The Place of God at the Bookends of the Bible: The Rest of the Whole Story
Ebook
What if everything in the Bible has a larger outer context than is usually accounted for? Missional and biblical theologies suggest that the Bible presents a grand story like a play with multiple acts. The acts typically include creation, fall, redemption, and finally restoration. But what if the whole story itself occurs in another larger setting, occurring within a mission running in the background throughout the whole Bible? How might this aid our research, reading, and application? And why is this being proposed now?
This book explores these questions. The larger context is the production of the place of God--a home and homeland wherein God, with his people, dwell on earth. Since place is underdeveloped in biblical studies, the book presents a new method for interpreting place. Then the book lays out the case that a grand mission to produce the place of God becomes the outer context for the whole Bible. Finally, the book defends this proposal with an in-depth placial commentary of the bookends of the Bible, since these bookends provide keys to unlock this message, thereby inviting further study on the rest of the Bible and on the implications for this transformative perspective.
“The Place of God at the Bookends of the Bible is a full and careful consideration of how a multidimensional look at space helps us see what the Bible is doing. It is a fresh way to read the text and proves quite useful in understanding some of the biggest things the Bible is doing.”
—Darrell L. Bock, senior research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
“In this ambitious book, David Larsen proposes methodological and substantive advances to the biblical and theological discussion on space, place, and Scripture. Attending to the ‘bookends of the bible,’ this book builds a case for God’s ‘grand mission of place-making in the Bible’—the establishment of God’s own home, his own permanent dwelling where he will dwell with his family.”
—Geoffrey H. Fulkerson, associate professor of philosophy and theology, Dordt University
“At its heart, David W. Larsen’s message is that God is a place-maker, and that all humans are made in his place-making image. This vision enlivens what it means to be human, both between and beyond the ‘bookends’ of Scripture. It invites a reading of the whole Bible for its place-making impetus and provokes readers to seek God-given wisdom and practices to live for Jesus in our actual places.”
—Matthew Sleeman, vice-principal, Oak Hill College
“David Larsen has produced a fine, fresh study of the ‘bookends’ of the biblical canon, Genesis 1–2 and Revelation 21–22, to show the importance of place-making as a theme in Scripture. He engages thoughtfully and imaginatively with these key texts, drawing fruitfully on recent scholarship on place and placiality. His wonderful eye for detail provides a new vision of the role of God and humanity within the created order. Highly recommended!”
—Steve Walton, senior research fellow, Trinity College, Bristol, UK
- Title: The Place of God at the Bookends of the Bible: The Rest of the Whole Story
- Author: David W. Larsen
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666758221, 9781666758214, 1666758213, 9781666758207, 1666758205, 1666758221
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666758221
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-10-12T22:10:11Z
David W. Larsen is a senior research fellow at the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, where he is the director of The Scripture Collective.