Using a Bible translation from Thomas Nelson -- The Voice -- Transcending Mysteries takes readers on a tour of Old Testament stories. I'll overlook what seems to be an odd choice for translation for the Old Testament texts themselves (there's good reasons to be critical of The Voice translation, but that's for another day). Transcending Mysteries still offers a generous collection, in eight chapters -- of Old Testament texts that open what's often inaccessible in ways that even those who are outside the Church might find intriguing.
That's because Transcending Mysteries is really a conversation between two scholars that deal with their frustrations and triumphs in reading these Old Testament texts. After that dialogue, the "Questions for Discussion" intend on expanding their conversation to include readers. And that's the most valuable and important contribution that Transcending Mysteries brings to biblical interpretation both inside and outside the Church. Transcending Mysteries best described as Bible study meets coffee house meets dear diary. It's personal. It's uncomfortable. But its message is clear: "Sometimes life has its troubles. Sometimes those trials have us feeling alone. But there is always Someone who's trustworthy on our side".
That's because Transcending Mysteries keeps the focus where the Old Testament keeps its focus: On God. Greer and Owens hardly have all the answers to life's mysteries. But as guides through these ancient narratives, they transcend the demand for answers by engaging in the Mystery that is at the heart of those very narratives.
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