Esther & Daniel (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible | BTC)
Overview
The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible advances the assumption that the Nicene creedal tradition, in all its diversity, provides the proper basis for the interpretation of the Bible. This series, written by leading theologians, encourages readers to extend the vital roots of the ancient Christian tradition to our day. This addition offers a theological exegesis of Esther and Daniel.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
Top Highlights
“The key lesson, embodied in the life of Esther herself, is that it is possible to live in two worlds simultaneously. It is possible to be called Esther and Hadassah. It is possible to be the object of others’ desires and an obedient agent in someone else’s game, and yet to be biding one’s time and waiting one’s moment to bring about exactly the outcome one seeks. In short, it is possible to survive and thrive as a Jew, yet have no land, no king, no temple, and not even a carefully practiced law to call one’s own. The book of Esther is not a fairy story. It is a profound challenge to the dominant reading of the politics of exile.” (Page 14)
“The story of Moses is a celebration of what God has done; the story of Esther is a celebration of what the Jews can do.” (Page 13)
“We can go a step further. The Christian exegete must make good on this most basic claim by making an overarching argument that the book and its interpretation shows an inherent trajectory. The ‘one like the Son of Man’6 coming to ‘the Ancient of Days’7 in Dan. 7 may have had one reference in its original form, yet another in the completed book, yet another in its decisive reception into Rev. 5, and yet another when the church came to articulate its doctrine of the Trinity. The task of the commentator is to show how each stage invites the next, how all the stages together form such a trajectory.” (Page 102)
“The thematic center (and almost the actual center of the text) of Daniel is the coming of the ‘one like a Son of Man’ to the Ancient of Days in Dan. 7, to whom is delivered ‘all peoples, nations, and languages’ (7:14) in a triumphal procession to his praise.” (Page 111)
A fascinating conversation between two books that capture opposite aspects of the life of faith emerges in this volume of the Brazos Theological Commentary. In Esther, God seems to disappear from history, leaving the faithful to their own desperate devices. And in Daniel, we read about God breaking into the chaos of history. Imaginatively and convincingly, Wells and Sumner show the theological, ethical, and even missional importance of these ‘outlier’ books within the Christian canon. Powerfully written, this book is designed to stimulate serious conversation in the church.
—Ellen F. Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology, Duke Divinity School
This volume in the Brazos Theological Commentary series shows two keen theological imaginations interacting with two challenging books of the Bible. Wells and Sumner offer readings of Esther and Daniel that display their insights as careful, thoughtful readers, while also revealing their roles as contemporary tradents passing on insights from their historic predecessors to their contemporary community. Preachers, students, and scholars who care about the possibility of responsible theological interpretation—especially with regard to the relation of Jewish and Christian readings of biblical books—will find much of great value here.
—A. K. M. Adam, assistant professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary
- Title: Esther & Daniel
- Authors: Samuel Wells, George Sumner
- Series: Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible
- Publisher: Brazos
- Print Publication Date: 2013
- Logos Release Date: 2013
- Pages: 256
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. O.T. Esther › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Daniel › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9781441257451, 9781587433313, 1441257454, 1587433311
- Resource ID: LLS:BRAZOS17ES
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-11-07T23:07:53Z
Samuel Wells is vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Anglican Church in Trafalgar Square, London. He earned a PhD from the University of Durham and served as dean of the chapel and research professor of Christian ethics at Duke University. Wells is the author of Be Not Afraid, Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics, and Transforming Fate into Destiny: The Theological Ethics of Stanley Hauerwas. He coedited, with Stanley Hauerwas, The Blackwell Companion to Christian Ethics.
George Sumner received a PhD from Yale University. He is principal and Helliwell Professor of World Mission at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. He has served in various pastoral roles and is an honorary assistant at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Toronto.