UNLOCKING THE OLD TESTAMENT: Christ is the Culmination of the Law
By Yohanna Katanacho
Langham. 191 pages, £16.99
ISBN 978 1 786 412 157
If, like me, you love Biblical theology, this book is for you! And here is a Bible overview with a difference. I found it refreshing to encounter a new perspective on familiar themes – for example, Katanacho’s hermeneutical “toolkit” in Chapter 3. But what struck me particularly was the pastoral and missional application woven through the book (which began as a sermon series).
Writing as he does, as a Palestinian Arab Israeli Christian from Nazareth, Katanacho’s context is one of personal and communal suffering, and one in which many Christians wrestle with the meaning of the Old Testament – his first chapter tackles the question head on: “The Old Testament: A book for us or against us?” The missional implications of Old Testament scriptures are highlighted, which I found inspiring, for example in relation to the exaltation of the promised Davidic king or the missional aspect of priesthood (in the chapter on Moses). Katanacho also writes in the context of a multi-faith community and so takes time to outline relevant Jewish and Islamic understandings of Old Testament scriptures – potentially very helpful content for those of us with Jewish or Muslim friends.
The book is largely organised chronologically, with historical and prophetic writings addressed together and New Testament (Christ-centred) interpretations throughout. Nearly half of the content is devoted to chapters on God’s covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. There are also helpful introductory chapters on the relevance and significance of the Old Testament, with one chapter on the creation narratives and how these relate to natural and social sciences. After guiding the reader through the covenants, there are chapters on the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, and then the return from exile, which concludes with a joy-filled climactic section on “the Branch” from Zechariah.
Katanacho covers a lot of ground in this book. Some sections felt a little technical and inaccessible to the lay reader (e.g. Chapter 2) and, overall, I would probably not recommend the book as a first introduction to Biblical theology. At times I felt too much was attempted. But where the book was only able to offer a tantalising taste (e.g. the reference to John 8-11 in relation to Ezekiel 33-37 on page 163) it may inspire the reader to explore further for themselves. If Unlocking the Old Testament was intended to deepen the reader’s love for Christ, then, in my case at least, it has achieved its goal.
