The Theology of Jeremiah: The Book, the Man, the Message

by John Goldingay

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2021

Overview

How do we think about the theology of the book of Jeremiah? Do we consider themes section by section, or do we step back and look at the whole? John Goldingay says “both.”

In The Theology of Jeremiah, Goldingay considers the prophet Jeremiah himself, his individual circumstances and those of Judah, and his message. Though Jeremiah’s message varies throughout the book, we gain insights into Jeremiah’s theology by viewing the book in its entirety. In doing so, we learn about God, Israel as the people of God, the nature of wrongdoing and prophecy, and what we know about the future.

Key Features

• Consider’s Jeremiah’s individual circumstances and his message
• Provides insights into Jeremiah’s theology by viewing the book in its entirety
• Examines wrongdoing and prophecy and what we know about the future

Contents

Part One: The Man, the Scroll, the Story, the Messages

• The Man and the Scroll
• Reading Jeremiah Backwards
• The Themes in Jeremiah 1—25
• The Themes in Jeremiah 26—52

Part Two: The Theology of Jeremiah

• God
• The People of God
• Wrongdoing
• Being a Prophet
• The Future

Top Highlights

“God accepts us as we are, right? Not so much: ‘Yahweh doesn’t accept them.’ Honest prayer works, even if it’s brashly impolite. Dishonest prayer doesn’t work, even if it’s gracious and uses the right words.” (Page 40)

“Maybe it’s no coincidence that Jeremiah’s summary of his message begins with the exodus, which was, after all, the beginning of Israel’s story as a people. To be more precise, his summary starts with Israel’s time in the wilderness, its journey from Egypt to the promised land, though eventually it comes to the exodus itself.” (Page 28)

“Jeremiah scroll makes clear that Jeremiah himself didn’t produce it. Some other people, whom you could call his disciples, collected his messages and told his story, and his relationship with the Jeremiah scroll is a bit like Jesus’s relationship to the Gospels.” (Page 8)

“The big difference between the first half of the scroll and the second half is that the first half comprises messages incorporating some stories, whereas the second half comprises stories incorporating some messages.” (Page 13)

“The scroll thus collects messages Jeremiah gave (and stories about him and prayers he prayed) over some forty years in different contexts.” (Page 6)

Praise for the Print Edition

Dr. Goldingay has produced another interesting and thought-provoking book that helps us get to the heart of the meaning of the book of Jeremiah. While you may not agree with his understanding of how the book of Jeremiah came about, there are plenty of other good thoughts in the book to make it extremely valuable. One of the most helpful discussions is on Jeremiah as a prophet; his description of Jeremiah being vulnerable but protected has some very good insights. He also highlights that there is hope in the book of Jeremiah after the catastrophe is over—a very useful perspective when we are going through trials.

—Paul D. Wegner, distinguished professor of Old Testament, Gateway Seminary

John Goldingay is a once-in-a-generation scholar who writes with relevance, power, conviction, and clarity. The Theology of Jeremiah is a gift to all who wish to ponder what Jeremiah—a scroll forged in the furnace of suffering—has to say about the God who uproots and plants.

—Andrew T. Abernethy, associate professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College

In a day when Old Testament books like Jeremiah are often merely mined for proof texts, or worse, completely ignored, Dr. Goldingay reminds us of the timeless theological message of the book of Jeremiah. Facilitated by years of Old Testament scholarship and study, Goldingay illuminates the historical setting of the prophet, wrestles with the literary complexity of the book, and savors its theological message. While readers may not agree with all his proposals, Goldingay succeeds in warmly and accessibly inviting Christians to reflect on the theological truths found in this important prophetic book.

—William R. Osborne, associate professor of biblical and theological studies at College of the Ozarks in Missouri, author of Divine Blessing and the Fullness of Life in the Presence of God

Product Details

• Title: The Theology of Jeremiah: The Book, the Man, the Message
• Author: John Goldingay
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2021
• Logos Release Date: 2020
• Pages: 151
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Jeremiah › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780830855285, 9780830855278, 0830855289, 0830855270
• Resource ID: LLS:THEOJEREMIAH
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:19:52Z

About John Goldingay

John Goldingay has been at Fuller Theological Seminary since 1997 and currently serves as the David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament in the School of Theology. Before coming to Fuller, Goldingay was principal and a professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at St. John’s Theological College in Nottingham, England. He is the author of several books, including Old Testament Theology vol. 1, After Eating the Apricot, and Models for Scripture, as well as commentaries on Daniel, Isaiah, and Psalms. He holds membership in the Society of Biblical Literature and serves on the editorial board for the Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies.