Old Testament Survey

Why get too excited about an Old Testament Survey textbook? I am excited, and here is why. Paul House and Eric Mitchell combine to write this new second edition (first one published about fifteen years ago) of a text designed for use by "beginning students". In other words, this will be a required text for seminary and Christian college students for at least the next ten years! But don't let the words "required text" fool you into thinking that this is a dry volume of facts and figures. House and Mitchell write with passion and purpose. The passion comes from their solid belief in what the text of Scripture is: "...the authors of this text want to make clear they affirm the inerrancy and infallibility of God's Word. Therefore, they also believe that the Bible's historical writing is based on solid historical principles. They believe there are good reasons to affirm what the Bible says on historical matters and that there are good reasons for using sound historical research when studying the Bible." And what is their purpose? Stated in many ways, the goal of the book is to "help students learn and appreciate the UNITY of the Old Testament" (emphasis mine). They want students to delight in and learn about both the trees and the forest, breaking through to a level of understanding and appreciation for the unity of the Old Testament and hence an appreciation for the unity of the entire Bible. They state: "For centuries Christians and Jews alike considered the Old Testament a unified work. Jewish readers viewed the Hebrew Scriptures as a thorough account of their faith and history. Christians treated the Old Testament as the natural introduction to their New Testament. Neither group failed to acknowledge the many types of literature in the books, but both communities of faith found underlying themes and characters that bound the whole together. In the last two centuries, however, the diversity of the Old Testament has been stressed. Children are taught that the Bible is not a book but many books. College and seminary students often analyze each biblical book in isolation from other Scripture. Few people can fit specific stories into a larger biblical picture. Lacking a grasp of the overall Old Testament plot and purpose, Bible students struggle to understand particular passages. This book attempts to chart some elements that unify the Old Testament. They are men on a mission, and they accomplish their mission well. They write as men who know the difference between wishy-washy preaching and bold proclamation, and they seem to be men who would prefer to hear and preach the latter. The language of the Bible is more sublime than Shakespeare, but at the end of the day we must remember we are not plowing the fields of literary criticism when we handle the Word of God. No, we are taking a living Word from a living God and bringing it as faithfully and forcefully as we can to a church of saints and a world of sinners. So, for example, when the autho

Now in a revised and updated second edition, Old Testament Survey is a textbook designed for Bible students. Written by professor of divinity Paul R. House and assistant professor of Old Testament and archaeology Eric Mitchell, Old Testament Survey focuses upon the literature and narrative of the Old Testament in its methodical overview, which walks the reader through the biblical stories as well as the motives and reactions of principle characters. Charts, illustrations, sixteen full-color maps, and an index round out this excellent Bible reading companion.

The author presents Old Testament truths and historical viewpoints like other Scripture surveys and Bible study books. However, this author has a passion for the Old Testament that is rare among modern scholars. His passion for the subject caused me to be more interested in the subject matter and lead to more enjoyable study as well as increased retention.

I'm a 32 year bible student and this book is one of the greatest surveys of the bible that I have seen. I'm going to recommend this book to all of my peers

Dr. House's book is one that should be on the shelf of every Sunday School teacher. This survey is concise, helpful, easy to read, and it remains true to Scripture. It will open the eyes of the one who has always wanted to know more about the Old Testament but was too afraid to try on their own. It leaves you wanting more, and it leaves you knowing where to find more...the Old Testament itself!