The Minor Prophets: A Theological Introduction
Digital Logos Edition
The good news from the Minor Prophets is that, even in dire times, God speaks.
While the Minor Prophets are among the most succinct books of the Old Testament, their theological richness has much to offer us today. And not only did they have something to say to their original audience, but God continues to speak through their words in ways that are of utmost importance for the continued flourishing of God's people. In this unique introduction to the Minor Prophets, biblical scholars Craig Bartholomew and Heath Thomas survey the twelve books and explore the theological themes of each. Filled with helpful exegetical insights, this book is an invaluable guide for students, pastors, and scholars looking for a cohesive exploration of these often-overlooked books of the Hebrew Bible.
More than a survey of the text, each chapter offers theological insights that help frame the message of the Minor Prophets for preaching and living in our world today. This introduction contextualizes the Minor Prophets within a larger biblical-theological framework, illuminating these twelve books as masterful works of literature that address the realities of human life with unblinking honesty and uncompromising hope.
- Surveys the twelve books and explore the theological themes of each
- Contextualizes the Minor Prophets within a larger biblical-theological framework
- Offers theological insights that help frame the message of the Minor Prophets for preaching and living in our world today
- Introduction
- 1. Reading the Minor Prophets with the Church and in the Academy
- 2. The Ancient Word of Prophecy
- 3. Hosea: YHWH: Lover and Lion
- 4. Hosea 2: 14-23[16-25]: A Tale of Two Futures: Part Two
- 5. Joel: The Valley of Decision
- 6. The Day of the LORD
- 7. Amos: YHWH, the Master of Geopolitics, and the Affliction of Joseph
- 8. Amos and Creation: The Hymn Fragments
- 9. Obadiah: Edom’s Fall and YHWH’s Kingdom
- 10. Jonah: The Patient God
- 11. Spiritual Formation: Jonah and His Canticle 2:3[2]-10[9]
- 12. Micah: Divine Forgiveness and the Remnant
- 13. He Has Told You What Is Good: Micah 6:6-8
- 14. Nahum and Zephaniah: God, the Nations, and Israel
- 15. Habakkuk: A Protesting and Patient Faith
- 16. Faith in the Faithful God: Habakkuk 2:2-4
- 17. Zechariah: Prisoners of Hope
- 18. Zechariah 9:9-10: The King Receives His Kingdom
- 19. Haggai and Malachi: Restoration and Remembrance
- 20. The Theology of the Minor Prophets
- 21. The Minor Prophets and Jesus
- 22. The Theology of the Minor Prophets for Today
Showing clarity and theological awareness, Craig Bartholomew and Heath Thomas open up these important books. With close attention to the text, they demonstrate the abiding significance of their message. This book deserves to be read widely and should have a place on any reading list on the Minor Prophets. Highly commended!
—David Firth, tutor in Old Testament at Trinity College, Bristol, and author of Including the Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets
This timely theological reading of the Twelve attends to the long impact they have had: in their original context; as practiced by Jesus of Nazareth; as read by New Testament authors; and in light of the concerns of our own time. It is an accessible introduction to the Twelve that adds more—highlighting key texts and themes arising in individual books and pointing out the connections that hint at their preservation as an anthology. Authors Bartholomew and Thomas, like prophets of old, listen for the voice of God. This volume is no mere academic exercise but will shape faithful action in its readers.
—Jeanette Mathews, author of Performing Habakkuk and Prophets as Performers
Bartholomew and Thomas have produced an impressive major resource for the study of the book of the Twelve. Concerned above all to bring the prophets' powerful message to today's church, they write with urgency and empathy about the contemporary world, convinced that this is what motivated the prophets in their own times. Firmly grounded in scholarship on the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts, and their interpretation in the church from the earliest Christian centuries, Bartholomew and Thomas offer sensitive, close readings of each book. At the same time, they attend to complex hermeneutical issues, notably the theological relationship of each book to the Twelve considered as a corpus, and also to the New Testament. This book should become indispensable for serious study of the Prophets.
—Gordon McConville, professor emeritus of Old Testament at the University of Gloucestershire
- Title: The Minor Prophets: A Theological Introduction
- Authors: Craig G. Bartholomew, Heath A. Thomas
- Publisher: IVP Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Pages: 388
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. O.T. Minor Prophets › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Bible. O.T. Minor Prophets › Theology
- ISBNs: 9781514001691, 9781514001684, 1514001691, 1514001683
- Resource ID: LLS:MINORPROPHETSATI
- Resource Type: text.monograph.biblical-theology
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-08-21T19:54:48Z