Introducing the Old Testament Story: Reading Scripture as Spiritual Formation

Introducing the Old Testament Story: Reading Scripture as Spiritual Formation familiarizes students with the Ancient Near Eastern writings that compose the Old Testament. Through the application of literary, historical, and cultural analysis, this textbook helps the modern reader not only understand the story of the ancient Hebrews and their relationship to God, but also to experience it as the ancient Hebrews did, encouraging a deeply personal and divine connection with the material. 

The text begins by providing background information regarding the Old Testament. The first two chapters provide context as to what the Old Testament is, where and when its story occurred, a general idea of what the story is about, how the story progressed over time, how to approach scholarly study of the writings, and the authenticity of the works. Each succeeding chapter addresses specific writings within the Old Testament, bringing to light the literary devices at play, the cultural context and significance of each piece, and how ancient Hebrews would have consumed and reacted to each selection. 

Written to inspire engagement with Old Testament writings on both an academic and spiritual level, Introducing the Old Testament Story is ideal for introductory or survey courses on the Old Testament, as well as courses on religion, especially those focusing on the place of the Bible in spiritual formation.

David Brisben, Ph.D., is a professor of Christian ministries at John Brown University. He earned his master’s in divinity degree from Erskine Seminary and his doctorate degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His passion for storytelling, and more specifically the stories found in the Old and New Testaments, drives his vocational calling to teach students what it means to enter and live in God’s story.