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Reading John Goldingay on the Old Testament is like listening to a lover talk about his beloved. The first two volumes of his projected trilogy on the theology of the Old Testament (or, as Goldingay prefers, First Testament) are filled with thoughtful interpretation and a sense of deep admiration for the text. Volume 1 (2003) dealt with Israel's Gospel, the good news about "God's relationship with the world and with Israel." The second volume, Israel's Faith, describes what Israel believed (or should have believed), drawing particularly from the Prophets, Psalms, and Wisdom literature. The final installment will focus on Israel's "lifestyle."
Goldingay explained his methodology in volume 1, but he begins the second volume by clarifying his approach to two contentious issues: whether to emphasize the text's unity or diversity, and how to relate the Old Testament to the New. Earlier Old Testament theologies singled out a unifying theme (e.g., Eichrodt's emphasis on covenant), but Goldingay does not support this approach. He makes less of the Old Testament's diversity than Brueggemann or Gerstenberger, but he wants the First Testament to speak for itself, diversity and all. "We cannot identify a single faith articulation in the text, but we might be able to construct one out of its diversity, even if we find ourselves leaving some ambiguities and antinomies, and even if we still grant that the end result needs to recognize once more that we see only the outskirts of God's ways." As to the relation between the Old and New Testaments, Goldingay strives for a biblical theology—that is, one that takes both testaments into account. He does so, however, by attending primarily to the Old Testament text, then adding "occasional New Testament footnotes" and ending each chapter "with a reflection on what happens when First Testament faith is set in the context of New Testament faith." Even when he's discussing methodology, we can hear his passion for the Old Testament.
The lengthy second chapter (151 pages) is rich with insights on God (Yhwh). For the most part, Goldingay makes no attempt to explain away God's unusual comments and behavior. Instead, he suggests we treat God as we treat our parents: "the evidence is that many of God's acts do look good. We then trust God for the others." Next he turns his attention to Israel, rightly setting his description in the context of their relationship with Yhwh: "Yhwh is the God of Israel, and Israel is the people of Yhwh." When the children of Israel fail to appropriately respond to Yhwh and ignore the warnings of God's prophets, they face a nightmare (the theme of chapter 4). But the nightmare is not the end; God envisions a restored relationship with Israel. Humanity is the theme of chapter 6, for though Israel has a "distinctive place in God's purposes," it is "a microcosm of humanity." Here Goldingay describes God's vision for a relationship with us, "a vision … of living in community, in family and as a self; of responsibility and wisdom; of blessing; and of suffering, mortality and limitedness." The final two chapters address God's relationship with the created order and the nations.
Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, writes here for educated lay and clergy, rather than for scholars. In earlier works, Goldingay proved his familiarity with the scholarly controversies and his willingness to enter the fray, but not here. His relaxed, lilting, sometimes colloquial style makes this material approachable. ("What of Yhwh's character traits? Everyone knows that the Old Testament God is a God of wrath; the New Testament God a God of love. Oh no they don't.") Goldingay is the uncommon biblical scholar familiar with systematic theologians (Barth, Pannenberg, and Moltmann being favorites), but his goal is not to systematize the Old Testament. He wants to lead us through this material like a proud curator, pausing for long moments over single passages. The project already weighs in at over 1800 pages. Goldingay's heart is lost to the First Testament, and he wants us to love it too, ambiguity and all.
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