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In The Drama of Scripture, Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen provide an engaging overview of the story line and theology of the Bible. As the authors suggest in their introduction, it is only as we read and appropriate the Bible “as our story” that we fully understand it and allow it to have authority over us. As we enter into the story of the Bible, we find God revealed there and are called to participate in his continuing activity. The biblical story, then, is foundational to Christian thinking and living. Working from this perspective, the authors survey the story in Scripture. Their work is part introduction, part commentary, part theology, and thoroughly engaging. They suggest two over-arching themes running throughout the story—“covenant” in the Old Testament and “the kingdom of God” in the New Testament. These two themes effectively summarize the activity of God throughout human history. They are ways of looking at the story in order to gain an understanding of God’s purposes and to let them claim us. Bartholomew and Goheen work their way through the Bible as a drama with six acts—creation, sin, Israel, Jesus, mission, and new creation. Their study provides an introduction to the Bible and a commentary on important passages, but it is more than that. It is also a theological reflection on the ongoing story and a call for participation in God’s grand narrative. It will be a useful work for students who study Scripture and a helpful resource for pastors and teachers looking for assistance in developing a compelling presentation of the biblical story.
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