The discipline of Old Testament theology seeks to provide us with a picture of YHWH and his relationship to the world as described in the Old Testament. But within this discipline, there are many disagreements about the key issues and methodologies: Is the Old Testament unified in some way? Should the context of the theologian play a role in interpretation? Should Old Testament theology merely describe what ancient Israel believed, or should it offer guidance for the church today? What is the relationship between history and theology? All these considerations and more result in so many different kinds of Old Testament theologies (and so many publications), that it's difficult for students, pastors, and laity to productively study this already complex field. In Understanding Old Testament Theology, professors Brittany Kim and Charlie Trimm provide an overview of the contemporary approaches to Old Testament theology. In three main sections, they explore various approaches: Part I examines approaches that ground Old Testament theology in history. Part II surveys approaches that foreground Old Testament theme(s). Part III considers approaches that highlight different contexts for doing Old Testament theology. Each main chapter describes both common features of the approach and points of tension and then offers a test case illuminating how it has been applied to the book of Exodus. Through reading this book, you'll hopefully come to see the Old Testament in a fresh light-as something that's alive and active, continually drawing us into deeper encounters with the living God.

The last few decades have seen a gradual shift in Isaianic studies as scholars have begun to give greater attention to the book’s literary features rather than focusing predominantly on the question of its sources. Brittany Kim’s study takes a literary approach, exploring how the book portrays Israel and its capital city using five metaphors that arise from the realm of household relationships: sons/children, daughter(s), mother, wife, and servant(s). Drawing selectively on the resources of metaphor studies and rhetorical criticism, Kim examines each metaphor separately to determine its rhetorical import and, if possible, to trace its development throughout the book. From the beginning of Isaiah, in which Zion appears as a vulnerable but promiscuous daughter in need of both paternal protection and discipline, through the book’s end, when her marital relationship has been restored and Zion has been transformed into a radiant and caring mother, Kim follows the thread of these five themes, showing ultimately how and why only those among yhwh’s children who willingly take on the role of servant experience the joy and delight of Zion’s maternal care. Pulling together insights from individual studies, “Lengthen Your Tent-Cords� draws connections and highlights contrasts among the various metaphors. Kim concludes by examining how Israel and Zion fit into YHWH’s royal household.