New Release! The Old Testament for Latter-day Saints, by Alex Douglas

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The Old Testament for Latter-day Saints

Alex Douglas

In The Old Testament for Latter-day Saints, Alex Douglas explores the Old Testament from various perspectives: as a believer, a skeptic, a secular scholar, and a member of the Latter-day Saint community. He delves deep into biblical scholarship, incorporating insights from disciplines such as ancient Near Eastern archaeology and the rich mythic traditions of Israel’s neighboring cultures. By doing so, Douglas helps the reader appreciate the profound significance the Old Testament held for its earliest readers.

This book also explores the intriguing and diverse ways in which Latter-day Saints have interpreted and engaged with this ancient text. He examines how individuals have alternately embraced the Old Testament as myth or history, law or legend, wise counsel or sacred scripture. He shows where many traditional interpretations have come from and offers many ways to encourage a more nuanced understanding of the text.

Drawing from a wealth of scholarly research and his own unique perspective, Douglas presents a compelling and multidimensional analysis of the Old Testament. However readers approach the text, this book sheds light on the complex nature of the Old Testament and its enduring relevance to the Latter-day Saint tradition.

 

Excerpt:
Modern readers, particularly in more fundamentalist branches of Christianity, tend to read Genesis 1–11 as history, but these instances of literary dependence on the myths of other cultures––not to mention the mythic elements within the Old Testament itself––should give us pause. Is it possible that there was an ancient flood, a tower at which languages were confounded, or a garden with magical trees that granted immortality and knowledge? Of course. Virtually anything is possible. But analysis would suggest that these stories were not meant to be taken as history, nor were they understood as such by the Israelites. When we read these stories as history, as if they were a factual account of events that actually took place, we should be aware that we are most likely misinterpreting them.     

About the author

Alex Douglas earned his PhD in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament from Harvard University, with a specialization in the book of Isaiah and the Septuagint. His work has focused on bridging the worlds of scholarship and belief. He has published articles through religious venues such as the Sperry Symposium and the leading journals of biblical studies, including the Journal of Biblical Literature and the Journal of Septuagint and Cognate Studies

paperback | $19.95
ebook | $9.99


Available at select bookstores and at Amazon. More info at signaturebooks.com.
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