The Fiery Throne: The Prophets and Old Testament Theology.

Harkins, Angela Kim

THE FIERY THRONE: THE PROPHETS AND OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY. By Walther Zimmerli. Edited by K. C. Hanson. Fortress Classics in Biblical Studies. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003. Pp. xv + 179. $16.

Scholarly discussion of Old Testament theology is greatly served by Fortress Press's decision to include these republished essays by the late Walther Zimmerli (1907-1984) in the Fortress Classics in Biblical Studies series. Edited by K. C. Hanson, the series includes reprints of works by such luminaries as A. Schweitzer, H. Gunkel, J. Jeremias, S. Mowinckel, and N. Perrin. Z. is a fitting addition to this distinguished group.

The bibliographies and notes have been edited and revised slightly by Hanson from various translations of Z.'s essays, originally published in German between 1951 and 1985. The collection is designed to make Z.'s scholarship on the classical prophets and Old Testament theology accessible to the student or nonspecialist. As such, this collection would serve well as a supplementary textbook. It includes several useful tools: along with two indexes on modern authors and ancient sources, a complete bibliography of Z.'s works in English, and select updated bibliographies on topics of Z.'s expertise: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Old Testament theology, and the history of Israelite religion.

The title, The Fiery Throne, is aptly chosen and points to the heart of Z.'s scholarly work, the Book of Ezekiel, where Z.'s legacy endures. In addition to his form-critical and tradition history scholarship on the prophets, Z. was known for his work in biblical theology.

The final essay, "Biblical Theology" (originally published in 1982), is especially valuable, as it shows a mature historical-critical scholar late in his career casting a sensitive theological eye toward both the Old and New Testaments. Seminary students, specialists, and nonspecialists alike, particularly those with theological interests, will not be disappointed by the solid scholarship and theological insights of one of the great biblical scholars of the 20th century.

ANGELA KIM HARKINS

Duquesne University, Pittsburgh