Being Human in God’s World: An Old Testament Theology of Humanity

In this scholarly, accessible, and beautifully written study, McConville (Law and Theology in Deuteronomy), professor of Old Testament theology at the University of Gloucester, welcomes the reader into an exploration of the Old Testament’s portrayal of humanity as created “in the image of God.” Guided by the biblical question, “What is the human being, that you give attention to them?” McConville investigates topics including human potential, the power of biblical language, theologies of work, modern and ancient concepts of self, the role of place and memory in human self-understanding, and “the nature of human relatedness to the earth.” Declaring that “the Bible exemplifies and invites the imaginative rereading of its texts,” McConville draws insights from such diverse sources as philosopher Charles Taylor, author Marilynne Robinson, poet Wendell Berry, and scholar Phyllis Trible. Through his analysis of Scripture’s “montage of human stories,” McConville ultimately asserts that “the capacity of humans for affirming the goodness of God’s creation in ways that are full of imagination and integrity seems unbounded.” Insightful, provocative and compelling, this book is itself a work of literature to be savored. (Aug.)