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Book Review: Whispering the Word: Hearing Women's Stories in the Old Testament

we know it’) McKenzie argues against the common misconception that biblical apocalyptic literature deals with the events leading to the end of the world. Instead, this literature assures readers that God’s power is ultimately greater than those world empires apparently in control of world events. The author demonstrates this with some detailed and useful readings of Daniel and Revelation. Finally, McKenzie confronts the misconception that the New Testament epistles constitute a timeless rule book for Christian doctrine and practice. This is argued by locating the rather precise historical (and time-bound) circumstances that led to their composition. If the overall message of the book is that genre is by definition situational, and that understanding the author’s intent acts as a restraint on modern appropriation of the biblical text, McKenzie never explains why authorial intention should be the determining factor for biblical interpretation (the championing of form criticism is a little oldfashioned!). Furthermore, despite the promise of the book’s title, the implications for faith are not adequately explored, but appended to the end of the final chapter, where McKenzie pleads for use of the Bible to be based on the love ethic and to promote acceptance and unity. Nevertheless, the author has produced a worthwhile taster for the fruits of the historical-critical method and How to Read the Bible would be a valuable textbook to accompany biblical studies introductory modules.