Lovely, Like Jerusalem

“You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely like Jerusalem.” — Song of Songs

In this highly regarded work, the spiritual writer and theologian Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P., presents a clear and compelling overview of the Old Testament, showing both what it is in itself and how it stands in vital relationship to the New Testament. Nichols argues that a genuine and deep understanding of the New Testament is impossible without serious familiarity with the Old.

He demonstrates that ignorance of the Old Testament renders the divine plan—unfolding across both Testaments—largely unintelligible. Without this foundation, readers are ill-equipped to understand Sacred Scripture fully, to engage deeply with the writings of the great theologians and saints, or even to appreciate the art and symbolism of the Church.

Drawing on biblical scholarship from across Christian traditions—especially Evangelical and Anglican sources—Nichols combines ecumenical insight with the rich theological inheritance of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church. The result is a widely appealing and intellectually rigorous exploration of the unity, beauty, and theological depth of the two Testaments, ordered toward a fuller understanding of Christ Himself.

About the Author

Aidan Nichols, O.P., is a Dominican friar who has taught theology in England, Italy, the United States, and Ethiopia. He held the John Paul II Memorial Lectureship in Roman Catholic Theology and was for many years a member of the Cambridge University Faculty of Divinity.

Fr. Nichols has published more than fifty books on fundamental, historical, and ecumenical theology, as well as on the relationship between religion, literature, and art. His works include Lovely Like Jerusalem, Conciliar Octet, Figuring Out the Church, Rome and the Eastern Churches, and The Theologian’s Enterprise.