144 - Israel in Exile: A Theological Interpretation

Israel in Exile: A Theological Interpretation
By Ralph W. Klein
Philadelphia, Fortress, 1979. 159 pp. $6.95.

What do people of faith say when all that seemed firm tears apart? Ralph Klein addresses this question in an exceptionally well-written volume. He surveys the prophetic and priestly response to the Exile-the upheaval that shook the foundation of Israel's existence. Although the writings of this period hold many themes in common (for example, Israel's sin, hope for the future), Klein underscores motifs which he considers peculiar to each book. For example, in Lamentations (and some psalms of lament) God appears as the enemy; the Deuteronomistic history views the catastrophe both as God's judgment and a call to repentance; Jeremiah understands the Exile to be God's will but not final word; and Ezekiel, Second Isaiah, and the Priestly writer, each uniquely looks to God's presence in the past as promise for the future.

The book concludes with some perceptive comments on our exile in today's world. Christians must accept this exile and see it as "a catalyst for translating the faith" (p. 153). Klein's volume is an excellent selection for an introductory course in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Fredrick Holmgren
North Park Theological Seminary
Chicago, Ill.