{"id":52150,"date":"2025-12-20T04:20:24","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T11:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=52150"},"modified":"2025-12-25T17:55:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T00:55:36","slug":"seven-songs-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/seven-songs-review\/","title":{"rendered":"A Review: Seven Songs: Signs of Christ in the Old Testament"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seven Songs: Signs of Christ in the Old Testament<\/span><\/i><\/a>, by Adam S. Miller and Rosalynde F. Welch, is a significant and rewarding addition to their thematic series. Having appreciated previous contributions like <\/span>Seven Gospels<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Seven Visions<\/span><\/i>, this volume immediately captured attention for its focused engagement at the intersection of theology and ancient song. Structured as an epistolary dialogue between two accomplished disciple-scholars, the book models a deeply engaged approach to scripture, fulfilling the expressed intent to move beyond a simplistic devotional reading into sustained theological work while remaining accessible to general readers. It successfully positions the Old Testament\u2019s poetic books as a foundational “standing reserve of Spirit” and an ancient hymnal.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Structure and Theological Framework<\/b><\/h3>\n

The authors select seven ancient poems or “songs” and organize them not chronologically, but around a <\/span>narrative arc<\/b> that moves through the full spectrum of the covenant journey through life. This intentional structuring is a key contribution to the book’s overall theological project, emphasizing thematic resonance over historical placement. The movement is framed as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Beginning (Creation):<\/b> A Song of Creation (Psalm 104) and a Song of Wisdom (Job 28).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The Journey (Action\/Reaction):<\/b> A Song of Power (Exodus 15) and a Song of Grief (Lamentations 1).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The Perspective (Internal Struggle):<\/b> A Song of Despair (Ecclesiastes 2) and a Song of Desire (Psalm 42).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Conclusion (Restoration):<\/b> A Song of Light (Isaiah 60).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The core thesis is that these elemental songs display a unique and powerful witness of Christ by giving voice to the full, unvarnished range of human passions, thereby transfiguring even the most difficult emotions\u2014grief, fear, despair\u2014into authentic prayer and praise. The book argues that Christ is present in the tension and paradox of these human experiences, providing signs of reconciliation and redemption.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Miller and Welch’s philosophical and literary expertise yields several insights that make this volume indispensable for readers of contemporary Latter-day Saint thought. The book is due considerable praise for its thoughtful approach to deep and sometimes painful topics, modeling a mature faith capable of navigating existential difficulty. For instance, in the analysis of Job 28, the book reframes divine wisdom not as specialized knowledge, but as a necessary awe (<\/span>yir\u2019a<\/span><\/i>). Miller explains that the KJV translated <\/span>yir\u2019a<\/span><\/i> as \u201cfear,\u201d but the Hebrew word \u201cnot only means fear but also reverence and awe.\u201d He goes on to suggest that \u201cawe always includes not only my knowledge but my ignorance,\u201d trusting that \u201ceven if you don\u2019t understand this staggering world, God does.\u201d Thus, \u201cfaith and awe are two sides of the same coin, two names for the same soul-stretching experience of embracing all truth\u201d (p. 41).<\/span><\/p>\n

    Similarly, the authors posit the nuanced concept of the soul as an ecosystem, composed of and dependent on its relationships (with Christ, family, and creation). Miller, for example, while discussing the devastation of the woman in Lamentations, states that \u201cSouls, I think, are ecosystems. All souls are irreparably tangled up with and dependent on other souls. Every soul needs other souls. Soul knits with soul\u201d (p. 81). Welch refers to this as \u201cthe vast symbiotic webbing of creation\u201d (p. 89). Consequently, grief is felt as the literal loss of a piece of the soul’s substance. The spiritual work of mourning is presented as a necessary form of forgiveness, where \u201cto mourn our dead is to forgive them for leaving us.\u201d Through this, Miller explains, the mourner is liberated to “begin a future” by acknowledging that the past cannot be changed (p. 83).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Other Thoughts\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

    The book’s commitment to intellectual honesty and paradox\u2014such as positioning the existential hopelessness of Ecclesiastes as necessary medicine to the lie of an idealized view of ourselves as \u201cspecial\u201d\u2014is a clear strength. It avoids superficial reconciliation, allowing scriptural voices to debate complex issues like the concealedness or openness of divine wisdom. <\/span><\/p>\n

    I also appreciated that while they sought a Christological reading of the Hebrew Bible, they were careful about how they did so. Welch, for example, states that \u201cmaybe we should aim to read Christ from the text, not into the text,\u201d by which she means, \u201cwe can look for the ways that Jesus \u2026 would himself have been shaped \u2026 through his deep familiarity with these sacred poems\u201d (p. 27). Likewise, Miller later suggests that \u201cinstead of just looking for signs of Christ in the Book of Mormon, \u2026 we asked: how would Jesus himself read the Book of Mormon,\u201d a WWJR (what would Jesus read) approach. These approaches tend towards less tortured readings of the texts of the Hebrew Bible and more toward a natural reading of the texts and their meanings.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The application of academic tools, however, is sometimes inconsistent. For example, while the authors dive deep into the genres, literary structures, and textual variations of the poems (noting, for instance, that Ecclesiastes 2 is likely a later editorial addition and engaging with Joseph Spencer\u2019s work on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon), they avoid applying similar scrutiny to the historical background of the book of Job. While probably an artifact of the more informal format of the book and its intended audience, this lack of acknowledgement presents a challenge: many readers acquainted with biblical scholarship wonder about the historicity of the character Job, and the book offers no discussion on why it chose to treat Job as a historical personage while utilizing high-level textual criticism elsewhere. This stands in contrast to books like Joshua Sears’s <\/span>A Modern Guide to an Old Testament<\/span><\/i>, though it is a very minor note in the overall scheme of the <\/span>Seven Songs Book<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Still, the book is full of meaningful and well-crafted statements. For example, Miller states, \u201cRepentance itself is a form of mourning. Repentance isn\u2019t the work of punishing ourselves, in grief and anger, with a past that cannot be changed. Repentance is the work of mourning this broken past\u2014of mourning both the losses we\u2019ve inflicted and the losses that, in the process, we\u2019ve suffered\u2014so that we can turn to the future and give what good is needed\u201d (p. 84). <\/span><\/p>\n

    In another section, Welch tackles the problem of divine absense\u2014how it may often feel like God isn\u2019t right here with us at all times, leading some to conclude that either we\u2019ve done something wrong or that God simply doesn\u2019t exist, noting that \u201cif the Old Testament\u2019s witness is to be believed, the feeling of divine absense may be more the rule than the exception.\u201d She argues, however, that \u201cthese periods of divine absence\u201d are \u201c<\/span>consonant<\/span><\/i> with God\u2019s reality, not evidence against it. For what real thing can ever be fully available and present to me, without friction, distance or difference? \u2026 The very experience of absence, struggle, and discontinuity in our relationship with the divine is, I think, a strong witness of its authenticity.\u201d As she summarizes, \u201cironically, the God-on-demand who guarantees 24-7 availability and frictionless wish-granting is the one who is more likely an imaginary projection” (132\u2013134). <\/span><\/p>\n

    These are some beautiful and powerful thoughts, and they are merely a sampling of similar moments throughout the book.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/h2>\n

    Thus, <\/span>Seven Songs<\/span><\/i> is a compelling and valuable exercise in prophetic reading. It moves beyond a simple search for Christological type scenes to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of covenant, desire, and discipleship in the ancient text. It is a vital resource for members seeking to deepen their engagement with the Hebrew Bible’s emotional and intellectual power.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Seven Songs: Signs of Christ in the Old Testament, by Adam S. Miller and Rosalynde F. Welch, is a significant and rewarding addition to their thematic series. Having appreciated previous contributions like Seven Gospels and Seven Visions, this volume immediately captured attention for its focused engagement at the intersection of theology and ancient song. Structured as an epistolary dialogue between two accomplished disciple-scholars, the book models a deeply engaged approach to scripture, fulfilling the expressed intent to move beyond a simplistic devotional reading into sustained theological work while remaining accessible to general readers. It successfully positions the Old Testament\u2019s poetic books as a foundational “standing reserve of Spirit” and an ancient hymnal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10397,"featured_media":52154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-reviews"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seven-songs-welch-miller.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52150"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52243,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52150\/revisions\/52243"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}