The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament

by Sandra L. Richter

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2008

Overview

To many people, the Old Testament feels like a jumble of people, books, events, and ideas. Sandra Richter calls this the “dysfunctional closet syndrome,” and in The Epic of Eden she seeks to help readers put the Old Testament in usable order. From the Garden of Eden to the garden of the New Jerusalem, this book will organize your understanding of the Old Testament and renew your enthusiasm for studying the Bible as a whole.

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Key Features

• Seeks to help readers put the Old Testament in usable order
• Organizes your understanding of the Old Testament
• Presents an ideal text for students, professors, pastors, and lay readers

Contents

• The Bible as the Story of Redemption
• The Bible in Real Time and Space
• The Concept of Covenant: The “General Law” That Holds Our Facts Together
• God’s Original Intent
• God’s Final Intent: The New Jerusalem
• Noah and Abraham
• Moses and the Tabernacle
• David and the Monarchy
• The New Covenant and the Return of the King

Top Highlights

“The Bible, in all its parts, is intended to communicate to humanity the realities of redemption.” (Page 15)

“In Israel’s tribal society redemption was the act of a patriarch who put his own resources on the line to ransom a family member who had been driven to the margins of society by poverty, who had been seized by an enemy against whom he had no defense, who found themselves enslaved by the consequences of a faithless life. Redemption was the means by which a lost family member was restored to a place of security within the kinship circle. This was a patriarch’s responsibility, this was the safety net of Israel’s society, and this is the backdrop for the epic of Eden in which we New Testament believers find ourselves.” (Page 45)

“Why might the biblical writer have included these women in the opening chapter of the New Testament? I believe it is because this writer has something to say about the nature of the deliverance that this Messiah is bringing. This deliverance is for all people. Not just the Jews. Not just the righteous. Rather, the unclean, the foreigner, the sinner—if they will believe as Rahab did—are welcome. Not merely welcome into the new community, but welcome even into the lineage of the Christ.” (Page 29)

“The first, and to me the most heartbreaking, is that most Christians have not been taught that the story of the Old Testament is their story.” (Page 16)

“In essence, Adam and Eve are free to do anything except decide for themselves what is good and what is evil. Yahweh reserves the right (and the responsibility) to name those truths himself.” (Page 104)

Praise for the Print Edition

The Old Testament tells of God’s creation and the redemption of his people. Granted, it is a story that climaxes in the New Testament, but the New Testament cannot be understood apart from the Old. Christians have neglected the study of the Old Testament because (if we are honest) we find it confusing and distant from Jesus Christ, the center of our faith. Sandra Richter’s The Epic of Eden helps the reader discover the riches and passion of the Old Testament story. This book will not only expand your knowledge, it will deepen your spiritual life.

—Tremper Longman, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College

Using the image of a dysfunctional closet as her organizing metaphor, she provides a framework within which Old Testament data can be arranged and understood. Wherever possible she links the biblical material with the New Testament references. Extensive endnotes are evidence of the research that undergirds this book, but the writing style is reader-friendly and captures one’s imagination. Charts and illustrations throughout the book provide visual reinforcement of what is discussed. This is a very enjoyable introduction for beginners.

—Diane Bergant, The Bible Today

Here is a text that will instruct its readers, no matter what level of expertise they bring to it. The author converses with her contemporary lay reader in a winsome manner, knowing well the cultural chasm that exists for many Western readers of the OT. At the same time, her years as both graduate student and professor are evident in her selection and presentation of key themes that introduce the OT. Both the text and the endnotes are goldmines of historical and theological observations and resources.

—Elaine A. Phillips, Bulletin for Biblical Research

Product Details

• Title: The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament
• Author: Sandra L. Richter
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2008
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 263
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. › Criticism, interpretation, etc
• ISBNs: 9780830879113, 9780830825776, 9781628242683, 9781628242690, 9781628242706, 9781628242713, 9781628242720, 0830879110, 0830825770, 162824268X, 1628242698, 1628242701, 162824271X, 1628242728
• Resource ID: LLS:PCDNCHRLDTSTMNT
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:11:06Z

About Sandra L. Richter

Sandra L. Richter is professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College. She is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has a PhD from Harvard University’s Near Eastern languages and civilizations department. Her publications include Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books, The Deuteronomistic History and the Name Theology, and articles in Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible.