This Strange and Sacred Scripture: Wrestling with the Old Testament and Its Oddities

The Old Testament can seem strange and disturbing to contemporary readers. What should Christians make of Genesis 1-3, seemingly at odds with modern scientific accounts? Why does the Old Testament contain so much violence? How should Christians handle texts that give women a second-class status? Does the Old Testament contradict itself? Why are so many Psalms filled with anger and sorrow? What should we make of texts that portray God as filled with wrath?

Combining pastoral insight, biblical scholarship, and a healthy dose of humility, gifted teacher and communicator Matthew Schlimm explores perennial theological questions raised by the Old Testament. He provides strategies for reading and appropriating these sacred texts, showing how the Old Testament can shape the lives of Christians today and helping them appreciate the Old Testament as a friend in faith.

• Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament
• How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now
• Telling the Old Testament Story: God's Mission and God's People
• About the Bible: Short Answers to Big Questions (Exploring Christian Faith)
• Readings in World Christian History
• Old Testament Today, 2nd Edition: A Journey from Ancient Context to Contemporary Relevance
• A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: 2nd Edition
• Women's Bible Commentary, Third Edition: Revised and Updated
• History of the World Christian Movement: Earliest Christianity to 1453
• HarperCollins Study Bible - Student Edition: Fully Revised & Updated