The Gift of the Grotesque
A Christological Companion to the Book of Judges
By Daniel J. D. Stulac
Cascade Books, 2022. 140 pages. $29 (e-book $21)
Readers looking for Christ in the Old Testament may be excused for passing over the Book of Judges given its repetitive cycle of idolatry, divine punishment, cry for deliverance and divinely supplied rescue.
Yet Daniel Stulac, assistant professor of Old Testament at Briercrest College and Seminary, believes amid the litany of moral corruption, violence and political intrigue of Judges, careful readers will encounter glimpses of the crucified God – the Lord Jesus Christ.
The heart of his book is seven theological meditations highlighting key characters and events.
Israel never escaped the seduction of idolatry, for as Stulac says, idols “satisfy the human longing for control, for safety and for predictability in a bleeding world.” Israel, like the rest of us, craves being in control.
Stulac reminds us this is the lot of all humanity. We are all wretched sinners, forever lost and without hope apart from God’s intervention – ultimately accomplished in the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
Brimming with metaphors and allusions to contemporary arts, culture and politics, Stulac’s writing is colourful, gritty and raw. Gift of the Grotesque is not a casual or quick read, and diligent readers will need to pay close attention to follow the arguments.
A primary audience for this book is surely pastors and Bible teachers. The book may prove troublesome for new or untaught Christians.
Occasionally I found some comments troubling for their theological trajectory. For example, he mentions “six-day Creationism” as a “theological dead end,” which may unnecessarily turn away some conservative readers.
Stulac’s writing is colourful, gritty and raw.
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