The Old Testament for a Complex World (Cameron B. R. Howard) - Review

THE OLD TESTAMENT FOR A COMPLEX WORLD: How the Bible’s Dynamic Testimony Points to New Life for the Church. By Cameron B. R. Howard. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021. Xi + 142 pages.  

          The Old Testament is a complex book (if you want to call it a "book"). Perhaps that complexity makes for a book that speaks to our time. I have long been concerned about how many Christians read the Old Testament. It seems as if people either see it as a book of archaic rules and regulations that are irrelevant now that we have Jesus or as the story of a wrathful God who doesn’t deserve our worship. Thus, what I have been observing is a creeping Marcionism that has infected the Christian community, especially it would seem among progressive Christians. What we seem to prefer is this supposed God of Jesus who is loving and nonjudgmental, unlike the God of the Old Testament. That's a problem because without the Old Testament we don't have a New Testament. In fact, without the Old Testament, we don’t have Christianity, because the Old Testament (Tanakh) was the Bible of the earliest Christians.

         It is important therefore that we have resources that challenge that picture and remind us that this Old Testament has much to offer us, but has to be read with care. Among those who understand this truth is Cameron B. R. Howard, who is an associate professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. She is a frequent contributor to the online resource that many preachers turn to, WorkingPreacher.Org.

        Howard’s book is brief, but it covers a lot of territory. In the course of the book, she continually reminds us that the Old Testament (and the New Testament for that matter) is a dynamic book. Therefore, she wants us to take seriously the multi-vocal nature of the Bible. This is a book composed by different voices representing different theologies, different contexts, and different periods of history. Therefore, we need to pay attention to the different layers of the biblical text. These different layers could be found in separate stories or within particular stories. In laying out her vision of the layered and textured nature of Scripture, she suggests that we need to recognize first of all that there is no one interpretation of Scripture. Regarding the authority of scripture, we need to take into consideration this layered nature. Thus, "the Bible is not authoritative despite its diverse voices, its cultural dependencies, and its clashing ideas; rather, the existence of that complexity is part and parcel of its authority" (p. 3).

          TheOld Testament for a Complex World is composed of five chapters. Howard begins the book by exploring "The Bible's Dynamic Witness" (ch. 1). Here she speaks of genres, composite authorship, and cultural contexts, while showing us how they contribute to the formation of the Old Testament. As she does this, she emphasizes the dynamic nature of the creation of the text as well as the readers themselves. This requires a dynamic understanding of the Holy Spirit who acts not only in the creation of the text but in our interpretation of it. As she notes, by rejecting the idea that there is only one interpretation of a given text, this offers opportunities for new understandings of God and God's relationship with humanity. This is where critical scholarship comes into play. It helps us discern what might be the most appropriate readings of a given text. This is a gift to the church.

            In chapter 2, Howard speaks of how biblical writers adapted popular culture. This is a reminder that as literature the Old Testament stories were not only sacred texts, but many had their origins in popular storytelling. That is, they served as entertainment. Here she notes the similarities between biblical stories and other stories in the ancient near east, with special emphasis on the flood story. She shows how both J and P utilized these stories, which eventually got mixed into one story. She also discusses the Court Stories, such as the stories about Joseph, Esther, and Daniel. Even as they provide some entertainment to the modern church they would have been entertaining in their own context. They also, of course, have sacred purposes. While there are many stories told, she reminds us that not all stories are told. Many of these stories emerged out of the Diaspora, but what about those who stayed behind? Where are their voices? What this chapter does is suggest that the way these stories were created and adapted suggests the value of finding forms of storytelling in our own time.

             From the discussion of the reworking of popular culture, Howard moves on to "Rethinking Theological Assumptions." Here she points to the way Deuteronomy reworks, theologically, the Exodus story, in a way that centralizes the sacrificial system in Judah as part of Josiah's reforms. She also explores how Ezekiel, representing the Zakokite priesthood, reenvisions the presence of God and the worship of God after the destruction of the Temple. Again, we see the multivocal nature of the Old Testament. It's not that they are contradictory. Rather they represent contextual adaptations. This can help us recognize how we will adapt ourselves theologically to new contexts. It suggests the possibility of theological flexibility. So, "in a complex world, the Old Testament offers examples of creativity amid crisis" (p. 83).

          In chapter four we move from theological adaptation to the development of new genres of literature. Here, Howard focuses on apocalyptic literature. This is a most helpful chapter that explores how the genre emerged, noting the relationship between the canonical book of Daniel and other apocalyptic texts, especially 1 Enoch, which likely predates Daniel. She shows how it emerged in a context of crisis and possible contributors to its theology (Zoroastrianism among them). In the course of the chapter, Howard demonstrates how these texts spoke about the ways power operates in the world. She offers us also a pertinent reminder that “As a new genre to make meaning out of dissonances, apocalypse provided a powerful tool to a marginalized community, but it was a tool also accessible to the powerful and economically advantaged” (p. 103). In other words, apocalypses can be a two-edged sword.

             Finally, in chapter five Howard speaks to the ways in which the Bible can provide a foundation for creative change. By drawing on critical scholarship and recognizing the multivocal nature of the Old Testament, she suggests that we see ways in which we can be more creative storytellers. We can also recognize and celebrate differences. Because the text of Scripture is multivocal it invites us to listen for previously unheard voices. As we read it, we can ask who is at the table and who is not at the table, and why that is the case. This complex text also suggests the need to embrace uncertainty since there are no easy answers to be found here. According to Howard that is a good thing.

            As noted above, The Old Testament for a Complex World is not a very long book (it’s under 150 pages in length). Due to its brevity and accessibility, it lends itself well to a general audience. That includes church study groups seeking to understand the complex nature of this portion of scripture that is often misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misused. Thus, Howard opens our eyes to the possibilities of reading the Old Testament fruitfully. While we can and should read through the lens of Jesus, she lets us know that this is not a trump card that resolves all difficulties and questions. In other words, let us not give into the temptation of Marcionism! The text needs to have the freedom to speak for itself. To that, I give my amen!