New Book on Biblical Theology By an Expert…

No, the expert is not me.  It is T. Desmond Alexander and the book is called From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology.  Having seen some of the chapter titles, I get a sense that Alexander will emphasize temple-theology and the master-theme of God’s presence (and absence).  Thus, I presume that he will be covering some of the same ground as Beale did in his work on the temple and the church.  Also, Alexander works largely with a narratival approach to biblical theology, as is quite common today.  This seems to connect with work by N.T. Wright, Richard Bauckham, Craig Bartholomew, and Kevin Vanhoozer.  Of course, I am sure that Alexander will add his own spin on this.

I picked up from somewhere that Alexander begins with Revelation and the hope of the New Jerusalem.  In any case, I have been thinking a lot about Biblical Theology as of late and I welcome new proposals and directions.  I certainly agree with Beale that temple is important, and also I accept the significance of the master-plot when the story is conceived broadly.  I am also one of the few (but faithful!) that believe in Wright’s “end of exile” theory.  Ben Witherington directs his NT theology with a view towards the restoration of the image of God (and thus his title, the Indelible Image).  The Bible, I have heard recently, does not need only one “center,” – having just one would be convenient, but somewhat unlikely.  If it does have one, it is probably about God’s power and benevolence.  That does not really get us too far.  So, I admit that a multi-faceted approach is necessary.

In any case, I eagerly look forward to diving into Alexander’s book.  He is a well-respective biblical theologian and I know that his argument will be cogent and matured.