The Bible Among the Myths

I recently read a very good book by John N. Oswalt called The Bible Among the Myths.  It is common to see claims that the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, is of the same genre as other ancient myths.  This seems possible as the Old Testament is filled with supernatural events, fantastic details and various themes familiar from ancient myths.  Oswalt goes beyond the surface similarities by going into detail regarding the true nature of myth.  Fantastic details are common to myths but myths are really defined by a worldview described as continuity.  In contrast, the biblical worldview centers on transcendence.  Oswalt is extremely balanced in that he does not deny similarities with mythology.  Rather he demonstrates that the differences are based on foundational issues rather than the surface similarities.  One of the interesting aspects of this book is Oswalt’s investigation into the nature of history.  Unlike ancient myths that have no interest in history, the Bible is filled with history.  Oswalt confronts some of the critical scholars who have competing theories regarding the relationship between the Old Testament and history.  Overall, this is a very good book for understanding the Old Testament in particular and the Bible in general, especially in its larger cultural and religious context.