Description: The stories in the first half of the book of Daniel are Sunday School favorites, and the visions of the second half are sometimes hard to understand. How do either of them relate to the world today, with its frequent news of conflict, injustice, and human suffering? In Glimpsing the Mystery, Barbara M. Leung Lai succinctly takes readers through Daniel, showing throughout how God responds to the needs of his people in difficult times. In a world that seems out of control, God provides glimpses into the mystery of his glory and sovereignty, showing that he has not stopped working and reassuring us that he is still the God of gods and Lord of lords. It is a message that is as necessary today as it was in Daniel's time.
Brief description:
Barbara M. Leung Lai (PhD, University of Sheffield) is research professor of Old Testament at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. She has taught Old Testament and served as director of the Pastoral and Chinese Ministry Program at Tyndale for the past twenty years. She is the author of two academic monographs on Old Testament subjects and has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and dictionary articles.
Craig G. Bartholomew (PhD, Bristol University) is H. Evan Runner Chair of Philosophy and professor of philosophy and religion and theology at Redeemer University College. He is the author of Ecclesiastes (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms), Where Mortals Dwell, and coauthor of The Drama of Scripture.
Review Quotes: "For many, the Book of Daniel seems largely enigmatic and incomprehensible. In this volume, Dr. Barbara Leung Lai takes this challenging book and ably opens it up for the contemporary reader. Through an analysis of the book's historical context, literary forms, theological emphases, and most especially of the character of Daniel as presented in the book, she leads her readers to an understanding of how they too can appropriate the message of Daniel in their own experiential context. Her discussion of the book's portrait of both the public and private life of Daniel is especially compelling, as are her own personal reflections on how she has wrestled with the book's theological message in her own experience. The discussion and study questions at the end of each chapter make the book an excellent resource for students and group Bible studies. Dr. Leung Lai helps her readers grasp the core values of the book, and their significance for life today."
--John Kessler, professor of Old Testament and chair of biblical studies, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto