THE OLD TESTAMENT, ITS CLAIMS AND ITS CRITICS, by Oswald T. Allis; Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company; 509 pages, $9.95 (Reviewed by Prof. H. C. Hoeksema) 

Any work by Oswald T. Allis, the outstanding Presbyterian scholar of the Old Testament, is worthy of a place in the library of ministers and theological students. This is emphatically true of this major Old Testament work, which is undoubtedly the culmination and fruit of much labor and study by what the dust jacket of this book calls “one of the most erudite Old Testament scholars of our generation, who has been engaged for many years in the interpretation and defense of the Old Testament portion of the Holy Scriptures.” 

This is a work in the field of Old Testament Introduction. The main contents of this book is a series of lectures by the author which were delivered in 1952 at Fuller Theological Seminary. The author tells us that in this volume said lectures are presented in considerably expanded and revised form. The first five chapters of the book—and the titles will indicate the contents—are as follows: 

1. The Old Testament from Within—Its Facts and Its Doctrines 

2. The Old Testament from Within—Its Literary Form 

3. The Old Testament from Without 

4. The Old Testament and Its Critics 

5. Comparing the Incomparable 

To this reviewer, the sixth chapter, on chronology, which was not included in the original series of lectures, is very informative and helpful. Personally, because of my interest in this particular subject, I found it one of the best. 

While this book will require any reader to put on his thinking cap, its readership need not be limited to ministers and theological students. But especially to ministers and theological students, and most especially to those who have a special interest in Old Testament studies, I recommend this book highly. 

WRITTEN IN BLOOD, A Devotional Bible Study of the Blood of Christ, by Robert E. Coleman; Fleming H. Revel1 Company, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 1972; 128 pp.; cloth, $3.50, Paper, $1.50. (reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko) 

The blurb which accompanied this book reads: “A devotional and scholarly study of references to blood in the Bible. Explains the symbolic and historical reasons for the emphasis of the blood of Christ in the Christian faith.” 

This book makes interesting and valuable devotional reading. It studies all the references to “blood” in the Scriptures with the purpose of pointing to the significance of the sacrifice of blood by Christ. It includes worthwhile material on the Old Testament Sacrifices and Passover Feast as these point to and are fulfilled by Christ. 

The exegesis is not always acceptable and the book would be more valuable if the idea of the atonement were described in more detail. But we recommend this book to all who enjoy devotional literature.