Customer Reviews

Introducing the Old Testament (Oxford Bible)

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Coggins's introduction urges the reader to open their mind to the several approaches to studying the Hebrew bible--outside of the historical-critical method alone--by defining what they are and the validity of these approaches. All methods, however, have their uses; at the same time all of them can be and in fact are very controversial. They include feminist approaches, literary-critical approaches, theological approaches, archaeological approaches, and others. But they're not exclusive and can be combined to contribute important insights into the meaning and relevance of Hebrew biblical literature. Coggins notes (Preface) that the critical, disciplined study of the Hebrew bible has become complicated and is becoming increasingly more so with the passage of time and innovations in methodology.

Archaeology is about more than finding artifacts that prove (or disprove) the biblical record; it's its own sophisticated discipline, a 'double-edged' sword that may corroborate the bible and may not.

A proper 'history of Israel' must incorporate or at least address sociological and anthropological perspectives. Feministic studies force us to consider gender-related issues and how they impact applying Hebrew bible societal standards to modern culture; and such studies open up new legitimate ways to interpret the bible as well.

Coggins communicates all this and more to the reader in a manner that's easy to grasp. I just don't know why this book costs so much, even as a paperback. This is not to say anything bad about the book itself, but the price should definitely be lowered.