Old Testament and Related Studies (Collected Works Vol. 1) – Hugh Nibley – 3 Stars

Old Testament and Related Studies (Collected Works Vol. 1) – Hugh Nibley – 3 Stars

Title: Old Testament and Related Studies (Collected Works Vol. 1)

Author: Hugh Nibley

Publisher: F.A.R.M.S. Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies

Year: 1986

Rating:   3 STARS

Price and Purchasing Options: These books are currently available at Deseret Book.  That is unfortunately the best place to get them.  You will rarely see these at Deseret Industries or other second hand stores, and you will find them on eBay,but rarely for cheap (but you can give it a try here).  You’re are going to pay around $40 retail for the book.

Review:   Anytime you are talking about Hugh Nibley, you get nervous knowing you will never do the man justice.  Hugh Nibley is the foremost apologist in the history of the church, using deep and comprehensive research to defend the Restoration.  No one had done it like he did, no one has done it sense, and I doubt we will ever see anyone like him. 

With that being said, the reader needs to know that Nibley was a smart guy… really smart.  As a consequence, it wasn’t uncommon for him to find interest and passion, where no one else did.  There were times when he would write papers on very uninteresting things (or things that were only interesting to him).  What this means is that occasionally in his collect works you will come across a 50-page essay or paper that fits this category and the reader either needs to be really committed to getting through it – or just skip it.

This is truer with the early volumes in his collect works – and with this being the first volume in the collection, much more common here.

So be a little more prepared to start and skip through some pages.

However, this is a solid three-star book.  He also has a way of finding seemingly uninteresting research and making it relevant and interesting.  He is an avid defender of the faith.

In this book the reader will get a good feeling for Nibley’s unique styling.  They will find some good essays relating to Old Testament studies with some focusing on the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and other unique and interesting ideas.

If you are a Nibley fan, want to be, or plan on getting the collection, this is a good book – if you are interested in Old Testament a little more than most, this is a good resource to skim through – but if you are an average reader or member of the Church, you could probably skip this volume (even though it will look good on the shelf).

Suggestions:  If you want this book – you will probably just need to hit Deseret Book.

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Review #13

Tags: Hugh Nibley, Old Testament and Related Studies (Collected Works Vol. 1), Old Testament, F.A.R.M.S., Apologetic,