Maps seven key themes of a "whole Bible" theology, tracing the Bible's unified teaching across the biblical canon.

In this, the first overview of biblical theology in nearly thirty years, James K. Mead addresses the core issues of biblical theology essential to both Old Testament and New Testament study. Can we draw theological principles from Scripture? What methods will give useful results for theological exploration of biblical texts? Aptly synthesizing classic and recent scholarship while asserting his own theological findings, Mead provides an excellent overview of the history of biblical theology and a thorough examination of its basic issues, methods, and themes.

Tracing parallels between biblical accounts and pagan cultures of the ancient Near East, Niehaus explores creation and flood narratives; literary and legal forms; and the acts of deities and the God of the Bible. He reveals not just cultural similarities but spiritual dimensions of common thought and practice, providing an overarching view of the story of the Bible. - Publisher.

Studying the New Testament without a background in the Old is like listening to only the last movement of a great symphony. Unless we begin at the beginning, we miss the sense of developing themes and their subtle variations. To fully appreciate the music of the Bible, we need to listen to its early movements. William Dyrness helps us by providing a set of program notes to important Old Testament themes: the self-revelation of God, the nature of God, creation and providence, man and woman, sin, covenant, law, worship, piety, ethics, wisdom, the Spirit of God, prophecy and the hope of Israel. By attuning our ears to these themes, Dyrness sets us on a course of enriching study and increased understanding.

In recent years our knowledge of the individual parts of the Bible has increased greatly, but our understanding of how they fit together has not kept pace. In particular, the relationship between the Old and New Testaments has been a neglected field of study. The latest in IVP's developing family of New Dictionaries, the 'New Dictionary of Biblical Theology' is an essential tool for students, preachers and ministers, as well as for scholars and others seeking a better grasp of the Bible's teaching. The aim of this prestigious dictionary is to integrate the various biblical books and themes into the overarching story of the Scriptures. The volume embodies three perspectives on biblical theology, which are reflected in its structure.

In this comprehensive exposition, a leading New Testament scholar explores the unfolding theological unity of the entire Bible from the vantage point of the New Testament. G. K. Beale, coeditor of the award-winning Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, examines how the New Testament storyline relates to and develops the Old Testament storyline. Beale argues that every major concept of the New Testament is a development of a concept from the Old and is to be understood as a facet of the inauguration of the latter-day new creation and kingdom. Offering extensive interaction between the two testaments, this volume helps readers see the unifying conceptual threads of the Old Testament and how those threads are woven together in Christ. This major work will be valued by students of the New Testament and pastors alike.

This work is a collection of twenty-five papers that I have personally written. They consist of themes which were actually suggested, assigned and moderated by seasoned professors and biblical scholars in various aspects of Biblical Theology. Although, in some cases I have modified the themes, yet, I tried as much as possible to remain focused on the objectives of the papers. One very interesting point to note is, the treatment of most of these themes basically from the biblical perspective. This is mostly with regards to themes drawn from courses which are not "strictly scriptural courses", but rather are more of theological courses, which nonetheless, form an integral part of the study of Biblical Theology. So, in addition to the core scriptural courses, I have featured themes from: Fundamental Theology, Ecclesiology and Eschatology, Sacramental and Liturgical Theology, Trinitarian Theology etcetera. Also, it suffices to note that this work is not a commentary on the bible, nor is it a comprehensive approach to all the courses in Biblical Theology. Rather, it is a treatment of some important, provocative and challenging themes scholars or students encounter in the course of their study of Biblical Theology. This is simply meant to give one an idea of how these themes together shape Biblical Theology, and most importantly, how to approach some of these themes. I hope you will find them very helpful and interesting.