Joseph JENSEN, OSB. God’s Word to Israel (New and Augmented Edition). Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press Academic, 2021. Pp. 380. $39.95. ISBN 9780814688175 (Pb). Reviewed by Daniel L. SMITH-CHRISTOPHER, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA., 90045.

Joseph Jensen’s introductory textbook is clearly designed for courses in religious-based Colleges and Universities.  There is no particular concern to maintain “neutrality” on this score, and the opening section speaks directly to issues of faith, history, and textual analysis.  Thus, on page two, Jensen writes: “In Christian faith God’s redemptive work reached its culmination in Jesus Christ, but it was the culmination of a divine purpose with an early beginning and a long development, a development intimately related to the origin and maturation of the people of Israel” (Jensen, 2), and on page 9: “…the Scriptures are the bearer of God’s word in a way that is totally divine and totally human” (Jensen, 9).  Page 82-86 also features a lengthy excursus on Evolution and Creation.   In academic settings where such issues or arguments are entirely appropriate, Jensen’s Introductory text could prove helpful.

Jensen gives good attention to the Documentary Hypothesis in the lengthy sections on the Pentateuch, based on a rather traditional reading of Wellhausen’s basic theory (e.g., an early J, a late P, etc.).  He is also quite ready to make important comparisons between Mesopotamian literary traditions on Genesis traditions (e.g., Gilgamesh and flood stories; Marduk and Tiamat in relation to the first Creation accounts, etc.).   The Pentateuch, in fact, occupies significant attention, and we are already at page 134 of 318 pages of the basic text (not counting three topical Appendices) by the time we start into the book of Joshua.

Notably, while Jensen discusses debates about the origins of Ancient Israel in the land, e.g., recent migration theories and the “peasants revolt theory”, the latter is mentioned but never really explained.  Further, for a text that is willing to raise theological issues, it does seem unfortunate that Jensen does not take an opportunity to address issues of genocide (and the legacy of those texts) in the sections discussing the conquest narratives of Joshua.

By Chapter 11, page 180, Jensen begins his extended discussion of the earliest Prophetic figures and then some of the books.  The discussion of the prophets is selective, but not seriously – most of the important texts are mentioned.  I was a bit surprised with the occasional overly cautious assertion such as the comment about Amos that: “Amos was not a social reformer but a prophet announcing the word of God…” (Jensen, 198).  Why both could not be true is not addressed.  The discussion of prophets takes us to page 260 of 318, thus representing another major emphasis of the text.

Discussions of Song of Songs, Wisdom traditions, and Apocalyptic take us to the end of the main text at page 318, followed by three appendices that further indicate the nature of the spirit of this introductory text: Appendix One: The Word of God in Human Words (dealing with inspiration and inerrancy); Appendix Two: Christian Use of the Old Testament; and Appendix Three: Church Teaching on the Bible.  There is some discussion of the Deutero-Canonical texts in the Wisdom and Apocalyptic sections.
This new edition of Jensen’s basic introduction to the Old Testament (I noted an earlier edition dated to 1982) appears to bring some of the references at the end of each chapter a bit more up to date, including Scripture references from the Revised New American Bible (2010), but it must be said that the majority of the references in each chapter are still dated, at times seriously (cf. citing Ackroyd on p. 265.  Ackroyd’s work on Exile was certainly important in its’ day, but its’ day was 1968!).  Illustrations are helpful, but a few more maps may have helped a bit in locating geographical discussions as historical events progress.

In conclusion, this book’s approach to the task of surveying the Old Testament is cautious and somewhat conservative.   Jensen’s opening section acknowledges the importance of related disciplines of Literary Analysis and Archaeology, but there is no particular interest in more recent theoretical approaches to Biblical interpretation – Postcolonial, Feminist, much less Queer readings or Culturally informed Analyses (e.g., African American, Asian, Latinx) – and teachers with keen interest in these more recent approaches would need to supplement this text with other readings.  Furthermore, any notion that including such issues would detract from a textbook intending to be read by students with commitments to Christian faith is highly debatable.  This reviewer would consider these issues to be of central theological as well as textual and historical importance for the study of the Old Testament. 

Finally, there are some comments here and there that this reviewer would suggest as candidates for the editorial chopping block next time around – such as the earlier noted argument that 8th Century prophets were “not” social reformers (frankly a tough sell in the light of Amos 2-6, texts like Jeremiah 7, Micah 1-4, etc.), but also the somewhat odd argument that at age 65, Sarah would hardly be beautiful enough to “turn Pharaoh’s head” in Gen. 12 (page 37); or rather defensive references in the text to anonymous “critics” (also page 37) that mildly suggests that there are scholars ‘out there’ who are perhaps thought to be hostile to Jensen’s faith-based reading of the Bible.