The Library of Biblical Theology, Volume 1: Leo Perdue, Robert Morgan, Manfred Oeming and Benjamin Somner. One of the thorniest problems in theological study is the relationship between biblical studies on the one hand, and constructive theology on the other. Theologians know that the Bible is the core source document for theological construction, and hence that they must be in conversation with the best in critical study of Scripture. For many biblical scholars, the point of what they do is to help the biblical text speak to today’s church and world, and hence they would do well to be in conversation with contemporary theology. Yet too often the two groups fail to  engage each other’s work in significant and productive ways. The purpose of the Library of Biblical Theology is to bring the worlds of biblical scholarship and constructive theology together. It will do so by reviving biblical theology as a discipline that describes the faith of the biblical periods on the one hand, and on the other hand articulates normative understandings of modern faith and practice. Thus, volumes in the series will move from a description of God or an element relating to God as it is found in the biblical text, to making a theological judgment based on one’s own contemporary worldview, forged within a community of faith. In this first volume in the Library of Biblical  Theology series, the authors begin by providing an overview of the history of biblical theology. Drawing on the work of James Barr and others, they introduce biblical theology as a fundamentally contrastive discipline. It is neither dogmatic theology, seeking to explain the official teachings of a particular Christian tradition; nor is it a purely historical approach to Scripture, eschewing questions of the Bible’s contemporary message and meaning. Rather, biblical theology takes seriously both the need to understand the message of Scripture in its particular historical context, and the need to address that message to questions that confront contemporary human life....

Interest in literature on wisdom derived from Israel and ancient Middle Eastern cultures has increased considerably in recent decades. Research findings from archaeological, theological, and cultural studies illustrate how sages decisively shaped the literature and language of a culture. Their influence extended to the arts, social and religious institutions, and the sciences. In ancient Israel and Judah, the Middle East , and in the Greco-Roman Empire, sages, similar to priests, prophets, and kings, made up their own social class. The essays in this volume examine this particular group of wise men in context of their time. Unlike other studies, the focus here lies in the social aspect of this caste of sages....