The Fear of the Lord Is Wisdom: A Theological Introduction to Wisdom in Israel

In this comprehensive introduction to Old Testament wisdom, Tremper Longman III examines both cultural and canonical evidence to show wisdom's enduring theological significance. "Israel's wisdom literature has long been misunderstood as secular and experiential, a foreign import and therefore a human response to the challenges of life rather than a divine word. By building on newer work demonstrating wisdom's religious roots and revelatory character, Longman masterfully explores the theological particularity of Israel's wisdom tradition. The result is an excellent introduction for students and the general Christian reader, as well as a fitting culmination of Longman's career-long engagement with this literature. His book is unusually comprehensive in scope, extending its coverage to the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the New Testament. It concludes with thoughtful reflections on the potential for Israel's wisdom to contribute significantly to church and society in the twenty-first century." -- Stephen B. Chapman , Duke University "With masterful elegance Longman navigates through the topic of wisdom in the Old Testament, making a compelling and exegetically rich argument that wisdom is not independent of the redemptive-historical narrative of the Old Testament but intrinsic to it. Insightful and refreshing, this brilliant exposition of wisdom is a must read for anyone seeking a more coherent theology of wisdom and its place in the canon." -- Carol M. Kaminski , Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary "Longman doesn't get swept away by fashions, but neither does he dismiss ideas merely because they are new. He looks at them with interest but keeps a cool head. So he is the kind of person that the wise men and women of Israel would appreciate, and he appreciates them. His book is a balanced and informative introduction both to a 'distinctive but not discordant note' within the Old Testament and to its theological message." -- John Goldingay , Fuller Theological Seminary "Longman provides a combination of innovative scholarship and clear, accessible prose. He covers the tradition's bases but also addresses a postmodern reading context. The Fear of the Lord Is Wisdom will be an excellent guide for undergraduates, seminarians, and scholars alike." -- Stephen B. Reid , George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University