Customer Reviews

Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Although at times it reads like a high school textbook, this is an excellent survey of the Old Testament and ancient cultures. When I first encountered it, I had already studied a lot about the ancient world and the Old Testament and I still found this book to be a worthwhile read.

I recommend this book for any Christian, or non-Christian, who is interested in learning about the Old Testament and how the Israelite culture fit in to the ancient world. There are plenty of pictures and trivia pieces to keep the book from reading like a long essay.

After reading this, you'll gain so much appreciation for one simple fact: the New Testament is completely built upon the foundation of the Old Testament. And to learn the OT better is to know the NT better!

Good overview of each book of the OT -- BUT there were a LOT of mistakes (verse references and illustration references) in the book, which I believe decreases its integrity as it certainly takes away my respect of its credibility. For example, on pg 214, the citation for 2 Sm 6:6-8 should actually be 2 Sm 5:6-8. Another example, on pg. 242, "Jotham of Israel" should actually be "Jotham of Judah". These are only a few of the mistakes I've seen, and it makes me wonder what other mistakes there are. Seems like it needs a good editor's eye.

Other issues I had with this book: the key terms are never defined in the book. You have to look it up in the accompanying CD to find the definitions. Also, I found that often times, the point/message that the authors are trying to convey in their paragraphs and sections are never clearly stated (they beat around the bush and go in circles). Lastly, the attempts at application/contextualization seem to have been added to the ends of sections almost as an afterthought, and they stood out like a sore thumb as not belonging to the train of thought.

I am disappointed with the quality of this book. The pictures and color are very appealing in comparison to other Old Testament survey books, however, the other issues with the book make it a less than desirable textbook.

If you're a pastor, seminary student, or a layperson who needs a good, informative, and easy to read introduction to the Old Testament then this book will be perfect for you. Many OT introductions/surveys that are out there are either 1) too technical and academic, or 2) liberal/modernist. This introduction is solidly evangelical, easy to understand, and academic enough for even the novice biblical scholar.

The strength of the book is that it does not only survey each of the books in the Old Testament section by section but by topics of significance in each book. For instance, when the authors talk about the book of Genesis they do not only discuss what each of the 50 chapters say but about what the author said about the nature of election, the Abrahamic promise, the covenant, etc. Pretty much everything is covered regarding each book (authorship, date, place of writing, etc.).

Another feature of the book that will attract more novice pastors and students of the Bible is the colourful pictures that are abundantly printed in the book. Though some may find this comical, I think it added to the charm of this book. Pictures, graphs, maps, etc. help readers understand the background of each of the OT books better.

Finally, one other thing I really liked about this book is that the authors discuss side-issues related to the OT. The chapters on the historical background of the OT (chap. 2) and the introduction to the Prophetic books (chap. 24) are well written, informative, and orthodox. Sure, the authors could have written more deeply on these chapters but the intended audience demanded that they do not go too deeply in these matters.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book for those who want a better understanding of the OT books. Though it is not that scholarly and deep, it is still good enough for what it intends and many students of the Bible will find rich information that will greatly help in their personal spiritual growth and ministry.

This wonderful book, with its clear layout, readable text, brilliant pictures, accurate maps, and added interactive CD, is a great beginner's guide to studying the Old Testament.

I compared the book to the Lion Handbook to the Bible, and found that while the layout is similar, so much more information is provided.

Suited to a Diploma or Home Bible Study level, "Encountering the Old Testament" will still be of help when reviewing any Old Testament survey for bachelor study or above.

If the Old Testament has seemed a closed book, this will open it up in a fresh and vibrant way. A wonderful companion to the equally as good "Encountering the New Testament".

This book is factual/informative like a text book but it reads very smoothly. Visual aids help the reader to remember what has been studied. This is an excellent book for ministers who are looking for a fresh source of Old Testament facts and it would also benefit a beginning Bible student.

This book was chosen as a textbook by the teacher of a class in which I enrolled. Beautifully illustrated, and heavily re-inforced by bullets, summaries, and review questions, this volume would easily lend itself to the high school student. More scholarly works are referenced for further reading.

Excellent textbook, clear in its statements, wide in its content, and excellent in quality with its color photos, maps and sidebars.

This is much like a text book but it will certainly help one discovery the life and times of those in the old testament. I actually purchased this for a class I was taking and i refer to it often.

The book is an excellent overview of the Old Testament. It arrived in a very timely manner and the condition of the book was like new. Greatly pleased with purchase...thank you!

I highly recommend "Encountering the Old Testament:A Christian Survey" to all those who desire to learn more and understand better God's message to humanity as revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. It is one of the best Old Testament Survey Books available on the market today.