The title of Moberly’s most recent work, Old Testament Theology, is both deceptive and provocative. It defies the genre of most Old Testament theologies, which seek to summarize the contents of the Old Testament. The subtitle, Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture, better describes the book and is vintage Moberly. Taken together the two titles suggest that the primary task of Old Testament theology for Christians is to carefully read the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture. Certainly, such a move dramatically reduces the size of his text as compared to the voluminous works of most Old Testament theologies. The book is a collection of eight exegetical essays focused on key texts throughout the Old Testament. Many of the essays are significant reworkings of previous writings. Yet not only do they represent new research, the chapters together contribute towards the argument of the book. Moberly writes for non-specialists so pastors, theologians, and students will benefit from this work.

While the book is not a comprehensive treatment of the Old Testament, Moberly manages to read texts within each of the main canonical units and treats topics of significance. The first chapter explores the nature of monotheism in the Old Testament based upon a reading of the Shema in Deut 6:4–9. The second chapter addresses the difficult topics of election and ḥērem through a study of Deut 7. In the third chapter Moberly examines Exod 16 and the topic of manna as it relates to spiritual disciplines and formation. Chapter 4 revisits the thorny theological question, “Does God Change?” through a close reading of Jer 18:7–10; 1 Sam 15:29; and Num 23:29. Chapter 5 does not focus on a particular Isaianic text but rather traces the theme of exaltation through the book of Isaiah and how these Scriptures are fulfilled in Jesus. In Chapter 6 Moberly critiques interpretations that argue Jonah’s disappointment in Jon 4:1–3 is due to unfulfilled prophecy, and instead suggests that it is due to a misunderstanding of divine mercy. Chapter 7 provides a close reading of Pss 44 and 89 with particular attention towards the existential contradictions of divine promise and human disappointment in the face of suffering. In Chapter 8 Moberly explores the nature of wisdom in Job 28 through reading it in light of the prologue in Job 1:1–2:10. The book concludes with an epilogue where he outlines his methodological and theological concerns through reflections on the preceding essays. Moberly explicitly states that he views the canon as a normative “grammar” (p. 284) for the reading of texts, and that Old Testament theology is born out of the imaginative interplay between the world of the text and the world of the reader.

I am rarely effusive in my book reviews, but in this case I believe the praise is warranted. Old Testament Theology is a brilliant work. It reflects not only mature thinking, but is also clearly written. Moberly is clearly the best practitioner of the theological interpretation of the Old Testament today. This discipline prioritizes reading the Bible as the Church’s Scripture rather than for historical or other concerns. While inquiries into method are important, Moberly is right to propose that the task of Old Testament Theology is the reading of the Old Testament for the church today. He does not blur the distinctions between interpreting the world behind the text, the world of the text, and the world in front of the text and acknowledges the contribution of each for theological interpretation. Moberly is clear that “Christian reading needs to be attentive to the meaning of the text in its pre-Christian frame of reference; on the other hand, it must simultaneously take with full seriousness the recontextualization of the material in a frame of reference not originally its own” (p. 30). Moberly’s expertise is on display in the rigor by which he engages the ancient text and contemporary concerns, and by the delicate manner he interweaves them. As such, this work serves as a model of biblical interpretation, Christian theology, and preaching.

Moberly’s brilliance lies in his ability to be exegetically unconventional while at the same time theologically conventional. He demonstrates that biblical scholars and skeptics of the Bible over-intellectualize the text by pressing it into categories or dichotomies unknown to its authors and tradents. For example, Moberly demonstrates that the Shema need not be cast in either terms of monolatry or an Enlightenment monotheism, but rather Deut 6 calls for an exclusive monotheistic allegiance to God. He does not eschew difficult topics such as election and ̣Hērem, which moderns find so revolting, but shows how Christians can appropriate them today. In his treatment of manna in Chapter 3, to name another instance, Moberly models how Christians are to read the Bible as a two-Testament canon. He exegetically defends and expounds a lesson of divine sustaining grace from Exodus 16 with pastoral insight. While most readers fall into theological pitfalls when broaching this topic, Moberly examines the texts describing “God repenting” and unfulfilled prophecy, and relates them to the issue of God’s sovereignty with sobriety and skill.

One complaint about this book is that I found his chapter on Isaiah and Jesus a bit uninspiring. Perhaps this is due in part to his choice not to focus on a particular text but rather a theme. In addition, it seems to me that at times his decisions about what constitutes a canonical reading appear to be quite arbitrary. He gives significant attention to the canonical shape of texts as in the case of Job 1–2 and Job 28, and yet in his treatment of Jonah and Psalms 44 and 89, he does not find their canonical placement largely significant for meaning. Regardless of these quibbles, Moberly offers an outstanding model for reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian Scripture.

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