Making Wise The Simple: The Torah In Christian Faith And Practice (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Too long restricted to children's storybooks and cinematic extravaganzas, the Torah — comprising the first five books of the Bible — is an underappreciated mother lode of divine instruction, vitally important for Christians and the church. Convinced that both those who take the Torah too literally and those who neglect it are guilty of a naïve simplicity, Johanna van Wijk-Bos presents guidelines to help ordinary Christians recover this treasure in their faith and practice.

Having lived in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation, van Wijk-Bos recognizes that after the attempted annihilation of the Jews from Christian Europe, it cannot be business as usual for Christianity. In light of the Holocaust, Christians must commit themselves to the restoration of just relations between Christians and Jews. This commitment to address all that fractures human relations undergirds van Wijk-Bos's call for Christians to reengage the Torah.

"Making Wise the Simple" points out how God's care for and engagement with the whole world in the Torah set the tone for the entire biblical story. The book pays special attention to how our treatment of strangers lies at the heart of the Torah's teaching. Without attempting a purely Jewish reading of the Torah, van Wijk-Bos reclaims the Torah as a vibrant word for the Christian community in covenant with God.

Written in a personal style conversant with current scholarship but sprinkled with anecdotes, this book is for everyone who has a hunger and enthusiasm for what the biblical text may convey, the courage to ask disturbing questions of the text, and an openness to old words that may bring forth new things, perhaps even making one wise.

About the Author

Johanna W. H. van Wijk-Bos is Dora Pierce Professor of Bible and professor of Old Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), she is also the author of "Reformed and Feminist: A Challenge to the Church" and "Reimagining God: The Case for Scriptural Diversity."

Product Details

• Paperback: 329 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802809901
• ISBN-13: 978-0802809902
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #738,794 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Introduction/ Apology for the Torah, April 9, 2009

By	Matthew Marston - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I give this book four stars for these two reasons: 1) The writing is accesible and clear. 2) The author persuasively makes this case that Christians should pay more attention to the Torah. She also highlights an important thread in the Torah: God's call to care for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow. I do not always agree with the author's conclusions but gladly echo her sentiments and appreciate her insights. For anyone who is repelled by the Old Testament's picture of God or offended by Israel's election or the presence of violence in the Old Testament, this book is an necessary read. The author is a "Reformed feminist" who is very aware of herself in her readings of the Torah texts.

At times, van Wijk-Bos' attention to the important and pervasive theme about care for the outsider seems to neglect other central elements. It is by no means exhaustive or complete, but successful in what it sets out to do: help Christians see the importance of Torah and correct misconceptions about Torah.