The Men and the Message of the Old Testament

The Men and the Message of the Old Testament, as initially conceived, was for beginners only - students on college level studying the Bible for the first time. Hence our first approach: the introduction to and familiarity with each of the sacred books. But while preparing the text for tyros, a wider audience came into focus. Thus, our second approach was added: the literary analysis of the books with a rapid glance a pertinent biblical theology. This was added for those whose biblical studies would be ancillary to the study of sacred theology. Finally, our third approach-the study of 75 psalms has been added both for the benefit of clerics and religious who daily recite the divine praises, and for that growing battalion of lay Catholics whose piety has drawn them instinctively to this inspired wellspring of liturgical prayer. The three approaches have been integrated; they have not been united. It is the author's conviction that familiarity with the books, the backbone of the first approach, is an indispensable prerequisite to any other study of the Bible. The dictum, "Always read the sources-everything flows from them naturally," is basic to intelligent study. It is elementary to a study of the Scriptures. As we have arranged the text, the student must make a threefold trip through the Bible. However, once the firce trip has been made, the second trip by way of literary analysis and the third by way of the psalms become pleasant journeys through familiary territory. Includes Select Bibliography, Student's Correlated Reading, Extensive Index, 16 Full Page Maps