"Having studied the tail end of the Bible for decades, Strickler now probes the front end to unearth a fresh contribution to a theology of God's covenantal relationship to all creation. Recognizing that the younger Yahwist tradition reflects nationalistic interests, the book revolves around the paradigmatic influence of the elder Elohim tradition, which aligns better with the New Testament fulfillment of God's creative-redemptive purposes first mapped out in the early Genesis narratives." --Ted Lewis, executive director, The International Jacques Ellul Society "The aspiration to read the Bible beyond the confines of Christendom's categories has been shared by many, rarely practiced consistently, and often resulted in grievous disappointment. . . . Readers will be encouraged by Strickler's persistent effort to follow the story of Elohim from the first things of the Torah onward, reminding us that the elusive figure who covenanted with Noah is also the one who covenanted anew with the followers of Jesus and promises to send renewing waters flowing--at the end--through the new Jerusalem." --Michael Cartwright, University of Indianapolis "In looking at what might be the bookends of the Christian Scriptures, Strickler follows an Anabaptist ethos of trying to wrest the Scriptures from the holds of Christendom, with its priorities on power and self-protection. By contrast, Elohim is a God who creates, recreates, cocreates, and partners. . . . How the opening chapter of a story is understood determines how the rest of the story is read, and for those who claim the name 'Christian,' how the story of the Bible is understood determines how life is lived." --Tato Sumantri, digital content administration, Wipf and Stock Publishers

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