Tremper Longman III
American Old Testament scholar and theologian known for work on wisdom literature and biblical interpretation, co-author of An Introduction to the Old Testament and author of major commentaries including Ecclesiastes.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Confronting Old Testament Controversies
Pressing Questions about Evolution, Sexuality, History, and Violence
Explores four pressing debates—evolution and human origins, sexuality, historical reliability, and divine violence—and proposes a way of reading the Old Testament that attends to literary genre, ancient Near Eastern context, and the Bible’s redemptive trajectory. With a blend of scholarly insight and pastoral sensitivity, it offers practical tools and case studies to help readers face difficult texts honestly while maintaining confidence in Scripture and its witness that culminates in Jesus.
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2. The Lost World Of The Flood
Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate
A concise, accessible exploration of the Genesis flood that situates the story within its ancient Near Eastern context and reads it according to its literary genre. It argues that the narrative is primarily theological rather than scientific, employing hyperbole and phenomenological language, and therefore should not be forced into a modern, global-geological framework. Through comparison with Mesopotamian flood traditions and attention to ancient cosmology, it emphasizes themes of divine judgment, mercy, and covenant while discouraging concordist attempts to make the text answer modern scientific questions.
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3. How To Read Proverbs
This concise guide explains how to read and interpret the biblical book of Proverbs by showing its genre, literary features (like parallelism and personification), and theological aims; it teaches readers to distinguish proverbial sayings from promises, to recognize the role of wisdom and folly, to avoid rigid literalism, and to apply the book’s practical and ethical insights in community and daily life while attending to the text’s theological emphasis on the fear of the Lord.
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