The Old Testament and Christian Spirituality - International Voices in ...

What Is Biblical Spirituality? 119
modern interpreter should be interpreted too, 23 Sheriffs offers
exegetical observations on his selected texts, traces certain ideas
from the Old Testament to the New, and frequently offers
commentary related to the ancient and modern contexts as,
respectively, explanation and application. The latter he regards as
particularly important. Yet, interestingly, and drawing on his
academic background, 24 much information of the ancient Near
Eastern religio-cultural environment to the Old Testament is
included. Particular emphasis is placed on the topics of covenant
and treaty, reflecting in these respects the leanings of his doctoral
supervisor Fensham 25 and via him, Albright 26 though with greater
hermeneutic caution. 27
At times, the book reads like an introductory course on the Old
Testament, with many basic elements being explained; at other
times, the indications of present relevance seem almost sermonlike,
even forced. With repeating themes such as friendship,
journey, and covenant, and with much made of the rhythms of time
towards the end of the book, this volume gives valuable pointers
on how we may attempt to bring the ancient biblical texts into
lively discussion with important themes from the history of
spirituality and with modern-day issues. That the ancient contexts
must be brought to bear on Biblical Spirituality is correctly
emphasised by this contribution, although the way in which this is
23 Sheriffs, The Friendship of the Lord, xi, 1–2.
24 See D. Sheriffs, “Empire and the Gods: Mesopotamian Treaty Theology and
the Sword in the First Millennium B.C.” (D.Litt. diss., University of
Stellenbosch, 1976).
25 Cf. e.g. C. Fensham, “The Treaty between Israel and the Gibeonites,” The
Biblical Archaeologist Reader 3 (1970): 121–26.
26 Cf. e.g. W. F. Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel: The Ayer
Lectures of the Colgate-Rochester Divinity School (3rd ed.; Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins University Press, 1953).
27 J. H. le Roux, “A Story of Two Ways. Thirty Years of Old Testament
Scholarship in South Africa” (Old Testament Essays Supplement Number 2;
Pretoria: Verba Vitae, 1993), 114–40