The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament

Every believer should read this book. If you are not a believer in Jesus, you should read this book to find out what the Bible is all about. Richter’s summary of the Bible is scholarly but completely accessible for any thoughtful reader, and it is very engagingly written. I didn’t want to put it down!

So many truths I had never considered, hidden gems (to me) which reveal God's plan for fallen man, from Eden till the coming New Jerusalem. Detailed explanations of early societies customs & structures that aren't necessarily practiced today. Now I can see the structure necessary to bring us from a fallen state to a redeemed, forgiven child of God. Great book!

I have read untold numbers of books on theology, science, and archaeology over the last four decades. Few have captivated me like this one. Richter does an amazing job of making the culture and language of the Old Testament understandable and accessible to the average Christian reader. The writing style is intentionally conversational, but with abundant footnotes containing additional information and references to satisfy those who want to go deeper on a particular subject. What impressed me the most is her ability to communicate the significance of archaeological studies to enhance our understanding of the biblical language of covenants, without calling into question the authority of the Bible or any fundamental Christian doctrines. Too many others naively assume that similarities with an ancient Near Eastern manuscript means the Hebrews just borrowed material from the dominant culture at the time, or they fall into the opposite trap of trying to claim that nothing in the Bible drew on any cultural norms at the time of writing. Richter makes neither of these mistakes, instead arguing convincingly that God revealed himself in a culturally-meaningful manner that was mindful of the time and place of Israel’s history. In skimming through the very few negative comments this book has received, I find that most focus on pet interpretations of these readers which Richter did not embrace or expound upon, such as coming down firmly in favor of a particular view on the timing of creation. I believe her book is all the better for leaving such debates to others.

Dr. Richter offers a straightforward solution to the underlying problem that most Christians have: a lack of understanding concerning the origins of our faith. Her analogy of a disorganized closet in need of organization is brilliantly useful and appropriate and her assessment of the average Christians' understanding of the Old Testament is correct. It's a primordial soup of names, geographical locations, historical facts, and figures that are categorically and chronologically unorganized. Thus, the book The Epic of Eden is Dr. Richter's attempt to organize our respective closets. The main thrust of her book is encapsulated with her biblical theological approach to the Bible as a whole. In the first sentence of her introduction she writes, "The Bible, in all its parts, is intended to communicate to humanity the realities of redemption" (Richter, 15). Hence, every part of the Bible, whether narrative, law, poetry, gospels, epistles, etc. has the overarching story of redemption. According to Dr. Richter, the Bible is about God's redemption story. Therefore, all the books of the Bible all relate to an overarching history in which God acts to bring redemption to his people. This larger narrative unites both Old and New Testaments, thus demonstrates the continuity of the Scriptures. Dr. Richter also communicates that the story of redemption has direction. In other words, the story starts at the beginning and moves forward in a developing and progressive manner until it reaches its conclusion. Each part is set against the background of what has gone before and is preparing the way for what comes after. For the author, this background is Genesis 1 and 2. Genesis 1, particularly, is the lens in which the entire Pentateuch is to be read. "And since the Pentateuch is the backbone of the entire Bible, ultimately Genesis 1 serves as the introduction to our faith" (Richter, 94). The entire Bible rests upon the Pentateuch, for it's the beginning of the story of redemption. In dealing with redemption, one must focus upon the use of the paradigm of Eden and view the entire Bible in light of this story. In other words, redemption involves several aspects: humanity being created perfect and having an uninhibited relationship with God, humanity rebelling against God and enacting the curses, and God's rescue plan to redeem us from the mess we have created. Some weaknesses of an emphasis on redemption as a Biblical Theology are minimal, but worthwhile to note. Redemption tends to imply that theological reflection on the Bible always proceeds in one direction, namely, from the Old to the New. Does the Old Testament supply the origin of certain traditions in the New Testament and is it the source of all its imagery? A strong case can be made that Biblical Theology of both testaments must issue in theological reflection which also moves in the reverse direction from the New Testament back to the Old. Lastly, redemption as a Biblical Theology is not insufficient, but the biblical term does denote only one important aspect of salvation. Redemption involves the release of people, animals, or property from bondage through outside help. Only someone strong can redeem another, therefore God is the only one capable to redeem humanity. This, however, as I have stated, is only one aspect of salvation. Redemption is synonymous with salvation, i.e. they have the same connotations and implications, but not exact in essence. A more holistic Biblical Theology would be salvation history in its totality of meaning of all the aspects of salvation considered, not merely redemption.

Such an inspiring summary of the Old Testament in such an understandable manner. The videos are good but the book is better yet. Will offer a group study using them. This explains a lot of the weird stuff that happens in the OT that makes you wonder about God, but He has only had broken people to work with since The Fall. We clearly need the Jesus the OT points all of humanity to, and this work shows us how God worked through broken people and cultures to show us Himself and His great love for us.

Dr. Richter provides a helpful metaphor to help us normal folk who want to be serious about our allegiance to King Jesus, but have been bogged down by the lackluster teaching from popular books and teachers, by the random teaching from Sunday sermons and by the sheer cultural and temporal distance with the Ancient Near East, and by domesticated and truncated gospel that's typically presented in the West. Now this book helpfully "cleans and organizes" our theological closet and gives the important shelving and compartments that allows us to get a better grasp of important features of this great epic that leads to Jesus. The only part that doesn't adequately addresses the problems of "supersessionism" and how to deal with it in our theology. Overall, this book is essential reading for new disciples who want to grow in their understanding of Scripture that is meant to shape our worldview (our understanding of who God is, who we are, how we are to be with others who are not like us, and how we are meant to live in God's good creation on this side of eternity). Dr. Richter's prose is clear, approachable and memorable. Recommended!

Even after having earned two masters degrees in religion (ministry and theology), Sandra Richter's thoroughly researched and eminently readable book shed new light on the Old Testament. This book is ideal for Christians who love their bible, but struggle to make sense of the Old Testament. Richter introduces the reader to the geography, sociology, and history of the Old Testament world in a way that makes it jump off the page in three dimensions. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Loved this study! So many new insights that I would not have considered before. Highly recommend for those who want to know more about Jesus.

Really good and easy read. I‘ve learnt so many things about the Bible and the OT by reading this book. Can really recommend it.

Great read, lots of maps and diagrams

This is a comprehensive and gripping account of the Old Testament which gives a depth of understanding to all of the Bible. Fascinating details about ANE customs, culture and life bring depth to our understanding to the biblical text and set it in a context of faith, culture and history. In depth exploration of the various covenants building to the New covenant in Christ show the imaginative and wonderful sweep of redemptive history so that we gain an excellent understanding of the faith implications of the Old Testament for Christians. It is complex but well written. I came across it as part of the pre-reading course materials for my Theology Masters. However I think it is not only for theologians or theology students - it’s a useful book for a people of faith and puts their faith story in a wider context and so I have been recommending it to all my family and friends, my church and will be recommending it to my students on the foundations in ministry course that I teach.

I understand the Old Testament in a deeper way and this book has not only spoken of History but is a prime example of how understanding can deepen faith. I will read it again for a second time because I really want to soak it in. I am eager to see what else Dr Sandra has released. This book breaks down what one could call complex and foreign in to simple explanations. I’ve recommend this book to so many people. Also shout out Java with Juli who I actually discovered Sandra and this book from. Thank you for your addition to the body Sandra.

Great book. Came with a dent in the cover, but overall came well put together. Read the first two chapters, and so far it’s amazing. Easy to read and follow with witty comments throughout!