Book Notices -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 140:559 (Jul 1983)
Article: Book Notices
Author: Anonymous


Book Notices

God Is Light: A Case for Christianity Today. By Foster H. Shannon. Campbell, CA: Green Leaf Press, 1981. 225 pp. Paper, $6.95.

Shannon, pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church, San Jose, California, presents readers with a provocative array of arguments for the truthfulness of the Christian position. The subtitle of the book gives some clue as to the development of the topics treated. These include studies on reason and faith, evidences for the truth of Christianity, studies about creation and evolution, and selected biblical doctrines. The author makes needless concession to theistic evolution (pp. 48-51); yet there is ample help in this book for anyone who wants to examine the arguments for the validity of Christianity. Shannon maintains a good balance on the relationship of faith and reason; he states that “faith in Jesus Christ is more than the product of the most earnest intellectual activity” (p. 7).

F. R. Howe

A History of the Hebrew Language. By Eduard Yechezkel Kutscher. Edited by Raphael Kutscher. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1982. xxx + 306 pp. $35. 00.

This history of Hebrew, published posthumously, is a masterful survey of selected aspects of that language in the biblical, Qumran, Mishnaic, medieval, and modern periods. The author does not attempt to present a complete survey of any of these phases of Hebrew. Rather, he discusses in each phase what he considers to be distinctive or at least significant. A brief survey of Hebrew as a Semitic language precedes the major phases. Though the discussion is somewhat uneven, the information brought together is quite valuable. Criticisms from this reviewer would relate to what is not discussed and may be omitted. The book will

be a worthwhile contribution to anyone concerned with any of these phases of the Hebrew language.

W. R. Bodine

Approaches to Old Testament Interpretation. By John Goldingay. Issues in Contemporary Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1981. 191 pp. Paper, $6.95.

Goldingay’s purpose in this book is to examine recent interpretations of the significance of the Old Testament for the church. He surveys those approaches which see the Old Testament as a body of doctrine, a guide to proper behavior, the story of salvation, a witness to Christ, and a part of the biblical canon. He discusses some of the most fundamental issues and problems in the areas of biblical theology, ethics, and hermeneutics. The strengths of the volume are the author’s ability to bring these issues into sharp focus and his objective and often penetrating analyses of various positions.

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