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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Scriptural Hermeneutic, December 8, 2010
This review is from: Bible Matrix (Paperback)
In many circles of theological education today, the prevailing notion is that unless you have 4 Ph. D's, mastery of 17 languages, and an obsession with every sort of criticism under the sun, there is no way to even begin to understand the Bible. In Bible Matrix, author Michael Bull lays this erroneous belief to rest once and for all. Bull's conviction is that the Bible speaks its own language. Hence, the reason we have such a hard time understanding it is not because we haven't climbed enough academic or social ladders, but rather because we are too quick to impose our modern worldviews on it (p.15). In Bible Matrix, Bull helps us to unlearn the warped science of imposition by helping us taste and see the hermeneutic that Scripture itself lays forth. With an artist's eye and a disciple's heart, Bull demonstrates that the sevenfold pattern found in the Creation week (Creation-Division-Ascension-Testing-Maturity-Conquest-Glorification) is the key to unlocking the text of Holy Writ from Genesis to Revelation.
Bible Matrix is amazingly concise, traversing the entirety of Scripture in 221 succinct pages. The book begins with a brief introduction to typological/symbolic interpretation (don't make the mistake of thinking that this opposes the historical), moves on to an overview of the pattern that Bull sees embedded in all of Scripture, and then enters into a more or less character-by-character (Adam, Noah, Abraham, etc.) examination of the entire Bible. He ends with a pithy reiteration of the big picture of the book, as well as a vision for worship and an exhortation.
If you aren't familiar with Bull's blog (or the work of James B. Jordan, Peter Leithart or Douglas Wilson), the book can be a bit of a challenge to work through. It's not meant to be read for the sake of gathering more information. This book is a work of art, requiring the same sort of approach you'd take to admire a painting or sculpture. I found myself having to read, ponder, and reread in order to work my way into what was written. But like observing anything beautiful, the more time you spend in the book the more you will see. And not just see in Bull's book, but see in Scripture itself. That's part of the genius of Bull's work: it doesn't simply point you to the proper way to read Scripture. The form in which the book is written trains you to read rightly, as a lover who relishes beauty rather than a student looking for answers to an exam.
In sum, the book is brilliant. Buy it. Read it. Digest it. Pray through it. You won't be disappointed.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Invasion of the Old Testament Snatchers! And Other Low Views of Scripture, July 22, 2010
This review is from: Bible Matrix (Paperback)
The church today is plagued with implicit Marcionism. Marcion, a heretic in the 2nd century, believed that Christianity did not need the foundation of the Old Testament, among other things. Today, many churches agree with Marcion in practice. And practice inevitably affects principle. The Old Testament today is seen as an irrelevant and over-lengthy text, relegated to the deepest dungeons of seminaries. The Old Testament is merely a prologue to the New Testament, and who reads prologues anymore?
Michael Bull is no Marcionite, and he believes the best weapon against this ancient heresy, as well as apathy toward Scripture in general, is to unveil the artistry and beauty of God's designed Word. That's right, God designed the Scriptures, as an architect designs a skyscraper, but unlike man's attempt to build himself up to reach God, the Scripture is God's building, a reverse Babel, reaching down to us. And it is masterfully constructed. Reading the Bible as doctrine manual or moral textbook can only bring a limited amount of satisfaction, but Bull teaches us to read the Bible as art, God's art.
As Bull instructs, the Bible uses an ancient literary device called chiasm, and in the case of Scripture, hundreds of these sevenfold patterns emerge. This is the pattern of growth and maturity that God utilizes to reiterate, time and time again, his sovereignty over all things, history included. Creation, division, ascension, testing, maturity, conquest, and glorification: the Bible is full of this pattern, divine comedy after divine comedy. Allow Bull to walk you through this, and you will be thankful for the journey. The Bible is gloriously patterned, indeed.
As for the delivery itself, the book is very pithy, refraining from theo-jargon, and includes many helpful charts and illustrations. These help to reinforce Bull's effort of giving his readers a big handle on the Bible. I have not yet read Jordan's book, "Through New Eyes", but this appears to be less dense and more of an introductory work on the topic. At times it even gives the impression of a workbook of sorts, Bull inviting his readers to think of other applications and connections that he does not explicitly mention. Overall, "Bible Matrix" is a very satisfying introduction to the typology and chiasm of Sacred Scripture.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pleasantly Surprised, January 13, 2011
This review is from: Bible Matrix (Paperback)
Michael Bull draws heavily upon the biblical insights of James Jordan. (This is noted immediately as the book is dedicated to Jordan). This is a very good thing, since Jordan's studies on literary structures and symbolism in the Bible are crucial for obtaining a consistent interpretative framework of the whole counsel of God. As a reader of Jordan myself, I expected Bible Matrix to be full of great information, but nothing I hadn't been exposed to already. Several chapters in I realized how wrong I was! Mr. Bull takes the foundational structures that men like Jordan and Peter Leithart have long advocated, and applies them to various biblical themes/stories that many people may have not considered before. Chapter 4: Festivals is a great example. We generally find the intricate details of the Old Testament to be tiresome and end up ignoring them altogether, not seeing their significance or coherency. Bull lays out the 7 Feasts of Israel and shows how they fit into the same outline - or "matrix" - that flows throughout all of Scripture. This not only helps one to understand the details of Israel's traditions more fully, but we ultimately see how they all point forward to Christ the Messiah, and consequently the Church, since we are united to his body as his bride. This is a very invigorating book and I recommend it to anyone wishing to dive deeper into the richness of biblical theology. Good for personal growth, but also for helping the church at large to breathe the Scriptures so we can consistently defend the Bible from shallow attacks and progress towards fulfilling the Great Commission.
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