The occurrence of treaties throughout the Ancient Near East has been investigated on a number of occasions, generally in order to resolve certain questions arising in the biblical field. As a result of that focus, the existence of a similar institution in a number of different cultures has not been treated as a problem in itself. Generally the existence of treaties throughout the area has been taken for granted, or a simple borrowing model has been used to explain how similar forms came to be used in different cultures. Why forms were similar across the area has not been probed. This work investigates treaty occurrences in different cultures and finds that the forms used correlate with ways of maintaining political control both internally and over vassals. Related concepts are projected in official accounts of history. Thus one can roughly distinguish threats based on power from persuasion based on benevolence and historical precedent, though various combinations of these two occur. There is a likely further connection of the means chosen to the degree of centralisation of power within the society. Underlying the local traditions is a common tradition which has to be dated to the pre-literate period. Biblical covenants fit within this pattern. The cultures treated are Mesopotamia, the Hittites, Egypt, Syrian centres and Israel.

In biblical and theological studies, fresh perspectives and novel approaches can breathe new life into familiar subjects. Remembering the Covenants in Song reconsiders the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenant relationship through the unique biblical and canonical lens of a postexilic song. In Psalm 105, the psalmist's intriguing intertextual engagement with both of Israel's great covenant traditions provides a rare glimpse into the covenant-understanding of a postexilic biblical writer interacting with the Torah. Remembering the Covenants in Song entails an intertextual study of Psalm 105 that brings the psalmist's rhetorical design and covenant references into a dialogue with the Torah's seminal covenant texts. The examination of the psalmist's use of covenant references and allusions represents an innovative approach to assessing the rhetorical significance of intertextuality in biblical writings.

Trinity, Revelation, and Reading (TRR) is a theological introduction to the Bible and biblical interpretation. The overarching thesis is that neither the Bible nor biblical hermeneutics can be understood or practiced properly apart from an appreciation of their relationship to the triune God and his gracious economy of redemption. Scott Swain treats the role of the Word in the saving economy of the triune God, the role and status of Scripture as the Word of God, the nature of biblical reading as a covenantal enterprise, as well as a host of other related topics. These topics are addressed by way of a constructive appropriation, or ressourcement, of many of the themes of patristic theology and early Protestant divinity (esp. Reformed Orthodoxy), while building upon the work of important contemporary theologians as well (e.g., Karl Barth, John Webster, Kevin Vanhoozer). The ultimate goal of this study is that readers will appreciate better the ways in which biblical interpretation is an aspect of their covenantal engagement with the triune God.

In Created Equal, Joshua Berman engages the text of the Hebrew Bible from a novel perspective, considering it as a document of social and political thought. He proposes that the Pentateuch can be read as the earliest prescription on record for the establishment of an egalitarian polity. What emerges is the blueprint for a society that would stand in stark contrast to the surrounding cultures of the ancient Near East -- Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ugarit, and the Hittite Empire - in which the hierarchical structure of the polity was centered on the figure of the king and his retinue. Berman shows that an egalitarian ideal is articulated in comprehensive fashion in the Pentateuch and is expressed in its theology, politics, economics, use of technologies of communication, and in its narrative literature. Throughout, he invokes parallels from the modern period as heuristic devices to illuminate ancient developments. Thus, for example, the constitutional principles in the Book of Deuteronomy are examined in the light of those espoused by Montesquieu, and the rise of the novel in 18th-century England serves to illuminate the advent of new modes of storytelling in biblical narrative.

This comprehensive systematic theology by respected theologian Robert Letham covers the whole field of Reformed Christian doctrine from biblical, historical, and theological angles. Letham begins with God's ultimate selfrevelation as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in indivisible union, continuing on with the works of God in creation, providence, and grace. He draws deeply from Scripture and important voices from the church to provide a clear and concise articulation of the Reformed faith. He also addresses current issues such as feminism, charismatic gifts, sexual ethics, environmentalism, other religions, the nature of truth, and civil liberties. Each chapter is followed by discussion questions, with a glossary of terms included at the end. This work grounds theological understanding and practice in the life and ministry of the church, accessible to pastors, students, scholars, and anyone who desires to understand, believe, and live scriptural doctrine more fully.

The Reformed Two-Kingdom project has generated a great deal of literature. However, this literature is often characterized by inflamed rhetoric. Further, though it is standard fare to assume that Kline was the architect of the project, in reality, there has been very little scholarly examination of this point. In response, Kline's system is analyzed through the means of a dialectical discourse with three differing models within the Reformed tradition--the Theonomist, Perspectivalist, and Dooyeweerdian schools. Through this means, the study keeps away from surface-level polemics and instead directs readers to the critically important substructural level of current discussions. While clarifying some of the key differences between Kline and his interlocutors, often-overlooked points of nuance are also highlighted. These points are shown to be important in that they present the potential to lessen frustration and impasse in the ongoing dialogue.