Book Feature: “Isaiah and Intertextuality” by Dr. Wilson de Angelo Cunha

In February 2024, Dr. Wilson Cunha (Professor of Old Testament) and Dr. Andrew Abernethy (Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College) published Isaiah and Intertextuality: Isaiah Amid Israel’s Scriptures. This volume, featuring essays from several Old Testament scholars, demonstrates the connections between Isaiah and the major canonical sections of the Old Testament: the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Keep reading to learn more about Isaiah and Intertextuality and how Dr. Cunha’s work as editor and contributor influences his teaching.

The Process of Writing Isaiah and Intertextuality

The publication of Isaiah and Intertextuality was many years in the making. While preparing to teach a class on Isaiah at LeTourneau, Dr. Cunha noticed that Isaiah 59:7 appeared almost verbatim in Proverbs 1:16: “Because their feet rush to do evil, and they hurry to shed blood”. After making this connection, he began to consider the intertextual links between Isaiah and other books of the Old Testament. Eventually, he contacted Dr. Andrew Abernethy (Wheaton College) to gauge interest about developing a project, which led to founding the Institute for Biblical Research’s Isaiah research group and the collection of the essays featured in Isaiah and Intertextuality. 

Dr. Cunha’s work as an editor and contributor to Isaiah and Intertextuality built on intertextuality studies he began as a ThM student at Calvin Seminary. As a ThM student, he discovered his love for intertextuality as he wrote a research paper on Zechariah 7-8. Later, as a PhD student, he would explore intertextuality in LXX Isaiah. In Isaiah and Intertextuality, Dr. Cunha further built his understanding of the intertextual connections between Isaiah and major portions of the Old Testament (such as the Torah, Prophets and Writings), as well as the thematic connections across Old Testament books, which he explores in his essay on Isaiah 1 and Hosea, featured in the volume.

One of the key features of Calvin Seminary faculty is their ongoing research and contribution to the education of the global church through publishing books and volumes that are accessible for pastors and laypeople. Isaiah and Intertextuality was a springboard into a contract with Baker Academic, where Dr. Cunha and another well-known Old Testament scholar will edit and contribute to “The Commentary on the Old Testament Use of the Old Testament”, a companion volume to “The Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament”. This project will serve pastors and laypeople interested in studying how passages connect to each other, allowing readers to develop a more theologically comprehensive perspective on a biblical passage or book. 

The Influence of Isaiah and Intertextuality on Teaching 

In addition to preaching at local churches and writing projects, Dr. Cunha teaches Biblical Hebrew and Old Testament courses for MA, MDiv, ThM, and PhD students at Calvin Seminary. His involvement in Isaiah and Intertextuality directly impacts that work in the classroom, as he seeks to help students understand how the Old Testament comes together from a literary, canonical and theological perspective. Teaching students about intertextuality helps them identify connections in books or genres of the Old Testament that, on first glance, might lack any connection at all. When students understand the intertextuality of the Old Testament, it prevents them from having a fragmented understanding of and approach to the Old Testament, which affects their preaching and teaching of Scripture.

We are thankful for Dr. Cunha, his contributions to scholarly conversation on the Old Testament—exemplified in Isaiah and Intertextuality—and the ways in which his research is used to equip students with a deeper knowledge of the interconnectedness of Scripture, aiding their ministry and studies.