Overview

Integrating biblical scholarship with pastoral concern, Mayfield provides useful tools for pastors and laypeople alike as they seek to better understand familiar passages in Isaiah — while also attending to concerns that Christians have hijacked Jewish Scripture. Whether through a hymn, Handel's Messiah, or the lectionary reading, the book of Isaiah provides a familiar voice for congregations during the season of Advent. So how do we create faithful, Christian interpretations of Isaiah for today while sharing this book with our Jewish neighbors? Tyler Mayfield invites readers to view Isaiah through two lenses. He demonstrates using near vision to see how the Christian liturgical season of Advent shapes readings of Isaiah, and how far vision clarifies our relationship to Jews and Judaism. Both near vision and far vision are required to read Isaiah clearly and responsibly. Unto Us a Child Is Born provides a series of lessons on the passages of Isaiah that appear during Advent. Mayfield provides beautiful theological readings of these texts as bearers of good news alongside contextual readings that locate the prophetic passages in their historical setting. Included is a discussion of how to use Isaiah as a theological resource during the season of Advent as well as how one can responsibly share Isaiah among friends and neighbors of Jewish faith.

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Tyler Mayfield's Unto Us a Child Is Born overflows with insight. I recommend it as a lucid way in which we Christians might envisage the power of Scripture for our world today. -- Mary C. Boys Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York Whereas Christians traditionally read Isaiah as a prophet who predicts the coming of Christ, Mayfield demonstrates that Isaiah must be read from different angles as a book that gives expression to the issues that faced ancient Israel and Judah in the prophet's own day as well as to some of the highest ideals of Judaism in our own. -- Marvin A. Sweeney Claremont School of Theology Mayfield's way with eight Isaiah texts that are especially familiar to the church is rich, imaginative, and thick with multiple meanings. -- Walter Brueggemann from the foreword

"""Tyler Mayfield's Unto Us a Child Is Born overflows with insight. I recommend it as a lucid way in which we Christians might envisage the power of Scripture for our world today."" -- Mary C. Boys Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York ""Whereas Christians traditionally read Isaiah as a prophet who predicts the coming of Christ, Mayfield demonstrates that Isaiah must be read from different angles as a book that gives expression to the issues that faced ancient Israel and Judah in the prophet's own day as well as to some of the highest ideals of Judaism in our own."" -- Marvin A. Sweeney Claremont School of Theology ""Mayfield's way with eight Isaiah texts that are especially familiar to the church is rich, imaginative, and thick with multiple meanings."" -- Walter Brueggemann from the foreword"

Author Information

Tyler D. Mayfield is the Arnold Black Rhodes Professor of Old Testament and director of the Grawemeyer Award in Religion at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He teaches courses in biblical theology, ethical readings of Scripture, and prophetic literature and leads a travel seminar to Israel and Palestine to explore ancient biblical sites as well as those of contemporary Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

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