Book Review: What Is Biblical Theology? by James Hamilton

Theology is a word that make some Christians nervous. Why? Maybe some do not understand what it is. Some Christians think theology is only reserved for those who go to seminary and those in church leadership. Theology is simply the study of God. Now we have made some Christians even more nervous because of the word study. Tell teenagers about studying God and immediately they think about school with all their studies.

What about the term biblical theology, now we have lost more Christians because it sounds complex. James Hamilton, in his latest book, What Is Biblical Theology?, says, "To do biblical theology is to think about the whole story of the Bible." As Christians, we believe that the Bible is a collection of stories that ultimately tell one story. That story is God redeeming mankind through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Hamilton says, "The Bible has a narrative arc that begins at creation, rises over all that has been and will be, and lands at the end of all things. The prophetic and poetic parts of the Bible provide interpretive commentary on the story, and the apocalypses unveil the way things are and will be. The Bible's big story, this overarching narrative, is also built out of smaller stories. At the same time, the stories told in the Old Testament work together to set up a mystery resolved in Christ."

Hamilton goes on to say that Biblical theology is a quest that one must take if they are to know not only who God is but the whole story of the Bible. He also wrote, "Studying biblical theology is the best way to learn from the Bible how to read the Bible as a Christian should. By the same token, studying the Bible is the best way to learn biblical theology." This book serves as an introduction to those who are new to biblical theology.

The rest of the book deals with the Bible's big story and what it is truly about. Hamilton goes on to explain the symbolic language that is used throughout the entire Bible especially in the Old Testament. Finally, Hamilton talks about how the church fits into the Bible's big story which I am so thankful because some theologians, unintentionally at times, ignore the church as part of the overall story of the Bible.

This is a great book for those who want to know more about biblical theology. It is not a long book with big words that go over your head, but a short book that will introduce new or even seasoned believers into biblical theology. For those teaching seminary, you might want to consider giving this book to your students before they tackle theology classes.

Thanks Crossway for letting me review this book.