by Thomas Linton Leishman
In this second volume of The Continuity of the Bible, the author, Thomas Linton Leishman, traces the progressive unfoldment of religious thought as it develops from the foundation laid by The Patriarchs, who provided the subtitle of the first volume. Both volumes are compilations of articles originally published in The Christian Science Journal.
In this book, as Joshua picks up the reins of leadership from Moses, the reader joins in the moving experience of the Hebrews claiming their inheritance in the Promised Land. During the period of the Judges, and through the time of the prophet Samuel up to the reign of Saul, the first monarch, we see the concept of government developing as the need for rulership becomes more evident.
Later, through acquaintance with the prophetic mission of Elijah and Elisha, the reader witnesses the diminishing stress on human kingship, as God Himself becomes more central in the progress of the nation. Primitive sources of the Pentateuch are introduced in the final chapter.
Mr. Leishman - Bible scholar, historian and teacher - is preeminently qualified to be the author of a work on the Scriptures. Following his long paternal ancestry of Scottish Presbyterian ministers, Mr. Leishman himself prepared for the ministry at Edinburgh University where he was awarded the degrees of M.A., and B.D. From further studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City he earned his S.T.M. (Master of Sacred Theology). After resigning from the Seminary, he devoted himself to writing and lecturing on Biblical subjects. Mr. Leishman continues the study of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and also of Biblical archaeology to further his understanding of the basic sources of the Bible. The author is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Religion.