One of the most compelling, controversial, and difficult areas of study within the Bible has been the topic of election. Jon D. Levenson, Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard Divinity School, has dedicated much of his scholarly work to the study of this topic. This volume is a remarkable Festschrift that marks Levenson's sixty-fifth birthday, celebrating a lifetime of achievement and contribution to the field of biblical studies by one of the field's most respected scholars. Edited by Gary A. Anderson and Joel S. Kaminsky, this volume brings together the work of fifteen scholars who provide readers with an intellectual feast sure to satisfy the palate, but which also leaves them with an appetite for more rich conversation on the multifaceted and complex topic of election.

The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, “The Hebrew Bible,” contains the following contributions: “Election in Genesis 1” (Richard J. Clifford, SJ); “Abraham's Election in Faith” (W. Randall Garr); “Can Election Be Forfeited?” (Joel S. Kaminsky); “Election and the Transformation of Hērem” (R. W. L. Moberly); and “Job as Prototype of Dying and Rising Israel” (Kathryn Schifferdecker). Part 2, “Reception of the Hebrew Bible,” features the following essays: “Does Tobit Fear God for Nought?” (Gary A. Anderson); “Divine Sovereignty and the Election of Israel in the Wisdom of Ben Sira” (Greg Schmidt Goering); “The Chosenness of Israel in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha” (Matthias Henze); “‘A House of Prayer for All Peoples’ (Isaiah 56:7) in Rabbinic Thought” (Marc Hirshman); “The Descent of the Wicked Angels and the Persistence of Evil” (James Kugel); “The Election of Israel Imperilled: Early Christian Views of the ‘Sacrifice of Isaac’” (Kevin Madigan); “The Salvation of Israel in Romans 9–11” (Mark Reasoner); and “Populus Dei: Luther on Jacob and the Election of Israel (Genesis 25)” (Brooks Schramm). “Theological Essays,” part 3 of the volume, consists of “Election and Affection: On God's Sovereignty and Human Action” (Leora Batnitzky) and “Christ and Israel: An Unsolved Problem in Catholic Theology” (Bruce D. Marshall). The book closes with a list of publications by Levenson, followed by two detailed indexes of sources and modern authors.

The brilliance of this volume lies in the expansive coverage of the election topic from many different perspectives and as it appears throughout the entire Bible as well as in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. The two concluding essays deal with the Jewish theology of election in relation to the Christian tradition and, in the case of Marshall's essay, in relation to Catholic theology. Each article is well crafted and well researched, and adds to the font of knowledge on the topic of election. To be noted is Richard Clifford's careful reading of Genesis, which allows him to make the case for the origin of Israel “in the beginning” (20). Anderson's choice to bring the characters of Tobit and Job into conversation with each other is particularly striking and shows how the two books question the Deuteronomic theology of retribution while reaffirming it at the same time. Perhaps the most creative among all the essays is Kevin Madigan's contribution, which looks at the earliest postcanonical uses of Akedah and includes references to second-century literature; an examination of the homilies and exegesis of some of the work of early Christian interpreters such as Origen, among others; the depiction of Akedah in early Christian catacomb art; and its appropriation in relation to the early Christian monastic movement.

Although scholarly in nature, this volume is written in such a way as to make it accessible for both student and scholar as well as anyone else who is interested in delving deeply into a concept that has become a major topic and cornerstone in biblical studies. The editors of this volume have done well in weaving together this colorful tapestry of essays that are diverse yet interrelated. The volume makes a stunning contribution to the field, is a wonderful tribute to a most talented scholar, and a must-read for everyone else. I highly recommend it.