New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring the Unity and Diversity of Scripture [Paperback]

Brian S. Rosner (Editor), T. Desmond Alexander (Editor), Graeme Goldsworthy (Editor), D. A. Carson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2004

The will quickly establish itself as an essential building block of every library of basic biblical reference books. Building on its companion volumes, the and this work takes readers to a higher vantage point where they can view the thematic terrain of the Bible in its canonical wholeness. In addition, it fills the interpretive space between those volumes and the

At the heart of this work is an A-to-Z encyclopedia of over 200 key biblical-theological themes such as atonement, creation, eschatology, Israel, Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God, redemption, suffering, wisdom and worship. Students and communicators of the Bible will be well served by articles exploring the theology of each biblical book. And for those interested in the wider discipline of biblical theology, major articles explore foundational issues such as the history of biblical theology, the challenges raised against biblical theology, and the unity and diversity of Scripture.

Over 120 contributors drawn from the front ranks of biblical scholarship in the English-speaking world make the a work of distinction and a benchmark of evangelical biblical theology at the turn of the twenty-first century. Bibliographies round out all articles, directing readers to research trails leading out of the and into crucial studies on every subject. Cross-references throughout send readers through the varied maze of reading pathways, maximizing the usefulness of this volume.

Comprehensive, authoritative and easily accessible, the is certain to establish itself as an essential resource for students of the Bible and theology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The advent of the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology is both timely and highly significant. It is timely because of the increasing recognition in both scholarly and popular Christian circles of the need to integrate biblical themes, ideas and passages into the message of the Bible as a whole (whatever diversity there may be within it). The volume is important because of the quality and scope of its articles, which are helpfully divided into three sections: those dealing with fundamental issues relating to biblical theology, articles about various books and corpora of the Scriptures, and those on key biblical topics. This dictionary will be an invaluable aid to all students and teachers of the Bible who want to understand the relation of the parts to the whole thrust of the Scriptures." (Peter O'Brien, Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia)

"At least once in each generation, change of such magnitude takes place in a field of study that standard reference books have to be revised and new ones written. What Kevin Vanhoozer has called in this volume the 'second coming' of biblical theology in the twentieth century is just such a change. It has stimulated fresh interest in the theological unity of the Bible and renewed study of themes across the whole sweep of biblical revelation. The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology is keenly attuned to this welcome development and draws on the best of contemporary evangelical scholarship. It is a quality volume, which I'm sure will become a standard reference work for all serious Bible students, especially those committed to teaching and preaching the whole Bible as Christian Scripture." (Barry G. Webb, Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia)

"The idea that the writings of the Old and New Testaments form a coherent whole is at odds with current scholarly fashion. The Christian 'Old Testament' has become a supposedly more neutral 'Hebrew Bible,' only loosely related to the New Testament; and the emphasis on the distinctiveness of the individual biblical texts has led to a systematic neglect of their deep interrelatedness. This fragmentation of the Bible undermines its single though diverse testimony to the action of the triune God in and for the world. Evangelical scholarship has always been concerned with the whole Bible and is uniquely well placed to resist this trend toward fragmentation. The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology is a timely challenge to contemporary scholarship to reconsider its prejudice against coherence. It is a welcome sign that biblical theology continues to flourish and that reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated." (Francis Watson, Durham University, England)

"The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology is a valuable resource for teachers, preachers and students. There are excellent surveys of key issues such as 'The Unity and Diversity of Scripture' and 'Relationship of Old Testament and New Testament,' plus more detailed articles on biblical books, themes, characters, etc. Most of those I have read reflect thorough research and breadth of knowledge. Helpful bibliographies are provided after each article. . . . The emphasis on the theological significance of the topics covered is a distinctive contribution of this work." (David L. Baker, Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio)

Product Details

• Paperback: 886 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (April 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830814388
• ISBN-13: 978-0830814381
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a long-overdue work September 9, 2001

By John Botkin

Format:Paperback

This excellent work seeks to illuminate the key themes of biblical theology. Biblical theology seeks to understand the parts of the Bible in relation to the whole canon of Scripture. (As opposed to systematic theology, which seeks to develop large categories in which to fit the biblical data; while both are helpful, biblical theology is essential to systematic theology.) This dictionary seeks to illustrate this connectedness in three ways (sections). The first section offers various articles ranging in topic from the history of biblical theology to the actual �doing� of biblical theology. The second section provides a look at a biblical theology of the biblical corpora and books (i.e. Genesis to Kings, Wisdom books, Prophetic books, Synoptic Gospels, Luke-Acts, the Johannine writings, Paul, and articles on individual books). The third section, which I found particularly helpful, is a collection of essays on the certain biblical themes.

A good example of the kind of work taking place in this third section comes in the article on the nation of Israel (pp. 581 � 586). Here the author shows, among other things, how the New Testament presents Jesus as the True Israel. The following are some of the arguments from the article: Jesus replaces Israel as God's Son (Hos 11:1; Matt 2:14-15). Jesus replaces Israel as the �true vine� (John 15:1 � see Ps 80:9-16; Isa 5:1-7; 27:2ff; Jer 2:21; 12:l0ff; Ezek 15:1-8; 17:1-21; 19:10-14; Hos 10:1-2). Jesus succeeded as the true Servant of God where Israel failed. Jesus reenacts Israel�s history: the exodus from Egypt (Matt 2:19-20), the crossing of the Red Sea (Matt 3:13-17), the temptations in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11), and the arrival at Mt. Sinai to receive the law (Matt 5:1-2), and He receives the expected out-pouring of God�s Spirit (Matt 3:16; cf. Isa 44:2-3; Ezek 36:25-27), showing that Jesus is truly the Son with whom God is pleased (Matt 3:16). John also uses the great images for Israel in the Old Testament for Jesus and His disciples (the good shepherd and the flock in 10:11-16 and vine and the branches in 15:1-5). Through Christ the covenant is fulfilled and those who become a part of the people of God do so through Him, thus they too are part of the fulfilled covenant. The true people of God (Israel) is seen in the Church (both Jews and Gentiles � Gal 3:6-9, 6:16; Rom 2:28-29), though God has yet to finish His work with ethnic Israel as well (Romans 9-11). Jesus replaces Israel as Abraham's seed (Gal 3:16). To be a part of the people of God, you must be a child of Abraham (Gal 3:29).

This work is a dictionary, and as with most works of this type, it has many contributors. However, I believe this is one of the key strengths of a work like this. The editors (all �heavy-hitting� scholars in their own right) have selected scholars to write in the areas in which they have already done extensive work. This gives the reader access to what some of the greatest evangelical theologians are saying on a wide range of topics.

For serious Bible students, this work is an essential buy. One would be hard pressed to find any other single volume work which deals with such a wide range of biblical themes in such an excellent way.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Biblical Theology done right! December 19, 2000

By Jason Fowler

Format:Paperback

[I've] had a chance to use this book, and I must say that this new dictionary is one of the finest on the market. The format of this dictionary is unique. The first section contains several lengthy articles on subjects that affect biblical theology. The second section contains articles on each genre of literature in the Bible and articles on the individual books of the Bible. The final section of the book is the actual dictionary, which has numerous entries on various biblical themes. This one book serves as an introduction to biblical interpretation, an Old Testament and New Testament introduction, and a Bible Dictionary. And at 863 not-so-large print pages, one could hardly say that this book just gives a cursory view of Biblical Theology. This Dictionary is an excellent tool for both students and professors. ....

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Aid for Biblical Interpretation January 20, 2003

By Gontroppo VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This book is one of the very best aids for understanding the Bible. Contributors include some of the pioneers in evangelical biblical theology, as well as many of the most respected biblical scholars of recent years.

Here are a few of the many helpful contributors:
Graeme Goldsworthy
Donald Hagner
Tremper Longman
Douglas Moo
Alec Motyer
Ray Ortlund
Jim Packer
Max Turner
and
David Peterson

The book includes helpful articles about the discipline of biblical theology and comparisons with systematic theology in Part 1 and articles about some of the main biblical themes in Part 3. Part 2 breaks the Bible up into large chunks and then discusses about three main themes of:
Genesis to Kings
Wisdom Books
Prophetic Books
Synoptic Gospels
Luke-Acts
Johannine Writings
and
Paul

Part 2 then continues by going into detail on each biblical book.

Highly recommended.

If you would like this book at a bargain price, with 17 other helpful books, including the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, Sinclair Ferguson's New Dictionary of Theology, the New Bible Dictionary and the New Bible Commentary, Amazon also sells the Essential IVP Reference Collection CD ROM.