Two-Edged Sword: An Interpretation of the Old Testament

by John L. McKenzie

Book Overview

Moving from Genesis through the Hebrew prophets, McKenzie has produced a moving picture of Hebrew religion produced by divine revelation. Throughout the work he confronts biblical ideas with modern... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385069693
• ISBN13: 9780385069694
• Release Date: July 1982
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An Insightful Interpretation of the Old Testament

"The Two edged Sword is the most significant Catholic interpretation of the Old Testament ever written in English." The Thomist A Two edged Sword: John McKenzie's "Two edged Sword" is a pioneering critical discussion of the ever provocative problems of Old Testament, difficult to analyze, and challenging to interpret, demonstrating how significant to our Christian heritage, and how meaningful to our postmodern pluralistic world; "Indeed, the Word of God is living, and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 Book Overview: In the first two chapters, the author defines basic issues in revelation: inspiration, divine and human roles, inerrancy,... He discusses Hebrew thought and belief and prophetic experience. In chapters 3 & 4, he reviews ancient civilizations and Canaanite religion, mythology, and character of the gods. He explains the concepts of story, oral tradition, revelation in history. He then delves, in the next 3 chapters into Origins: Cosmic, human, and national. He utilizes the next three chapters 8-10 to prepare for his book's core, starting with the relation of king and prophet in Egypt and Mesopotamia, to Hebrew kingship, integration of religion and the common good, and evolution of the prophetic concept of sin and judgment, the eternal dynasty of David, the futuristic concepts of kingdom, its inauguration, the Gospel, eschatology, and salvation. In the next chapters 12 to 16 he masterfully exposes Hebrew Wisdom, Mystery of inequity, life and death, Jewish prayer: The Psalms, and surveyed the opinions on the holy, and God of the Hebrews, and divine love. Old Testament & Christianity: In his final chapter ; 'The Old and New' he reviews the unsettled relation between the OT and Christianity, the unity and continuity of the two Testaments, an accepted Church doctrine, but rather the meaning of this unity. He concludes commenting; "We have heard, in sadness and bewilderment, many who say that they fear the Old Testament because it raises doubts in their minds. Doubts of what, we wonder? Doubts of God's existence, or His justice, or His mercy, or His love?... If one doubts these things, the doubts did not come from reading the Old Testament. ... Our doubters fear that their faith may become insecure if they permit themselves to consider these matters." Wisconsin Cardinal McKenzie: The late Cardinal, John L. McKenzie, who was considered the foremost biblical scholar in the USA, boldly conceived, and brilliantly synthesized a 'doctrine' of OT writings, a well written interpretation of the Old Testament, and an expert evaluation of the religious values and doctrinal traditions of the Hebrew Holy writ, clearly presented for anyone interested in deciphering the theology while enjoying the spirituality of the OT dispensation. Written for a reader, "wherever his own religious belief," Jewish a