Margaret Barker, as many of you know, has contributed to the discussion of the divine council and the two powers in heaven theology. Her contributions have come from various articles, but also several books, namely the two below:
The Great Angel: A Study of Israel’s Second God
You probably also know that I’m a fan of Barker, but a critical one at that. A review of her recent book Temple Themes in Christian Worship
“I have only briefly described the chapters in this book because, while there are many rich insights into temple worship in Israel, overall I found myself quite dissatisfied with this work. Barker’s process lacks solid argumentation, evidence, and a clear methodology. The work progresses by inference and an accumulation of text references without establishing the necessity that these texts be read intertextually. Statements are simply made without providing sufficient, and sometimes any, evidence in support. The accumulation of texts certainly suggests what Barker is proposing, but suggestion is not the same as evidence.”
“While I find Barker’s conclusions questionable due to lack of methodological argument and evidence, nonetheless this work would provide a fascinating starting point for any potential doctoral student in Old or New Testament studies or early Christian writings. In particular, her chapter entitled “Cup and Covenant” is worthy of more critical study. Barker’s suggestions about temple themes open up possible lines of further research to test the validity of her claims. It may be that her insights are well-founded, but this book leads me to describe these as intuitions rather than solid conclusions.”
Enjoy!
