Customer Reviews:
 A good introduction July 19, 2004
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This volume gives an overview of the Biblical story line in historical sequence. It serves as a introduction to the Interfaces series which is a narrative theology/literary criticism series intended for an introductory level college class. The editor of the series, Sr. Barbara Green. O.P. is an excellent and entertaining teacher - her style transfers nicely to the printed page. The material is divided into 31 time frames - each given enough detail to truly serve as a framework to the detailed books of the series. This frames are:
1. Adam and Eve
2. Noah, Family and Friends
3. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah
4. Jacob and Family
5. Joseph and Family
6. Moses of the Egypt Experience
7. Moses between Egypt and Canaan
8. Joshua
9. Samson among the Judges
10. Ruth, Naomi, and their Kin
11. Samuel and Saul
12. David and His Household
13. Solomon, Jeroboam, Ahijah of Shiloh
14. Ahab, Jezebel, Elijah and Elisha
15. Amos, Hosea, and the Jehu Dynasty
16. Ahaz, Hezekiah, (First) Isaiah, Micah
17. Jeremiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Josiah, Huldah
18. Ezekiel, Obadiah, Joel
19. (Second) Isaiah of the Return
20. Tobit, Daniel, Esther
21. Haggai and Zechariah
22. Ezra and Nehemiah
23. Malachi, (Third) Isaiah, Joel
24. Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) and Job
25. The Hasmonean "Maccabee" Family and Judith
26. Sophia in Wisdom of Solomon
27. Jesus of Nazareth
28. Jewish Christianity: Matthew, James, Jude
29. Gentile Christianity: Mark, Luke
30. Gentile Christianity: Paul, 1 and 2 Peter
31. Alternative to The Great Church: the Johannine Communities
The distinctions made to create these time frames are representative of the focus of the book as a whole. Several series issues are raised, not to be given answers but to focus the eventual reading of the Scripture itself.The only misstep in this book is a inconsistent and sometimes intrusive attempt to write in the voice of Wisdom. Otherwise, this is an excellent introduction to history as portrayed in the Scripture.
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