Book Review: Lovely Like Jerusalem by Aidan Nichols, O.P.

If you cringe at some of the silly explanations commonly given about the parting of the Red Sea, the Manna in the desert, or the water from the rock at Meribah, or if you simply take Scripture study seriously, you will love this dense, well-written book, which provides an intelligent counter-viewpoint to the commonly accepted “historical-critical” methods of scripture research & the ubiquitous J, E, D, & P source theories. I, too, find these theories to be a bit too tedious & flaccid, as they oversimplify the complexities inherent in Sacred Scripture & make complex the things that should be quite simple.

Fr. Nichols provides a coherent & thorough analysis of what the story of the Bible is. That is, it’s plot & major themes. We often think of the Bible as a collection of individual books - which it is - each to be taken on its own. But, these books must tell a single narrative, otherwise, the compilers & editors would have not put them together, & the revelation of God to his man would certainly become confused & unintelligible.

Fr. Aidan’s writing is thick, & you may likely have to read & re-read each page a few times (or maybe that’s just me). But stick with him, & you will indeed be rewarded with new insight into the writings of the people Israel, & how they strain forward toward fulfillment in Christ Jesus. This is a well-written, compelling, & enlightening book by a preacher & teacher with a great passion for God & his Word. And isn’t enlightenment the reason we read the Scriptures in the first place?

H.E. Rating: 4-1/2 Aspergillum shakes
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