People of the Covenant An Invitation to the Old Testament By Dianne Bergant
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People of the Covenant An Invitation to the Old Testament By Dianne Bergant

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About this ebook
The People of the Covenant: An Invitation to the Old Testament" by Dianne Bergant, CSA, is an accessible introductory guide that explores the Old Testament not strictly as a chronological narrative history, but through a thematic character study of key biblical figures. Published as part of Sheed & Ward's Come & See Series, the book uses these individuals as lenses to show how ancient Israel’s faith in God developed and expressed itself across different ages. [1, 2]
1. Foundations of Old Testament Faith
Sister Bergant sets the framework of the text by exploring:
  • The First Testament: An overview of what the Old Testament is and its cultural context.
  • The World of Ancient Israel: The historical, geopolitical, and religious environment of the Israelites.
  • The Concept of the Covenant: The structural and relational agreement between God and His people that anchors the entire scripture. [1]
2. Categorized Character Studies (The "Lenses")
The bulk of the book organizes Old Testament history and teachings into distinct categories of people: [1, 2]
  • The Ancestors (Patriarchs): Focuses on foundational family lines, including figures like Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. [1]
  • The Judges: Explores early tribal leaders and military deliverers who guided Israel before the monarchy, specifically looking at Joshua, Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. [1, 2]
  • The Kings: Covers the rise of kingship, the united monarchy, and key split-kingdom leaders—specifically Saul, David, Solomon, and selected good kings of Judah. [1]
  • The Prophets: Analyzes the messengers of God, including Moses (as a prophetic figure) and major and minor prophets like Isaiah. [1, 2]
  • The Priests: Examines religious leadership and liturgical figures, including Aaron, Eli, and Zadok. [1, 2]
  • The Wise Ones: Investigates the Wisdom literature and writings through figures like Job and the personification of "Woman Wisdom". [1, 2]
  • People Who Moved the Tradition Forward: A miscellaneous grouping that includes "rebels, lovers, and healers" who appear in biblical novellas, poems, and songs, such as Ruth. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  • Mysterious Figures: A concluding look at ambiguous or prophetic personalities (such as the Suffering Servant described by the prophets) that foreshadow the arrival of Christ and lay the foundation for the New Testament. [1, 2]
3. Literary Interpretation and Historic Eras
Written primarily from a Roman Catholic theological perspective, the book prefers a literary interpretation over a literalist or fundamentalist approach. In doing so, it introduces readers to: [1]
  • The Hellenistic Period & the Maccabean Revolt: Highlighting later Jewish history and the development of scripture.
  • Biblical Novellas: Explaining books like Tobit and Judith as contemporary religious fiction designed to teach faith under pressure. [1]

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Biblical Novellas Tobit and Judith as contemporary religious fiction designed to teach faith under pressure Categorized Character Studies Foundations of Old Testament Faith ISBN-10: 1580510906 ISBN-13: 978-1580510905 Literary Interpretation and Historic Eras Mysterious Figures: A concluding look at ambiguous or prophetic personalities People Who Moved the Tradition Forward: A miscellaneous grouping The Ancestors foundational family lines The First Testament: An overview of what the Old Testament is and its cultural context The Hellenistic Period & the Maccabean Revolt Highlighting later Jewish history and the development of scripture The Judges early tribal leaders and military deliverers who guided Israel before the monarchy The Kings Covers the rise of kingship The Priests religious leadership and liturgical figures The Prophets messengers of God The Wise Ones Investigates the Wisdom literature and writings The World of Ancient Israel The Concept of the Covenant structural and relational agreement between God and His people that anchors the entire scripture
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