COLLECTED ESSAYS

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(pp. 75-115), Moshe Weinfeld traces Israel's transition from a tribal league focused
around the cd (congregation) to a dynastic monarchy, and from a variety of religious institutions, including a mobile tent of meeting and ark of the covenant, to a
permanent royal sanctuary in Jerusalem. He argues that both the kingship and the
temple city became idealized in prophetic literature. The strength of the article lies in
its scope and in the way diverse elements (including nonbiblical parallels) are integrated to present the development of these motifs.
Alan M. Cooper's article, "The Life and Times of King David according to the
Book of Psalms" (pp. 117-31), asks the perennial question of the Davidic authorship
of the psalms. He concludes that we really cannot know which psalms are by David,
despite the many and divergent attempts to find a norm to measure "Davidic" authenticity, and suggests that we do better to read the psalms in a canonical context or
from an aesthetic point of view. C. perceptively critiques several earlier treatments of
the question, but is perhaps too willing to abandon the task as impossible.
Arnaldo Momigliano's "The Origins of Universal History" (pp. 133-54) describes
various historical perspectives evidenced in Greek and Roman writers. M. discusses
Daniel 2 and 7, showing how these chapters employ elements of universal historical
perspective, but do so with a great deal of independence, adapting ideas to the needs
of Judaism.
Both volumes are worth the reader's time. The Friedman volume contains a
diverse collection of articles, but most are quite thought-provoking and informative.
The two volumes together provide a good example of how very difficult the task of
the modern historian is in trying to glean "history" from the ancient biblical tradition, even though not all writers in these two volumes are as aware of the difficulties
as they might be.
Alan J. Hauser, Philosophy I Religion Department, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608

JOSEPH s. MARINO (ed.), Biblical Themes in Religious Education (Birmingham:

Religious Education, 1983). Pp. xi + 294. Paper N.P.
Joseph Marino has compiled articles to elucidate some themes which religious
educators may find helpful in their ministry. His awe of his contributors, however,
seems to have kept him from truly editing and has thus made the style and content of
the book uneven.
Two basic perspectives orient the reader. First, James Michael Lee, in "Religious
Education and the Bible: A Religious Educationist's View," (pp. 1-61), introduces the
reader to those basic principles about the Bible which are "directly and organically
related" to religious education. For example, the Bible is a "religious instruction book
. . . a disclosure of religious experiences . . . living because it speaks to us today."
However, words like costructures, perforce, hagiographically-thrusted, or sentences
like, "Lifestyle content can only be taught through substantive content which is
lifestyle in character" (p. 26), do not communicate. Although he seems ignorant of

576 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY | 47, 1985

contemporary Scripture studies, one of L.'s most important principles is that teaching Scripture calls for a variety of teaching procedures.
Joseph Marino's own essay, "Religious Education and the Bible: A Biblicist's
View," (pp. 62-83), presents the second perspective, much more clearly stated. Unfortunately, he stereotypes the Jewish Law as minimal response to God: ". . . the law is
not concerned if one loves the other person, just don't kill him!" (p. 71). However,
casting his material in the language of storytelling will resonate with catechists.
Particularly admirable are M.'s careful weaning of his readers from fundamentalism
and his commentary on some major biblical resources available to the educator.
The second part of the volume is devoted to specific themes. Primary in
religious education is the discovery of God, treated by Dermot Cox in "The Discovery of God" (pp. 87-116). Unfortunately, C. uses sexist and somewhat esoteric language. The essay's strength lies in C.'s summaries of the religious experiences of
Israelites and Christians. C. portrays a passionately loving God, discovered through
human experience.
David Whitten Smith writes on "Faith" (pp. 117-55), a highlight of the book.
His style is lucid, his material well outlined, his underlying concern for communicating with professional catechists evident. S. uses and explains Hebrew vocabulary,
leading readers into deeper appreciation of the meaning of God's own faithfulness.
He treats discernment, conversion, prayer, healing, justice, and other topics of contemporary concern for religious educators. Also helpful is his quoting sections of
Scripture, since ministers have little time to study an essay with Bible at hand. S.
could well expand this splendid essay into an entire book.
Another important theme is "Commitment and Discipleship in the New Testament" (pp. 156-68); the brief essay is exegetical and the story of Jesus well told by Ugo
Vanni. Carroll Stuhlmueller writes about "Prayer" (pp. 169-95) as listening to God
through Scripture, a contemporary Word offered through liturgy. Sometimes, S.
explains, God speaks in silence. Psalm verses and other scriptural excerpts underscore the points he develops. Not only does S. avoid sexist language; he never even
uses masculine pronouns for God! S.'s depth should communicate well to the educator.
"Justice" (pp. 196-233), by Horacio Simian-Yofre, is another high point. He
offers an excellent, insightful retelling of Jacob's conversion to justice that will be
immediately helpful to catechists. All justice must be rooted in encounter with God
(p. 202), and S.-Y. demonstrates that. He addresses religious educators and their
methodology, encouraging them not merely to proof-text with passages on justice,
but to "discover in Scripture the deeper elements that determine the structure of a just
or unjust relationship" (p. 230).
Alice Laffey, discussing "Sin" (pp. 234-56), stresses its relational quality, looking
to "vivid descriptions of concrete persons and the dynamics of relationships" (p. 234)
as they emerge in scriptural stories. L.'s outline of the chapter, her simple, clear style,
and her focus on concerns of educators make this an essay which could stand alone.
Especially helpful is the paradigm this essay offers for treating a theme.
Finally, Robert Barone, in "Reconciliation" (pp. 257-76), is an engaging storyteller. For example, he recounts well the Peter-Paul conflict in Galatians but misses
the centrality of reconciliation in other Pauline letters. His use of the evangelists'

COLLECTED ESSAYS

577

symbols is distracting, his gospel examples too few to demonstrate his points. Some
of B.'s explanations will be helpful to those who teach fundamentalists, but on the
whole his writing is poor.
Much of the writing is poor: split infinitives, unclear antecedents, unnecessarily
technical language. The editor, Marino, could have rectified that. M. also should have
kept about half his contributors more focused on his purpose: assisting religious
educators to use Scripture, integrating biblical insights "smoothly into their education ministry."
Rea McDonnell, S.S.KD.,
MD 20910

Washington Theological Union, Silver Spring,

CAROL L. MEYERS and M. O'CONNOR (eds.), The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth:
Essays in Honor of David Noel Freedman in Celebration of His Sixtieth Birthday
(ASOR, Special Volume Series 1; Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1983). Pp. xviii +
742. N.P.
By any account, David Noel Freedman is one of the premier scholars of our
generation. This is so not only with regard to his own direct contributions to many
fields of study, but also with regard to his indirect, but equally effective, contributions: training and encouraging young scholars and editing important journals and
series (e.g., AB, JBL, BASOR, BA). As befits our times, Freedman is also a scholar of
truly ecumenical dimension, both in the range of his own interests and competence
and in his working and sharing with scholars of all religious traditions. As we might
expect, this Festschrift in his honor reflects these various facets of Freedman's career.
The editors have collected fifty articles by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish
scholars; the articles are divided into five areas of scholarly interest. These are preceded by an introductory article by Philip J. King ("Sharing the Results of Scholarly
Research," pp. 1-12), which situates Freedman's work within the context of the
history and publications of ASOR. There is also a concluding bibliography (pp. 71942), compiled by M. O'Connor, which clarifies Freedman's important contribution
to the NAB. In between, the sections with their respective articles are as follows. (By
the way, I would join the editors [see the Preface] in regretting that it was not possible
to provide indexes for the volume.)
Part One, "Hebrew Poetry and Prophecy" (pp. 15-188), comprises twelve articles:
J. J. M. Roberts, "Isaiah 53: An Isaianic Elaboration of the Zion Tradition," pp. 15-25;
Richard J. Clifford, "Isaiah 55: Invitation to a Feast," pp. 27-35; Moshe Greenberg,
"MSRT HBRYT, 'the obligation of the covenant,' in Ezekiel 20:37," pp. 37-46;
Mitchell Dahood, "The Minor Prophets and Ebla," pp. 47-67; Eric M. Meyers, "The
use of tor in Haggai 2:11 and the Role of the Prophet in the Restoration Community," pp. 69-76; Andrew E. Hill, "Dating the Book of Malachi: A Linguistic
Reexamination," pp. 77-89; Helmer Ringgren, "Psalm 2 and Blit's Oracle for Ashurbanipal,"pp. 91-95; Michael L. Barr, S.S., and John S. Kselman, S.S., "New Exodus,
Covenant, and Restoration in Psalm 23," pp. 97-127; Frank Moore Cross, "Studies in

^ s
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