Dr. Brian Peterson
Dr. Brian Peterson, assistant professor of Old Testament at Lee University, has published his newest book titled “The Authors of the Deuteronomistic History: Locating a Tradition in Ancient Israel.”
Dr. Peterson’s book engages a significant controversy in current critical scholarship on the Old Testament Bible: the identities and provenances of the authors of the various editions of the Deuteronomistic History (DtrH).
Reviewing the arguments of scholars as far back as Martin Noth and using analysis of motif and characterization in each book of the DtrH, Dr. Peterson sets out to discover an individual who would have both motive and opportunity to develop a narrative including elements of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and the first part of 1 Kings. He ultimately identifies a candidate in the time of David and extends his thesis to identify those responsible for successive redactions.
“Brian Neil Peterson has provided a stimulating new analysis of the origins and composition of the DtrH,” said Gordon McConville of the University of Gloucestershire. “He presses on the recognition, widespread since Martin Noth, that DtrH has drawn on various sources prior to its final compilation, and offers a fresh and unusual analysis of the relationship between redactor and source, combining acute observations about the redactional history of the texts with an engaging argument for the emergence of the source material. This compelling thesis deserves to make an impact on scholarly thinking about the composition of the DtrH.”
The book was released in September 2014 by Fortress Press, and it marks Dr. Peterson’s second book publication. His first book was titled “Ezekiel in Context: Ezekiel’s Message Understood in its Historical Setting of Covenant Curses and Ancient Near Eastern Mythological Motifs.”
"Peterson's new look at the composition of the DtrH packs a scholarly punch,” said Douglas Stuart of Gordon-Cowell Theological Seminary. “This book does not simply review and challenge the weaknesses of older critical theories. It replaces them with a persuasive argument that the bulk of the DtrH was composed much earlier—and by people much closer to the actual events—than has usually been argued."
Dr. Peterson joined the Lee faculty in 2011, and he spends a portion of his summers doing archaeology work in Israel. His passion is combining biblical narrative with historical and archaeological records. He is a 2015 recipient of the Appalachian College Association’s Post-Doctoral Faculty Fellowship, which he will use to continue his research in Israel.
Dr. Peterson earned his doctorate at Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. He holds two master’s degrees, one from Beeson Divinity School and one from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He completed his undergraduate work in biblical studies at Zion Bible College.
For more information or to purchase the book, visit www.amazon.com or www.fortresspress.com.