“We live in an age of increasing specialization (owing in part to the rapid expansion of knowledge), and disciplines that a priori ought to work hand in glove are being driven apart.”

Don Carson wrote that in 1983. The fragmentation in theological disciplines almost two decades later is palpably worse.

So it’s not surprising that few people are writing whole-Bible biblical theologies these days. And it’s refreshing to see the recent release of this one:

James M. Hamilton Jr. [SBTS bio] God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010.  640 pp.

• Sample 36-page PDF and 1:45-minute video
• Endorsements by Tom Schreiner, Kevin Vanhoozer, Desi Alexander, and Steve Dempster
• Time-line of this book’s history
• Audio of Jim Hamilton presenting the book’s argument (along with the book’s TOC)
• Guest-posts on the Crossway blog: Part 1 | Part 2
• Guest-post for the ShareFaith blog
• Interview with Matthew Miller: Part 1 | Part 2
• Interview for 9Marks Blog
• Steve Dempster’s review for the 9Marks eJournal

Jim gave me the honor of reading through his manuscript last Christmas break, and I profited immensely from both his big-picture connections and his more detailed exegetical observations. He impressively demonstrates how the whole Bible coheres.

If a big book like this seems too daunting for you to read, soberly consider what the Internet (and TV, movies, video games, etc.) might be doing to your brain. (I just read Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows, and I’m convicted about how frequently I check email and Google Reader.)