Contents
1. Definitions: The Many Faces of Biblical Theology -- pg.1
2. The Origins of Modern Old Testament Theology -- pg.18
3. A Typology of Old Testament Theologies -- pg.27
4. A Wider Spectrum -- pg.52
5. Difference from Doctrinal Theology -- pg.62
6. Difference from Non-Theological Study -- pg.77
7. Evolution and Anti-Evolutionism -- pg.85
8. Difference from History of Religion -- pg.100
9. Difference in the Size of Complexes -- pg.140
10. Difference in the Way of Thinking: Philosophy and Natural Theology -- pg.156
11. Connections with the New Testament -- pg.172
12. Evaluation, Commitment, Objectivity -- pg.189
13. Historical Theology - A Possible Analogy? -- pg.209
14. Opposition to Biblical Theology -- pg.222
15. ‘Real’ Theology and Biblical Theology -- pg.240
16. ‘Christianizing’ of the Old Testament? -- pg.253
17. Judaism after Biblical Times -- pg.256
18. Jewish Biblical Theology? -- pg.286
19. Some Theologies of the 1970s -- pg.312
20. An Overview of the Older Tradition -- pg.330
21. Story and Biblical Theology -- pg.345
22. Gese and the Unity of Biblical Theology -- pg.362
23. The Canonical Approach: First Stage -- pg.378
24. Childs’ Theologies -- pg.401
25. Other Canonical Possibilities -- pg.439
26. Some Recent Theologies -- pg.452
27. Natural Theology within Biblical Theology -- pg.468
28. Oeming -- pg.497
29. Mildenberger -- pg.513
30. Ràisànen -- pg.530
31. Brueggemann -- pg.541
32. Apocryphal and Other Non-canonical Books -- pg.563
33. The Distribution of Resources and Pan-Biblical Theology -- pg.581
34. David Brown -- pg.586
35. Conclusion -- pg.605
Abbreviations -- pg.608
Bibliography -- pg.610
Notes -- pg.641
Index of Names -- pg.699
Index of Concepts -- pg.708
Index of Scriptural Passages Cited -- pg.714

Biblical theology is contested territory: Is it legitimate to reflect theologically on such a diverse collection as the Bible, or even on one testament? Do theologians inevitably “christianize” the Hebrew Bible? Does such an enterprise ride roughly over painstaking exegetical and historical work? And how can it relate to theological themes, such as creation and revelation, and to church life?
In this clearest and most comprehensive analysis of biblical theology to date, James Barr, an esteemed Old Testament scholar and for 30 years a central figure in these debates, assesses the possibility, problems, and prospects of this oft-endangered discipline. He not only sketches the origins of modern biblical theology and its major types, he addresses fairly its relation to doctrinal theology, religious studies, natural theology, and proclamation. Of special concern to Barr is how Jewish theologians use the Bible and how well newer efforts, since 1970 — especially story theology and canonical approaches — meet the test of an authentic and much-needed appropriation of the biblical text.