Teaching to Read the Old Testament as Scripture
It is not enough to have a high view of Scripture if we do not also have a high use of Scripture. In fact, a failure in our use of Scripture can empty our high view of Scripture of any real value or importance. It is arguably the case that the confessional Reformed tradition has the most vested interest in ensuring that its famously high view of what Scripture is finds expression in the classroom where its ministers are being trained in the reading, teaching, and preaching of Holy Scripture. The Reformed tradition, that is, should have a greater interest than most--theoretically--in guaranteeing that there is a meaningful and lively link, that is dynamic rather than static, of what we are learning about what Scripture is and how we decide we need to preach, teach, and read those same Scriptures as thoughtful Christians. With a view to recent developments in Old Testament studies, today’s Greystone Conversations episode reflects on what difference those developments should have on what’s happening in the seminary and Bible college classroom--both in terms of Old Testament classes and the whole curriculum as well. How should that developing understanding find expression in the way we think about the most faithful theologically coherent and effective ways to order our reading of Scripture in whatever department of the seminary or Bible college?
To discuss this and more, Dr. Mark A. Garcia, President and Fellow in Scripture and Theology at Greystone Theological Institute, sits down with Dr. Don C. Collett, Greystone's Fellow in Old Testament and associate professor of Old Testament at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA (USA). Dr. Collet has spent many years reflecting carefully on the questions we are exploring today, and he’s just recently published a book on this topic entitled Figural Reading and the Old Testament: Theology and Practice, released by Baker Academic in April of this year (2020).
Dr. Collett’s Greystone course, Job as Christian Scripture, is available to all Greystone Members. Become a member today for unlimited access to the growing Greystone Connect library.
