Book excerpt: An Introduction to the Study of Isaiah guides readers through the central issues in scholarship on this influential prophetic text. Readers will be introduced to the diverse methods and results of modern Isaianic study. They will see how these approaches differ from, and relate to one another. After a brief introduction, this book analyzes various proposals for the Isaiah's formation, the contributions of literary theory to understanding it, and finally theological approaches to the book. Because of its emphasis on method, this introduction will be important for students concerned with negotiating the vast and diverse body of scholarly literature that now surrounds this central biblical book.