Handbook of the Old Testament

Johann Heinrich Heidegger (1633-1698) was a Swiss Reformed theologian and educator, colleague of the great Francis Turretin. He served as Professor of Theology at Steinfurt (1659-1665), and then at Zurich (1667-1698). Why undertake a translation of Heidegger’s Handbook of the Bible? Three reasons. First, during the period of Protestant Scholasticism, generations of the greatest theological minds in history applied themselves to educational method. The goal was to provide a broad and deep theological education with the utmost efficiency. The translation of Heidegger’s Handbook is part of an effort to recover the powerful educational methods of Protestant Scholasticism. Second, as part of Christian catechism (the training of Christians in the fundamentals of the faith), it is important to inculcate a general acquaintance with the Scriptures, their structure and teaching. Heidegger’s Handbook of the Bible is a powerful tool to that end, and a contribution to that literature. Third and finally, in modern theological education, almost all of the attention is given to issues of special introduction; comparatively little attention is given to the study of the Scriptures themselves. Heidegger's Handbook, while not neglecting matters of special introduction, is intended to give the student an introduction to the text and structure of the Biblical Books themselves.