The ecological crisis has created new interest in the ideas about nature found in the Bible, which is often depicted as the source of attitudes that have led to the destruction of our environment. The Hebrew Scriptures, for example, are seen as enshrining oppositional views of nature, because it is assumed that the earliest Israelites were living in a hostile desert environment. In this book Theodore Hiebert re-examines these assumptions, and offers a new understanding of the role of nature in biblical thought. Hiebert stresses the importance of reading the Hebrew Scriptures in their ancient Near Eastern context. He concentrates on the Bible's earliest account of origins: the narratives of the Pentateuch, or Torah, usually attributed to a single author, the Yahwist. His analysis incorporates evidence from recent work in archaeology, history, anthropology, and comparative religion concerning the ecologies, economies, and religions of the ancient Levant. Hiebert shows that the Yahwist's formative landscape was actually hill country with a mixed agrarian economy. The view of God and the kinds of religious ritual described in the Yahwist's narratives are closely linked to this agricultural landscape and reflect the challenges of human survival within it. Rather than posing a problem for biblical religion, the world of nature is seen to play a foundational role in the shape and content of that tradition. Hiebert concludes that the Yahwist's ideology is relevant to contemporary efforts to frame a theology of ecology. Particularly useful to these efforts are the Yahwist's views of reality as unified and non-dualistic, humanity as limited and dependent, nature and humanity as interrelated andof sacred significance, and agriculture as a context for an ecological theology.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves.

The prophetic books gathered together in the book of the Twelve are sometimes called the "minor" prophets because of their relatively small size when compared with Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They are often neglected, at least partly because their words of judgment make the reader uncomfortable. Yet they have considerable theological and ethical value--for their call for social justice (especially Amos and Micah), their insights about the passionate love of God (in Hosea), God's grace and forgiveness (Jonah, Hosea, and elsewhere), and the finality of hope, even in the face of terrible catastrophes.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries series offers compact, critical commentaries on all the books of the Old Testament. In addition to providing fundamental information on and insights into Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical exegesis so as to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed engagement of the biblical texts themselves. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theology students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other church leaders.

Each volume consists of four parts:
-- an introduction that addresses the key issues raised by the writing; the literary genre, structure, and character of the writing; the occasional and situational context of the writing, including its wider social and historical context; and the theological and ethical significance of the writing within these several contexts
-- a commentary on the text, organized by literary units, covering literary analysis, exegetical analysis, and theological and ethical analysis
-- an annotated bibliography
-- a brief subject index

In this volume on Deuteronomy, Brueggemann shows the significance of the Book of Deuteronomy to the shape and substance of Israel's faith in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy gave classic articulation to the main themes characteristic of Judaism, and, derivatively, of Christianity. Brueggemann emphasizes that Deuteronomy is an expression of covenant theology, whereby YHWH and Israel are pledged to exclusive loyalty and fidelity to each other; YHWH is to assure the well-being of Israel, and Israel is to live in trust and obedience to YHWH. In examining the relationship of Israel to God, Brueggemann makes suggestions on how such covenant fidelity might be lived out by believers today.

"Brueggemann's commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy provides an accessible exegetical and theological understanding of a crucial biblical text. The introduction presents Deuteronomy as an expression of the radical Yahwistic alternative to the political rhetoric and ideology of the Israelite monarchy in the eighth and seventh centuries. Each section consists of an introduction, exegesis, and theological and ethical analysis of the essential elements that form the core of Deuteronomy's message to the Israelite community. The choice between 'covenant' and 'idol' that forms the crux of the text's message is further interpreted in light of the concern for covenant faithfulness as expressed in the rest of the OT and in the proclamation of the NT. Brueggemann explores how this same choice is reflected in the political and ideological voices that address the community of faith today. This commentary introduces the Book of Deuteronomy to theological students, pastors and teachers and points to the relevance of its message for those who seek to bring the alternative biblical message into the current cultural conversation."--Beverly White Cushman, Calvin College, in Religious Studies Review, Volume 29 Number 3, July 2003.

Praise for The Yahwist's Landscape "Issues of religion and ecology have never mattered more, and The Yahwist's Landscape remains the gold standard. Congratulations to Fortress Press for making it widely available." -Larry L. Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics Union Theological Seminary "Hiebert's foundational study opens the world of nature as a major aspect of biblical thought. It lays to rest the traditional dichotomy between nature and history that has been so long read into the Bible and Israel's religion, redeeming the natural world as the realm of human life and God's care. Von Rad and Eichrodt are there, but this time Wendell Berry and Wes Jackson are also in the picture. That makes for a different and interesting conversation." -Patrick D. Miller, Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology Emeritus Princeton Theological Seminary "The human being is a farmer. Humans and animals are companions made of the same topsoil. The land is a sovereign to be served by humans. God appears in nature. Earth has ultimate value. Such is the worldview of the Yahwist, uncovered by Ted Hiebert, a worldview that lacks any real dichotomy between history and nature, between redemption and creation. This biblical worldview is a crucial alternative for us to consider in the face of the current ecological crisis, especially given our past obsession with the mandate to dominate in Genesis 1:26-28. We owe you, Ted. Your research is timely and compelling!" -Norman Habel, Editor and Contributor, The Earth Bible "Professor Theodore Hiebert has written a 'must-read' book for biblical scholars and their students, for the clergy and well-informed laity. Hiebert focuses on the J (Yahwist) source, whose vivid narrative has been adroitly braided into the epic source (JE). Hiebert's highly original study demonstrates that it was, not the desert, but the agro-pastoralist villages of highland Israel, which provided the social and environmental matrix from which the J source wove his captivating narrative." -Larry Stager, Dorot Professor of the Archaeology of Israel Harvard University Theodore Hiebert is the Francis A. McGaw Professor of Old Testament at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He is the author of essays on biblical perspectives on nature in The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, The Oxford Companion to the Bible, The Anchor Bible Dictionary, and in various books and periodicals.

The world is full of so many different things: animals, plants, foods, languages, people. But it might not have been that way if it weren't for God's big plan . . . This vibrant picture book illuminates a new understanding of the story of Babel in Genesis, revealing God's plan for wonderful diversity throughout the world. God's Big Plan includes a note for parents and educators. God's Big Plan is a Junior Library Guild Selection.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, all to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves.

The six books found at the close of the Minor Prophets (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) present distinctive understandings of God, humanity, and the future. This commentary engages those understandings, considers what the books may have meant in the past, and describes how they resonate with contemporary readers. With attention to issues of gender, violence, and inclusivity, O'Brien explores the ethical challenges of the books and asks how faithful readers can both acknowledge the problems these biblical books raise and appreciate their value for contemporary theological reflection.