Synopses & Reviews
This careful and profound new work is a collection of previously published essays examining the experience of Scripture in the way it informs a wholly Christian life. With a special focus on the commandments and the Psalms, there is also a generous section on what other parts of the Old Testament have to say to our observations of theology today.In the first section, Patrick Miller is compelling in his portrayal of the rich complexities of the Ten Commandments and convincing in his assertion that aspects of the Decalogue appear and are expanded throughout Scripture. His second section shifts to the Psalms, revealing them to be as much a book of theology as a book of poetry and song, pointing a way of faith and life. The final section expands to consider more wide-ranging topics in theology and anthropology, contemplating the character of God and the nature of the human."Part of being human, Miller writes, is a slow building up of trust based on experiences of God's earlier deliverances. . . . It is in insights such as these that Miller is at his best. Throughout the book Miller's writing is logical and profound. A close but clear reading is possible because Miller walks a reader through to his conclusion. One may not agree with all the conclusions reached, but Miller arrives at them fairly and with both textual and scholarly support. He offers fellow scholars and students alike a wealth of insights based on a lifetime of study. His book provides an excellent tool; it is an up-to-date reference work, particularly on the commandments and the Psalms. It is sure to be cited widely by those writing journal articles. Miller's work -- always outstanding, always reasoned, alwayswell-written -- leaves a reader grateful for the chance to be walked through the richness of topics in the biblical text by one who has so profoundly shaped biblical scholarship for decades." -- Robin Gallaher Branch in "Review of Biblical Literature"
Synopsis
The Way of the Lord contains twenty-one of respected biblical scholar Patrick Miller's best essays on Old Testament theology. In this work Miller focuses on the Commandments and the Psalms but also discusses what other parts of the Old Testament have to say to our theology today.
In the first section Miller portrays the rich complexities of the Ten Commandments and asserts that aspects of them appear in expanded form throughout Scripture. His second section shifts to the Psalms, revealing them to be as much a book of theology as a book of poetry and song, pointing to a way of faith and life. The final section expands to consider more wide-ranging topics on theology and anthropology, contemplating the character of God and the nature of human beings.
Synopsis
In the first section Miller portrays the rich complexities of the Ten Commandments and asserts that aspects of them appear in expanded form throughout Scripture. His second section shifts to the Psalms, revealing them to be as much a book of theology as a book of poetry and song, pointing to a way of faith and life. The final section expands to consider more wide-ranging topics on theology and anthropology, contemplating the character of God and the nature of human beings. --from publisher description
Table of Contents
The Commandments -- The place of the decalogue in the Old Testament and its law -- The sufficiency and insufficiency of the Commandments -- Metaphors for the moral -- The good neighborhood : identity and community through the Commandments -- The story of the first commandment : the book of Exodus -- The story of the first commandment : the book of Joshua -- The Psalms as a meditation on the first commandment -- The commandments in the reformed perspective -- "That it may go well with you" : the commandments and the common good -- The Psalms -- The ruler in Zion and the hope of the poor : Psalms 9-10 in the context of the psalter -- The poetry of creation : Psalm 104 -- The hermeneutics of imprecation -- Prayer and worship -- The psalter as a book of theology -- What is a human being? : the anthropology of the psalter -- The sinful and trusting creature : the anthropology of the psalter -- Old Testament theology -- Constitution or instruction? : the purpose of Deuteronomy -- "Slow to anger" : the God of the prophets -- What the scriptures principally teach -- Theology from below : the theological interpretation of Scripture -- Man and woman : towards a theological anthropology.