Make the Old Testament Live: From Curriculum to Classroom (review)

Hebrew Studies 41 (2000) 247 Reviews the henneneutical circle in working out the "meaning" of a text. That is. the conversational model does not seem adequately to allow for the gaps and blind ·spots. in both the text and the interpreter. that no amount of back and forth dialogical movement can fmally solve or comprehend. The act of reading seems finally more haphazard and uncertain. though for that no less important. than either LaCocque or Ricoeur seem willing to admit. Related to this criticism I think is my dissatisfaction with the title of the book. Its implication seems to be that if one follows the authors in their conversation with the text then one will in the end have learned to "think biblically:' that is. one will have experienced a fusion of horizons between contemporary philosophical concerns and the ancient traditions represented in the Bible. Whatever one thinks about the possibility of such a fusion. it is clear that by the end of the book we have not seen this happen. While the exegete and the philosopher may influence each other. neither's discourse or approach is ever transfonned by the other. In the end, the abstraction of philosophy still exists uneasily with the particularity of biblical literature. Tod Linafelt Georgetown University Washington. DC 20057 linafelt@gunet.georgetown.edu MAKE THE OLD TESTAMENT LIVE: FROM CURRICULUM TO CLASSROOM. Richard S. Hess and Gordon Wenham. eds. Grand Rapids. MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans. 1998. Paper. These essays address problems faced in teaching the Old Testament in differing contexts. The collection. divided into three sections: Content; Context: Seminaries, Universities, Societies; and Communication, seeks to address practical pedagogical issues. Though the collection includes excellent articles. the role of evangelical theology and mission limits its audience. The title of the volume and its publisher lead one to consider that it represents a particular Christian perspective but this is never stated. even in the Introduction. Many contributors consider teaching the Old Testament a task only for Christians. and only from the perspective of the New Testament. A limited number of the essays address pedagogical issues in a manner that is useful for other edu- Hebrew Studies 41 (2000) 248 Reviews cators. The range of topics is so broad that it does not address anyone audience adequately. The first unit, Content, includes, "Bringing Alive the Old Testament: Its Role in the Wider Curriculum," "A Table in the Wilderness: Towards a Post-liberal Agenda for Old Testament Study," and "A Theological Approach ." The article concerning theology is the most useful, pedagogical, and addresses concerns also for non-Christians. McKeown describes changes in the approach to biblical theology in recent years, highlighting how there is not a theology of the Old Testament but many. He explains how his teaching approach using theology introduces without compartmentalizing the text excessively, a problem with modern commentaries. I-e notes that one can teach with ties to the Christian church but stresses that one must explain the relevancy of the text for the twenty-first century. In his syllabus he stresses choosing themes inherent in the Old Testament. The other two essays offer less useful information and are highly evangelical . The first addresses issues concerning teaching in an evangelical Christian school of theology. The information is so basic in discussing a course's structure as to be useful only to someone who has never taught. The essay stresses that the most important element in teaching the Old Testament is its contribution to Christian faith. The second essay is a call to an evangelical teaching of the Old Testament in a university setting. After discussing the relationship between modernity and Christianity, Bartholomew argues that Old Testament studies have become too closely linked, unhealthily, with modernity. Thus, "an integrally Christian agenda is required in Old Testament studies," (p. 26). He stresses that everyone has an agenda, and Christians need to apply their agenda to teaching the Old Testament openly and vigorously. The second unit, Context: Seminaries, Universities, Societies is more varied in topics and approaches. As in the previous unit. for some a tacit assumption is that the Old Testament must be taught through the eyes of the New Testament. Barker highlights this premise in...