Between Hearing and Silence - by John Kessler (Paperback)

About the Book

Most significantly in the Old Testament, silence emerges as a sacred medium of communication between the Lord and the people of God, modeling even for the contemporary life of faith a posture of hopeful openness to the often mysterious ways of the divine.

Book Synopsis

When the Old Testament refers to silence, either the silence of persons or of God, that silence conveys a diversity of meanings. It may indicate a breakdown in the divine-human relationship, or the beginning of the renewal of that relationship. It can be associated with sacred space or the realm of death. At times, God's silence seems painful and incomprehensible, an indication of God's indifference or neglect. At other times it speaks of the great security that the people of God may have in the Lord's unfailing care.

Between Hearing and Silence: A Study in Old Testament Theology invites students and scholars alike to explore the various ways in which the concept of silence is expressed in the Old Testament and the many meanings it conveys. John Kessler surveys the diverse facets of the Old Testament's understanding of silence to help readers discover the richness of this often-overlooked biblical theme. Each chapter examines various biblical texts relating to a different aspect of silence and uncovers the distinctive understanding of silence those texts present; at the same time, this thematic investigation opens up new perspectives on the broader contours of Old Testament theology in all its stunning complexity.

These portraits of silence, both divine and human, will introduce readers to a novel way of understanding the relational dynamics within the divine-human relationship. As the biblical texts move between silence and sound, readers will discover the crises of faith experienced by the people of God in their journey, even as these hardships hold within them great hope for Israel's future. Most significantly in the Old Testament, silence emerges as a sacred medium of communication between the Lord and the people of God, modeling even for the contemporary life of faith a posture of hopeful openness to the often mysterious ways of the divine.

Review Quotes

Kessler has provided a comprehensive, even exhaustive study of the topic. The study is balanced and informed, respectful of scholarship and reverential in handling the text.

--G. Michael O'Neal, Campbellsville University "Perspectives in Religious Studies"

...Kessler offers a balanced and critical analysis and does not shy away from raising often-perplexing questions around divine-human communication. He provides a fascinating and important study which tracks the soundscapes of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible to offer a biblical theology of silence that draws out important themes to help define the relationship between God and God's people.

--Mark Scarlata "Modern Believing"

Readers will find here many insights into important theological issues in the Hebrew Bible from texts that may not be given as much attention as the grand themes of Scripture usually get in treatments of Old Testament theology. There is also much to think about for those desiring to grow in discernment of what God is doing in the world today, and how understanding the ways that God communicates, and how the silence of God can be understood relationally, are essential for discernment...The volume is a valuable resource for the church today in understanding and modeling from the Scriptures how the life of faith is lived out between 'hearing and silence.'

--Paavo Tucker "Stone-Campbell Journal"

Between Hearing and Silence provides carefully organized and analyzed forms of Old Testament silence, including readings of complex silences, like god's silence in Job. It expands the reader's point of view beyond the page and into dimensions of space, time, relationships, and politics. For those who have not paid attention to silences, this study will be eye-opening and immerse the reader into the emotional realm of biblical characters. For those interested in the theoretical sophistication of the analysis of silence, the book provides an example of how the multiple dimensions of silence can challenge biblical hermeneutics.

--Brett J. Esaki "Reading Religion"

Written for a general readership which draws on the Bible for contemporary life, this exploration of silence is also valuable to biblical scholars because Kessler's close reading of texts involving silence offers perceptive exegetical observations and thought-provoking considerations.

--Thomas Renz "Journal for the Study of the Old Testament"

A thorough and thought-provoking exploration.

--Mark McEntire "Catholic Biblical Quarterly"

About the Author

John Kessler is Professor of Old Testament at Tyndale University in Toronto, Ontario.