recent trends in biblical studies, the age-old question of the relationship between history and faith must again take center stage in hermeneutical discussion. The Art of Biblical History seeks to address basic questions that all Bible readers might ask: Is the Bible a history book? What do we mean by "history" anyway? In what sense is biblical historicity important for faith? Are there guidelines for discovering what historical truth claims a particular passage may be making? The discussions take account of both current thinking among biblical scholars and the best insights of secular historians. The result is an attempt to describe biblical history writing as a kind of representational art and to commend a hermeneutical approach that does justice not merely to the historical or literary or theological character of the Bible, but to all three at once.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; 1st edition (September 23, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310431808
• ISBN-13: 978-0310431800
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

V. Philips Long (Ph.D., Cambridge) is professor of Old Testament, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and much needed if not somewhat difficult treatise on Biblical historical study, April 15, 2011

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exaltElohim - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Art of Biblical History, The (Paperback)

I will say in short V. Philips Long is a masterful and capable theological communicator. This book is both accessible and necessary for the historical study of the Bible. He presents a wealth of information in a concise and readable form. It's only flaw(if it can be seen as such) is that it is very scholarly in its communication of the topic making it more difficult for a layman to read and digest at times). I wholeheartedly endorse the reading of this book if you either appreciate biblical historical study or desire to learn more about the process of biblical interpetation as it applies to either your own personal study or the teaching of the bible on an academic level.