Exodus and Exile

Exodus and Exile is a masterpiece of biblical theology, newly available in English. The capstone work of legendary Dutch teacher Karel Deurloo, the book makes a brief and accessible argument: that the themes of exodus and exile constitute the dual center of all Scripture. These events disclose the person of God, the One who is powerful to liberate and merciful to restore.

The book begins with a focus on the Name of God. Over against prepackaged, default, and ambient knowledge of God, Deurloo restarts, theologically, from presentations of Yhwh in Hebrew Scripture. The book then provides a birds’-eye view of the Law and the Prophets, rereading these canonical units according to the major event at the heart of each, namely, exodus and exile. Through careful mapping of these texts, Deurloo uncovers what the disparate voices of Scripture tell us about Yhwh.

Intended for a wide readership of scholars, pastors, pastors-in-training, and interested Christians, the bold and distinctive vision of Exodus and Exile will provoke and inspire biblical theology and theological interpretation of Scripture. A key feature of the book’s appeal is the way it draws together threads that typically remain separate: it attends to the texture of the Hebrew language, à la Robert Alter. It takes up the mantle of Franz Rosenzweig and Martin Buber. It prioritizes the canonical form of scripture, à la Brevard Childs. In the wake of Karl Barth, the book further assumes a dialectical and dissident interest. With post-supersessionist theology, it shares a keen awareness of Israel’s priority and gentile ingrafting. This then carries the story of Scripture—of God’s dealings with the people of God—forward into the life of the church today.