Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament Analysis - Book Report/Review Example

? I. Introduction While, an extensive range of literature which has been developed under the genre of biblical studies has influenced the readings of concerned individuals with regards to the subject matter, the scope of these texts has been deemed as rather limited and somewhat restricting by scholars who have advocated the adoption of a more comprehensive approach to understand the story of Jesus Christ. Drawing from these observations, the book titled “Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament” by Christopher J. H. Wright examines the notion of Jesus through a distinctive perspective by critically assessing, examining and evaluating the religious writings and texts of the Old Testament. The essence of the book lies in the author’s intention to enlighten his readers about the life, story and notion of Jesus by integrating an aspect of evaluation that has not been incorporated before by the scholars and writers of biblical study. The objective of this review is to explicate upon the writings of Christopher J. H. Wright in Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament by implementing a comprehensive and systematic approach to outline the primary premise of the text, the opinions and views of the author on the subject and the widespread theological issues and perspectives that have been recognized in the book. Furthermore, the book report also recommends the practical applications of Wright’s text with respect to a lay reader and suggests how the outlined opinions and perspectives of the book can be utilized for the purposes of bible study and interpretation. Moreover, the concluding arguments of the report highlight the crux of Wright’s text and the extent to which the writer has been successful in communicating the intended message to the audience. II. Brief Summary of “Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament” Perhaps, the most distinctive feature of the book upon first look is that the writer has chosen to distribute the text into five chapters. The background to this decision shares a link with the major objective that Wright wishes to fulfill by writing this book, which is to enlighten the individuals of the present day about the life and times of Jesus as the degree of information which Christians of today have about this concept is limited and also restricts them in their theological quest. The structured development of the book focuses on pertinent and significant themes which pass through five phases to present a vivid depiction of how the life of Jesus can be connected to the text which is present in the Old Testament. Henceforth, these five facets fulfill the objectives of outlining the story of Jesus, presenting to the reader the promises that were made and honored, deeply assessing the identity of Jesus, outlining the mission and values that were advanced by Jesus through the perspective of the Old Testament and its teachings. The basic ideology of Wright encompasses the commencement of the story of Jesus by documenting his association with the Old Testament; this notion implies that the writing of Wright is characterized by the presence of an account of the story of Israel which is linked to the life of Christ and also His identity that is rooted in the narrative which focuses on Jesus and the Son of David.1 It must be acknowledged that the depth of the historical context which has been highlighted in Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament acts as one of the strengths of the book. This notion postulates that Wright’s coverage of the subject is never weakened by the presence of one dimensionality; in fact, the author continues to adopt a multidimensional approach by integrating the backgrounds of Abraham and David to present a vivid portrayal of the life of Jesus and His identity. The progress of the book, corresponds with the developments of the Old Testament as the during the course of the text, Wright also incorporates the teachings of the Gospel of Matthew to shed light upon the promises that were made and honored by Christ. As outlined previously the primary contextual assistance for the progress of Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament has been provided by the Old Testament, for Wright the promise of Christ within this context is different from the widespread beliefs that are held by Christians today regarding the matter. In fact, the promise that the Old Testament serves has been honored in the form of Christ himself. Once the aspects that are associated with the story, identity and the promise of Christ have been addressed, Wright’s book redirects its focus towards the exploration of a vast concept that is of the greatest value to the society of today. This dimension expounds upon the mission and values of Jesus that have been misinterpreted by individuals due to the availability of inadequate knowledge in the subject of theology and the genre of biblical studies. The elucidation of Jesus’ mission in the light of the Old Testament helps capture the essence of His teachings. To develop this section of the text, Wright employs the message of the Book of Isaiah to address the state of Israel at the time. Furthermore, the author also comments on the mission which must be served persistently and relentlessly by the church and how the tenets of this mission have been marked by the presence of a misuse of authority that must be addressed immediately.2 In the closing chapter of the book, Wright guides the course of his discussion towards the analysis of the values that have been advanced by Christ and comments on how these values are associated with the Old Testament. III. Critical Interaction The core theological issue that is prevalent in the society of today relates to the fact that available biblical texts and literature fail to take into account or intentionally misrepresent the accurate depth of Jesus’ teachings, mission and values by addressing a singular aspect or component of the historical context that should otherwise be implemented extensively as a critical source of research. As an author and a scholar, Wright has been able to identify this theological issue of the 21st century and has addressed it through the development of his book, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. The objectivity of this text is based on the observations which indicate that the analysis and representation of biblical texts should be based the incorporation of accurate and truthful historical contexts. This consideration is valid and also applicable in the case of Wright whose book is reflective of the implementation of theological and biblical perspectives that have the potential to link the valuable context of the Old Testament to the life and story of Jesus. While, the limited scope of the literature on biblical studies is a source of concern for Wright, another theological issue that has been raised in the book is representative and indicative of a situation that has engulfed the lives of Christians. Wright understands that the lack of faith that is displayed by members of society today is a situation of alarm and concern. Furthermore, the onset of this situation is attributable to the lack of dedication on the part of religious teachers and mentors who have failed to communicate to the followers, an aspect of Christianity that is reflective of the significance of the teachings of the Old Testament. The comparative analysis of the Old Testament and the New Testament which has been conducted by Wright successfully portrays the historical significance of the former and unveils the significance of its laws which were advanced by Jesus. One of the key outcomes of the author’s discussion postulates that the teachings of Jesus cannot viewed as negations of what the laws of Old Testament prescribe to mankind. In fact, the laws of the Old Testament and the mission, values and teachings of Jesus are one and the same as they both adopt a direction that is complimentary rather than conflicting. The aforementioned facet of the discussion fundamentally highlights the weaknesses of the modern church in teaching, communicating and informing the followers of the religion about the intense significance of the Old Testament in order to comprehend the life of Jesus within the context of His identity, promise, mission and values. The notion that has been forwarded by Wright in this regard essentially claims that the New Testament cannot and must not be viewed and believed to be the supreme guiding authority for a follower of the religion. This claim draws from the observation which asserts that the Old Testament is an unparalleled source of guidance, the importance of which has been overshadowed by the modern church, at the expense of followers and students who wish to delve deeper in the subject matter. Even though, the primary goal which has been served by Wright in Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament is associated with establishing a link between the Old Testament and the life of Jesus, the author has also been able to accomplish other objectives through his text. Most importantly, the book is a representation of the ways in which the teachings of Christianity should be interpreted. This notion states that viewing the Bible from a single perspective is not beneficial and only holds negative implications for followers who wish comprehend the religion in a comprehensive manner. Furthermore, the text can also be viewed as a commentary on the present state of the church which has played a critical role in developing the 21st century perspectives on Christianity which have completely failed to highlight the unparallel significance of the Old Testament. IV. Conclusion For lay readers and pastors, Wright’s effort essentially acts as a wakeup call or a revival of thoughts that have faded with the passage of time. These thoughts imply that the study of the Bible can be conducted in the most effective manner once the cohesion between the New Testament and the Old Testament is established because the principles and teachings of Christianity cannot be understood if one abides by an approach that is conflicting or one-dimensional. Work Cited Wright, Christopher JH. Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. InterVarsity Press, 1992. Read More