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Loading... A Mouth Full of Fire: The Word of God in the Words of Jeremiah (Volume 29) (New Studies in Biblical Theology) (edition 2012)by Andrew G. Shead (Author)
Work InformationA Mouth Full of Fire: The Word of God in the Words of Jeremiah by Andrew G. Shead
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"I am putting my words as a fire in your mouth; these people are tinder and it will consume them." (Jeremiah 5:14)In the book of Jeremiah, not only is the vocabulary of "word" and "words" uniquely prevalent, but formulae marking divine speech also play an unprecedented role in giving the book's final form its narrative and theological shape. Indeed, "the word of the Lord" is arguably the main character, and a theology that is both distinctive and powerful can be seen to emerge from the unfolding narrative.In this stimulating study, Andrew Shead examines Jeremiah's use of word language; the prophet's formation as an embodiment of the word of God; his covenant preaching and the crisis it precipitates concerning the recognition of true prophecy; and, in the "oracles of hope," how the power of the word of God is finally made manifest.Shead then brings this reading of Jeremiah to bear on some issues in contemporary theology, including the problem of divine agency and the doctrine of Scripture, and concludes by engaging Jeremiah's doctrine of the Word of God in conversation with Karl Barth. The prophet's major contribution emerges from his careful differentiation of "word" and "words."Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead. No library descriptions found. |
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"I am putting my words as a fire in your mouth; these people are tinder and it will consume them." (Jeremiah 5:14)
Shead argues that in the book of Jeremiah, the vocabulary of "word" and "words" is a literary and theological blueprint to give the book's final form its narrative and theological shape. It is not Jeremiah, but the phrase "the word of the Lord", who is the main character in the book of Jeremiah. Shead's Structure offers a great outline of Jeremiah (this is seen in ch 2 'Structuring Jeremiah', but is relayed in the following chapters 3-6).
The NSBT series believes there is an inner unity to the Old and New Testaments and works to synthesize the whole-Bible's teaching on the God we worship. "Biblical theology…may be defined as knowledge of God as God in the Bible" (pg. 28). The Bible is one which reveals God in such a way that we may in fact know Him, His character, and His Son, the Word.
(+) Shead's exegesis is excellent. Shead's outline and structure of Jeremiah gives way to pages and pages of note-taking (hopefully in your Bible too!). He provides us with a movie director's perspective, and how the camera draws into Jeremiah's character, and out to show him as an incidental character caught up with the rest of Judah in the destructive power of the Word of God. This was the best part of the book (in my opinion).
(-) While exegesis was gold and alluring, theological discussions were bewildering. Considering this is a book from a pretty academic series, I can't come down hard on Shead. It's not his fault I'm not smart enough to understand. But whether talking about ‘speech’ in the divine agency debate, Goldingay's 'model of scripture' as inspired word, or the difference between prophetic speech and a prophetic book (to name a few), I didn't always know if Shead agreed with an opposing position or not. And whether or not he did, I didn't know why it mattered in the end.
(-) The section on Barth was interesting, but still confusing. If you've read Barth, or have some knowledge on 'word' theology, this will make more sense to you. While there was gold to be found, I had trouble with the overall idea flowing through and the concepts discussed. Thankfully, Shead doesn't present Barth as the enemy.
If you're studying Jeremiah and you want a bigger picture of Jeremiah, his structure, and his portrayal of the power and place of God's word, read Shead.
[Many thanks to IVP UK for providing a review copy of this book. I was not required to provide a positive review in exchange for this book].