March 2024 | LISLE, IL—Prolific author and respected Old Testament professor John H. Walton has signed a contract with IVP Academic for his next book tentatively titled The Crisis of Biblical Authority.
Walton is professor emeritus of Old Testament at Wheaton College and Graduate School. Previously, he was professor of Old Testament at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for twenty years.
Slated to release in Spring 2026, The Crisis of Biblical Authority argues that the decline in biblical authority is not necessarily stemming from a biblical illiteracy issue but rather from a crisis of hermeneutical illiteracy. Walton says, “Once we learn the content of the Bible (becoming biblically literate) and are able to discern the meaning of the text (with exegetical competence), we still have to understand how biblical authority works to put the message to use in our lives, in the church, and in society (hermeneutical literacy).”
Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) has authored, edited, or coauthored fourteen projects with IVP Academic, including The Lost World of Adam and Eve, The Lost World of Scripture, The Lost World of Genesis One, Wisdom for Faithful Reading, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament (with Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas), and The Lost World of the Prophets.
“John Walton has an ability to get to the heart of issues related to the Bible that trouble both laypeople and scholars,” said Rachel Hastings, associate editor for IVP Academic. “I’m thrilled that the scholarly rigorous yet accessible approach that Walton brought to the origins debate in his Lost World Series is now being brought to the issue of hermeneutics and biblical interpretation. I have no doubt that the wisdom and guidance that he will have to offer on the subject will be a gift to conversations in the church and the academy alike.”
Contact: Krista Clayton, kclayton@ivpress.com
