Are you curious about ways to improve your study and love of the Old Testament?
Today, we’re honored to learn from Dr. John Golingay about his love of the Old Testament, ways to handle difficult passages, and how these beautiful books speak to us today.
In this podcast, Dr. Goldingay shares his thoughtful approach to studying scripture, ways he prepares to write academic commentaries on the Bible, and how he handles difficult scriptures.
He encourages us to study our Bible with both an analytical and spiritual mind – and to come to the Bible humbly with our questions. He also shares tremendous wisdom on how to deal with passages in the Old Testament that perhaps don’t make sense to us, and how to better explore (and question) those difficult texts. He also talks about some controversial stories in the Book of Joshua, and how different theologians like Origen and Calvin understood them.
His love and humble approach to exploring scripture is inspiring and encouraging.
Check out this quote from his book on exploring the Old Testament:
“I want to see things through the eyes of Genesis or Isaiah or Lamentations. My Christian faith will sometimes enable me to perceive things in the Old Testament that I might otherwise miss. . . . but I want the Old Testament to correct my Christian assumptions when they need correction. When I can work out what these books would mean for the Israelites for whom they were written, there’s a good chance that I can find my way to what it might mean for me.”
Dr. John Goldingay studied theology at Oxford, earned his PhD from the University of Nottingham; Doctor of Divinity, and a Doctor of Divinity from the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth. He is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. He was previously principal and professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at St. John’s Theological College in Nottingham, England. He has written countless commentaries on the Old Testament, and now focused on writing a commentary on the book of Joshua. To learn more on ways to explore and study the Old Testament, check out An Introduction to the Old Testament: Exploring Texts, Approaches & Issues by IVP Academic.
You can listen (or download) the complete podcast here:
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Here are some video clips from our conversation:
• Loving the Old Testament
• Writing a Commentary on Joshua
• Reading the Bible Academically & Devotionally
• History & Parables in the Old Testament
• Dealing with Difficult Texts of God’s Judgement
• Origen’s Commentary on Joshua (Allegory)
• John Calvin’s Thoughts on Joshua
• Criticism of Joshua
• Post Colonial Interpretations
• Bible Reading Plan
You can catch the full video conversation with Dr. John Goldingay here.
