"Must Read" Book: Through New Eyes
Learning How to Read Scripture, Again
Summary Opinion: This should be the next book on your reading list if you have a good grasp of the Bible and theology, and if you’re feeling like you’re not finding much new in the Scriptures (i.e. this is probably not a book that beginners will understand, but it is not purely academic either). The problem is not that you’ve discovered everything; it’s that the doors to the symbolic world of the Bible are still closed to you. Let Jordan open them up. You’ll never read the Bible the same again (and you’ll even be better prepared to truly understand the prophets and the book of Revelation).
Through New Eyes by James Jordan (published in 1988) is a book that was groundbreaking for a theological hero of mine, Peter Leithart, and yet, almost completely unknown in the Christian circles that I run in. Leithart loves the work of Jordan so much and finds it so important—and also so unknown—that he founded an institute, in large part, to extend the work of Jordan: the Theopolis Institute.
Through New Eyes is the best gateway into Jordan’s work as much of his work before the book is summarized in it and much of the work done afterwards is anticipated by it. Jordan’s purpose for the book is a grand one, even while keeping modest hopes for what the book itself will accomplish. Through New Eyes is written to restore to the church the symbolic reading of Scripture. Just that sentence will scare some of you, as the great demon of “allegory” and people making the Bible say whatever they want it to say come quickly to mind. But I believe I can put you at ease by saying that what Jordan does is not take his own developed symbolism and read the text through it, but rather seeks out the Bible’s own symbolism.
By quick example: Genesis 1:14-19 speak about the sun, moon, and stars being created to rule the day and night. Do the sun and moon symbolize rulers in Scripture? Why yes they do, pretty consistently. But the stars also symbolize people (Genesis 15:5), which is something that is picked up as the Scriptures go on. Biblical symbolism is like a snowball rolling down the mountain, taking on certain resonances as the Bible unfolds.
In the ancient world this type of symbolism was understood. If we were able to see it and follow it, Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-11 would make perfect sense to us:
Then [Joseph] had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
Jacob recognized the symbols immediately: the sun as Jacob, the moon as Rachel, and the 11 stars as Joseph’s brothers. The sun (the greater light) and the moon (the lesser light) representing governorship/leadership/authority over the Israelites. Jordan’s point in TNE is that had we been paying attention to the symbolism all along, we would have immediately recognized the symbols too.
In my opinion, the book has 3 main sections (how it felt to me, not how the book is actually structured). Jordan first starts off with a philosophical and theological introduction and defense of the book. Secondly, he has chapters devoted to some of the main elements of biblical symbolism (stars, rocks/mountains, the three-decker world, trees, animals, etc). Lastly he reads through the major divisions of the Scriptures and even our history after and shows how this symbolism enhances our reading of the text and our lives.
Jordan succeeds impressively by offering an ultimately convincing symbolism through which the Scriptures can be interpreted. Well known books like Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, and the Gospel of John shine like new. Regularly neglected books—Leviticus, the minor prophets, Revelation—become fascinating and less daunting—even the genealogies become attractive. After reading TNE the Bible reads even more as one cohesive story, and some of the great textual and interpretive issues of our day are easily solved.
This is a must read for advanced students of the Bible. (Although, I would like to see what a newer student of the Bible could get out of it as well. Maybe TNE would save years of misunderstanding.)
Takeaways:
My biggest takeaway from the book is a new lens through which to study Scripture. I’ll never read the Bible the same again.
The most practical takeaway is that, in God’s giving us dominion over the earth, there is a biblical pattern for how we should interact with Creation. First we “take hold” of it, and then we thank God, and then we restructure/glorify. I have found myself expressing thanks much more and that it is having a great effect on how I view life. And in this vein, Jordan convinced me that the biblical structure of the week is to take hold of creation on Sunday, but stop to thank God in corporate worship, restructure it and offer our work back to God on Sunday in worship, only to thank Him again for what He will provide for us to work with in the week ahead. Sunday is both the first and last day of the week. How much different would my life look if I considered each day of the week to be cultivating creation to offer it back to God in worship on Sunday?
Cons:
I know that most of my readers are either my family or Bible-fanatic baptists. That being said, I think I should be clear that Jordan is a Federal Vision Presbyterian. You don’t really need to know what that means other than he believes in high-liturgy and infant baptism. He is also a post-millennial who believes Revelation was mostly (but not all) fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D, and the church will enter into a glory age before the great deception and final judgment come. I would urge you not to let these aspects of Jordan deter you from this book. I personally did not find them to be forced on the reader. There are immense treasures that Christians of any stripe can glean here. Get this book!
The book is denseeeeeeeee. There is a pool of knowledge to soak up on every page.
Because this book is so dense and feels like just a summary of his views, Jordan has the tendency to not give evidence to back up some of his claims. Some of his most strange interpretations go uncommented on. But! I can say that from my own study, I know there are several un-evidenced claims he makes that there is a wealth of evidence for. He just didn’t want to make the book 700 pages. I remain unconvinced by some of Jordan’s claims but even those close to Jordan (like Leithart) say that Jordan will often make claims that they shake their head at only to find Scripture that backs it up perfectly 5 years later. Jordan is on a different level than the rest of us.