A most conscientious first year theology student recently asked me for some recommendations of introductions to the old and new testaments for his holiday reading. It’s been a while since I read an introduction to the testaments, so I basically suggested to him what I found helpful when I was a first year student. Here’s what I suggested to him (denoted with *) … plus a few that I didn’t mention:
Introduction to the Old Testament
*Adrio König, Here Am I: A Christian Reflection on God
Brevard S. Childs, Old Testament Theology in a Canonical Context
*Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture
*Christopher J. H. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament
Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments
Gerhard Von Rad, Old Testament Theology: The Theology of Israel’s Traditions
*John Goldingay, Old Testament Theology (3 vols)
Walter Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy
*Walter Brueggemann, An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination
Walter Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament (2 vols)
*William J. Dumbrell, The Faith of Israel. A Theological Survey of the Old Testament
*William J. Dumbrell, Covenant & Creation: A Theology of Old Testament Covenants
William J. Dumbrell, Search for Order: Biblical Eschatology in Focus
*William Sanford La Sor, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William Bush, and Leslie C. Allen, Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament
Introduction to the New Testament
*Adolf Schlatter, The Theology of the Apostles
*Donald A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo, Introduction to the New Testament
Donald A. Carson, The Gospel According to John: An Introduction and Commentary
E. P. Sanders and Margaret Davies, Studying the Synoptic Gospels
*George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament
*Herman Nicolaas Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology
J. Christiaan Beker, Paul The Apostle
Joel B. Green (ed.), Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for Interpretation
John H. Hayes, Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner’s Handbook
Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Romans
Luke Timothy Johnson, The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation
*Merrill Chapin Tenney, New Testament Survey
N. T. Wright, The Climax of the Covenant: Christ and the Law in Pauline Theology
Philip E. Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews
Richard Bauckham, James: Wisdom of James, Disciple of Jesus the Sage
Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation
Richard B. Hays, The Conversion of the Imagination: Paul As Interpreter of Israel’s Scripture
Richard B. Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation, A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics
Robert H. Gundry, Survey of the New Testament
Now what have I left off this list that is as ‘must’ as they come? For those who can remember that far back, what did you find most helpful (or otherwise) as a first year biblical studies student?
NB: This list plus a few others have been added to this blog’s Reading List.
jasongoroncy.com 
Hi Jason, I’d have included some of the NT volumes you cite – but there are two stand-out volumes that are as must as they come!
David De Silva’s Introduction to the NT. Contexts, methods and Ministry Formation, quite simply eclipses the other candidates in the field for a comprehensive, constructively criticalal, theologically enhanced, pastorally oriented, engagement with the range of NT texts and contexts. The approach is conducted on several fronts and it avoids simply rehearsing the standard stuff.
And Raymond Brown’s Introduction to the NT is a masterpiece of distilled erudition, carried off in readable English by a scholar whose faith commitment informs without prejudicing his scholarship. I still cherish (I do, seriously) his two volume Anchor Commentary on John – dated now in some key aspects, but still a treasure chest, a tool box and a benchmark for exegesis done from within the Church through the academy. (peroration finis!)
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Misspellings in previous comments due to over-excitement at Jamie Smith’s goal for Aberdeen!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Jim, these are both good suggestions and I’ve now added them to the ‘Reading List’. Many thanks. Congrats to Aberdeen too. How tragic was that own goal?!
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Aye tragic! But there was an Aberdeen player behind him who would have stuck it in anyway. Forgive the gloating, don’t get the chance too often!
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