Including the Stranger

David Firth joined David Capes on the Stone Chapel Podcasts to talk about his book: Including the Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets (InterVarsity Press [U.S.] and Apollos [U.K.]).

He and his wife were visiting the Lanier Theological Library from his teaching post in the United Kingdom.

Who is a stranger?

Today people are migrating all over the planet because of wars, economic crises, persecutions, and natural disasters. As a result, many people find themselves at one point or another as strangers and foreigners in a new land.

That presents us with both perils and opportunities. These are themes that are dealt with in surprising ways in the Old Testament.

Who is David Firth?

David Firth is an Australian, and an Old Testament scholar living in the United Kingdom. For many years he and his wife were missionaries to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

In his current post he is Tutor in Old Testament at Trinity College Bristol in the United Kingdom and a Research Associate in Old Testament at the University of the Free State in South Africa.

Including the Stranger

The conversation begins with the category of the Former Prophets, a category Protestants often call books of “History.”

He then talks about the big ideas of his book. David has an interesting way of defining the “stranger” from the standpoint of Scripture. Be sure to listen for that.

According to Dr. Firth, one of the big questions these prophets are discussing is: Who are the people of God?  As you will discover, many of the insights in this book were gleaned from his encounters with people in Africa. 

Resources from David Firth

If you can’t find this book at your favorite theological library, ask them to order it!!!

For his book Including the Stranger, click here.

To see his commentary on Esther, click here.

And for his commentary on 1 & 2 Samuel, click here.  

Click here for a transcript of this podcast.

More resources

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics. Just click here.

What’s more, you can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library. Just click here.