[Review] EXPANDED: THE UNSEEN REALM
The expanded edition of The Unseen Realm adds over 17,000 words, twenty-four expanded chapters, a new appendix, and more, making it about 175 pages longer than the original. Released by Lexham Press in a deluxe hardcover with striking artwork, it serves as a worthy tribute to Michael Heiser’s legacy. The book challenges Western Christianity’s flat, naturalistic view of Scripture by recovering the biblical authors’ supernatural worldview. Some readers may find its depth demanding, especially those new to biblical theology, but many will welcome its insights and clarity on passages often called “weird” or confusing. The expansion integrates material once only online, weaving it into the book to present Heiser’s broader reflections. For these reasons, I give the expanded edition a full ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, recommending it both to long-time students of Heiser’s work and to thoughtful readers eager to engage the Bible on its supernatural terms.
Theomythology as a Framework for Biblical-Theological Preaching
Story matters. It may be the most powerful way God communicates to his people in the scriptures, yet many modern preachers engage the Bible exegetically, searching for propositional truths about God. This is how seminaries classically teach hermeneutics–the careful parsing of grammar to derive surface-level meaning. Yet, the way a preacher engages the story exegetically and how it is presented homiletically will affect its response. Theomythology, to be defined herein, provides a framework for narrative analysis in the context of biblical theology for preaching biblical-theological messages to theopathically engage listeners. Terms must first be defined before theomythology can be analyzed in the context of biblical theology. Further, biblical theology's place in preaching must be addressed before comparing the teaching and doing of theology.