Brent A. Strawn – författare

This concise volume introduces readers to the three main sections of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and to the biblical books found in each. It is organized around two primary "stories": the story that scholars tell about the Old Testament and the story the literature itself tells. Concluding with a reconsideration of the Old Testament as more like poetry than a story, three main chapters cover:

With key summaries of what the parts of the Old Testament "are all about," and including suggestions for further reading, this volume is an ideal introduction for students of and newcomers to the Old Testament.

This concise volume introduces readers to the three main sections of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and to the biblical books found in each. It is organized around two primary "stories": the story that scholars tell about the Old Testament and the story the literature itself tells. Concluding with a reconsideration of the Old Testament as more like poetry than a story, three main chapters cover:

With key summaries of what the parts of the Old Testament "are all about," and including suggestions for further reading, this volume is an ideal introduction for students of and newcomers to the Old Testament.

The Psalms express the most elemental human emotions, representing situations in which people are most vulnerable, ecstatic, or driven to the extremities of life and faith. Many people may be familiar with a few Psalms, or sing them as part of worship. Here highly respected author Walter Brueggemann offers readers an additional use for the Psalms: as scripted prayers we perform to help us reveal ourselves to God.

Brueggemann explores the rich historical, literary, theological, and spiritual content of the Psalms while focusing on various themes such as praise, lament, violence, and wisdom. He skillfully describes Israel''s expression of faith as sung through the Psalms, situates the Psalmic liturgical tradition in its ancient context, and encourages contemporary readers to continue to perform them as part of their own worship experiences. Brueggemann''s masterful take on the Psalms as prayers will help readers to unveil their hopes and fears before God and, in turn, feel God''s grace unveiled to them.

In this concise volume, Brent Strawn addresses ten common "lies" or mistruths about the Old Testament, from perceptions of God''s personality (the “angry Old Testament God”) to the relevance of the Old Testament for Christians. Discover why stories and laws written thousands of years ago, centuries before Christ, are enriching and indispensable for modern Christians. Written by a leading scholar in Old Testament and designed for easy reading and group discussion, this book will expand your thinking about the Bible’s First (and largest) Testament.

The Pivotal Moments in the Old Testament Series helps readers see Scripture with new eyes, highlighting short, key texts—"pivotal moments"—that shift our expectations and invite us to turn toward another reality transformed by God''s purposes and action.

The book of Exodus brims with dramatic stories familiar to most of us: the burning bush, Moses'' ringing proclamation to Pharaoh to "Let my people go," the parting of the Red Sea. These signs of God''s liberating agency have sustained oppressed people seeking deliverance over the ages. But Exodus is also a complex book. Reading the text firsthand, one encounters multilayered narratives: about entrenched socioeconomic systems that exploit the vulnerable, the mysterious action of the divine, and the giving of a new law meant to set the people of Israel apart. How does a contemporary reader make sense of it all? And what does Exodus have to say about our own systems of domination and economic excess?

In Delivered out of Empire, Walter Brueggemann offers a guide to the first half of Exodus, drawing out "pivotal moments" in the text to help readers untangle it. Throughout, Brueggemann shows how Exodus consistently reveals a God in radical solidarity with the powerless.

The Pivotal Moments in the Old Testament Series helps readers see Scripture with new eyes, highlighting short, key texts—"pivotal moments"—that shift our expectations and invite us to turn toward another reality transformed by God''s purposes and action.

The book of Exodus brims with dramatic stories familiar to most of us: Moses’ ringing proclamation to Pharaoh to “let my people go,” the freed Israelites astonished by manna in the wilderness, God’s descending on Mount Sinai in a cloud of fire and glory to deliver the law to Moses and the people. These signs of God’s liberating agency, provision, and covenant have sustained oppressed peoples over the ages. But Exodus is also a complex book, which is why we divide it into two parts. Readers of parts one and two of Pivotal Moments in the Book of Exodus will encounter multilayered narratives about the mysterious action of the divine to overturn exploitative systems, the giving of a new law meant to set the people of Israel apart, and instructions for building a tabernacle in which God will dwell in glory. How does a contemporary reader make sense of it all?

In Delivered into Covenant, Walter Brueggemann offers a guide to the second half of Exodus—from Israel’s journey through the wilderness to Mount Sinai to the establishment of the tabernacle—drawing out “pivotal moments” in the text. Throughout, Brueggemann shows how Exodus consistently reveals a God who is in radical solidarity with the powerless and who is dedicated to cultivating a covenant people who act to repudiate the powers of empire. Questions for reflection and discussion are included at the end of each of the fourteen chapters, making it ideal for individual or group study.