The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition

Leslie Baynes, Religion This volume is a treasure house from which one may draw riches old and new. As an Orthodox priest, Pentiuc is immersed in his ancient tradition; as a biblical scholar he is au courant with the methods and controversies of 21st-century scholarship - a rare combination indeed. He builds on solid historical and textual foundations to urge the church forward. The book offers the clearest, most complete, and most accessible treatment in English of topics such as
the Orthodox use of the Septuagint, the canon, and issues around the 'apocrypha,' not to mention its analysis of scripture in the liturgy.


On Behalf of All Both the study and usage of the Old Testament in the Orthodox tradition is undervalued in academic circles today, and Fr. Eugen s work will serve as an authoritative and much-needed work. A noted expert in both Semitic languages and Old Testament studies, Fr. Eugen s unique blend of scholarly finesse and fidelity to Orthodox tradition makes The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition a book worthy of our closest attention.


Michael Coogan, editor of The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible In this extraordinarily learned book, Pentiuc sheds much-needed light on an often neglected aspect of the history of interpretation of the Bible. Appropriately, he discusses not just texts, but ritual and art as well, so that reading his book is like walking into a lavishly ornamented Eastern Orthodox church where the Divine Liturgy is being celebrated. This view from the inside is an invaluable contribution.


V. Rev. Dr. John Behr, Dean and Professor of Patristics, St. Vladimir's Seminary This work is a major event: the first comprehensive and thorough analysis of the role of the Old Testament in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, written by the foremost Eastern Orthodox scholar of Scripture, internationally respected within both Church and Academy alike. Opening up the scriptural culture of Eastern Orthodoxy in all its dimensions, this illuminating volume will richly reward every reader.

Eugen J. Pentiuc holds a Th.D. in Old Testament from Bucharest University, and a Ph.D. in Near Eastern languages and civilizations from Harvard University. He is also an Eleve titulaire of Ecole biblique et archeologique francaise in Jerusalem. He is a Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline.

CONTENTS ; PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ; ABBREVIATIONS ; PART I. RECEPTION ; 1. ONE BIBLE, TWO COVENANTS ; 2. TEXT ; 3. CANON ; 4. TRADITION ; PART II. INTERPRETATION ; 5. DISCURSIVE ; 6. AURAL ; 7. VISUAL ; POSTSCRIPT ; BIBLIOGRAPHY ; INDEX