God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation

Fretheim presents here the Old Testament view of the Creator God, the created world, and our role in creation.  Beginning with "The Beginning," he demonstrates that creation is open-ended and connected.  Then, from every part of the Old Testament, Fretheim explores the fullness and richness of Israel's thought regarding creation: from the dynamic created order to human sin, from judgment and environmental devastation to salvation, redemption, and a new creation.
Professor Fretheim has written an extraordinary book reflecting his long, prolific, and generative scholarly career. Fretheim has long thought on the matter of creation theology, read and digested everything written on the subject in Old Testament studies, and produced a remarkable, critical statement that balances close exegesis and large theological interpretation. Fretheim has been at the forefront of the 'turn' in Old Testament studies to creation theology; here he provides a summary statement of that turn and then proceeds with rich, textual exposition that is open to important contemporary connection. This is a book that people in the field will treasure. It is, at the same time, a book accessible to more general readers and one that even church theologians cannot afford to ignore. Fretheim has indeed 'written the book' that will be a reference point for a long time to come. Its publication is a most welcome one."