The Artistic Sphere: The Arts in Neo-Calvinist Perspective

While some Christians have embraced the relationship between faith and the arts, the Reformed tradition tends to harbor reservations about the arts.

However, among Reformed churches, the Neo-Calvinist tradition—as represented in the work of Abraham Kuyper, Herman Dooyeweerd, Hans Rookmaaker, and others—has consistently demonstrated not just a willingness but a desire to engage with all manner of cultural and artistic expressions.

This volume, edited by art scholar Roger Henderson and Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker, the daughter of art historian and cultural critic Hans Rookmaaker, brings together history, philosophy, and theology to consider the relationship between the arts and the Neo-Calvinist tradition. With affirmations including the Lordship of Christ, the cultural mandate, sphere sovereignty, and common grace, the Neo-Calvinist tradition is well-equipped to offer wisdom on the arts to the whole body of Christ.

Art is well outside my wheelhouse.  While I am happy to say that I took an ‘art appreciation’ class in College, I don’t remember a thing about it other than the fact that the Professor showed us slides of important artwork and talked about what they meant and why they were made.  Paintings, sculptures, music, books, all aspects of art were covered.

It was a good course.  But that was the last time I took any time to think seriously about art and artistry.

So I was glad to look in that direction again.  After… too many decades to count really. And I’m glad that this book was the place I looked.

The book doesn’t discuss art history though.  It instead focuses on art as it was and has been viewed and utilized in Calvinist circles.  The book’s contents serve as a roadmap to where the volume wishes to take readers:

Part One: Roots

• Geneva’s Artistic Legacy: From Calvin to Today, Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker
• Calvin and the Arts: Pure Vision or Blind Spot?, Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin
• Rumors of Glory: Abraham Kuyper’s Neo-Calvinist Theory of Art, Roger D. Henderson
• Dooyeweerd’s Aesthetics, Roger D. Henderson

Part Two: Art History

• Art, Meaning, and Truth, Hans R. Rookmaaker
• The Vocation of a Christian Art Historian: Strategic Choices in a Multicultural Context, E. John Walford
• More than Can Be Seen: Tim Rollins and K.O.S.’s I See the Promised Land, James Romaine

Part Three: Aesthetics

• The Halo of Human Imaginativity, Calvin Seerveld
• Rethinking Art, Nicholas Wolterstorff
• Imagination, Art, and Civil Society: Re-envisioning Reformational Aesthetics, Lambert Zuidervaart
• Art, Body, and Feeling: New Roads for Neo-Calvinist Aesthetics, Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin

Part Four: Theology and Art

• The Theology of Art of Gerardus van der Leeuw and Paul Tillich, Wessel Stoker
• The Elusive Quest for Beauty, William Edgar
• Fifty-Plus Years of Art and Theology: 1970 to Today, Victoria Emily Jones

There are also various excurses along the way.  The whole is a helpful guide to the importance of art for Christian theological expression.  Art, after all, is a good gift of God too, like medicine, and science, and all of the things that help make life better and more enjoyable.  Art can even be the means by which God speaks to us.

This book serves, for me, as a healthy denunciation of the idea that Calvinism is dry and boring and uninterested in the things of this world and only focuses on the hereafter.  That, of course, has always been a lie but it’s still a fairly wide held misconception.

There’s a bibliography of important further reading at the end of each chapter.  There are illustrations.  And, again, there are fascinating excurses.  The two most incredible, to me, because of my love of their work, is that concerning Albrecht Durer and Matthias Grunewald.

Some of the material has appeared previously in English and in Dutch.  Those familiar with it will not mind, as it is material worth repeating for them and worth seeing for the rest of us.

This is not only a commendable volume for the information it provides, but for the way in which it helps us all towards a fuller understanding of the intersection of art and theology.  These two spheres of human endeavor have much to teach one another, and the rest of us.

A Bird’s-Eye View of Luke and Acts: Context, Story, and Themes

In this accessible and compelling introduction, Michael Bird draws us into the wide-ranging narrative of Luke-Acts to discover how Luke frames the life of Jesus and of the first disciples who set out from Jerusalem to “the ends of the earth” proclaiming the Good News. Bird shows us how these two books, when read together, tell a cohesive narrative about Jesus, the Church, and the mission of God—with implications for the whole of our lives today. Situating both books in their historical and literary context, Bird moves through an exploration of their central theological themes and culminates with consideration of the books’ relevance for contemporary social issues.

I like Michael Bird.  He’s an engaging writer and a good guy.  And I like the present work.  It is filled with helpful insights into the work we call Luke/ Acts.

I don’t always agree with him though.  So, for example, when he talks about Luke as Theologian (pp. 68ff) he points out that in Bultmann’s Theology of the New Testament “…while the theological contribution of Luke is either ignored (by Bultmann)…”  he isn’t exactly being accurate.  I count no less than 40 references to Luke in Bultmann’s theology and 28 references to Acts, giving a grand total of 68 references to the two volume Lukan work.  Not to mention, of course, Bultmann’s earlier and extensive examination of Luke in his work on the Synoptics.

I would, then, suggest that Bultmann can hardly be accused of ignoring Luke’s works.  Theologically or historically.

Generally, though, if you weigh Bird’s work in the balances it won’t be found wanting.  The chapters are, on the whole, well organized and the end of each chapter provides review questions and a list of works for further reading on the subject of each chapter.

The high water mark of the work is the 12th Chapter where Bird leads readers into a very good discussion of Luke on Jesus, the Jews, and the Gentile Churches.  I’ll be teaching a course this coming semester on Judaism and Early Christianity and I will definitely be incorporating Bird’s chapter at the proper point in the lectures.  Bird is at his best when he is doing analysis of the interaction of Judaism and Christianity.

On the whole, then, this is a very useful and probative volume.  It has its weaknesses (one having been mentioned above) but it has more strengths (particularly when Bird is talking about Judaism) and is an excellent volume for students on Luke/ Acts; scholars of the material; and even interested layfolk who want to learn a bit more about a big chunk of the New Testament.

I can unhesitatingly recommend it to you.  I think you will genuinely enjoy it.  And I know that you will learn from it.  Which is what it’s all about, isn’t it.  Learning.

Kierkegaard and the Changelessness of God: A Modern Defense of Classical Immutability

Danish theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard was not afraid to express his opinions. Living amid what he perceived to be a culturally lukewarm Christianity, he was often critical of his contemporary church.

But that does not mean Kierkegaard rejected traditional Christian theology. Indeed, at a time when many of his contemporaries were questioning the classical doctrine of God, Kierkegaard swam against the stream by maintaining orthodox Christian beliefs.

In this volume in IVP Academic’s New Explorations in Theology series, Craig A. Hefner explores Kierkegaard’s reading of Scripture and his theology to argue not only that the great Dane was a modern defender of the doctrine of divine immutability (or God’s changelessness) in response to the disintegration of the self, but that his theology can be a surprising resource today.

Even as the church continues to be beset by “shifting shadows” (James 1:17), Kierkegaard can remind us of the good and perfect gifts that come from an unchanging God.

I’ll be very brief: any theological examination that relegates exegesis of the critical and central texts to the footnotes is impossible for me to take either seriously or happily.  And while Kierkegaard is fertile ground for theological discussions, at the end of the day he is and always will forever remain a philosopher.

So when a volume combines analysis of Kierkegaard and the relegation of the only texts that really matter to the bottom of the page, you’ll have to forgive me if I am less than enthusiastic about it.

In fact, in a book of about 200 pages, give or take, the central text, James 1:17, is the focus of attention in but one chapter and there the focus isn’t on the biblical text but what Kierkegaard thought of the biblical text.  And there, again, exegesis is shoved to the tiny print at the bottom of the page where, truth told, it’s less exegesis than it is mere lip service to very few exegetical works/ commentaries.

Theology should be based on exegesis.  Philosophy can be based on whatever it wishes.  But when philosophy parades as theology and then ignores exegesis it cannot be taken seriously by exegetes or biblical scholars.

This volume may well please philosophers, who very much love speculation and baseless supposition; but it will leave exegetes dismayed at the horrific lack of exegesis.

As a student in grad school one of our assigned texts in systematic theology was Paul Tillich’s three volume wrongly named ‘Theology’.  Tillich wasn’t a theologian, he was a philosopher pretending to be a theologian.  It was unsurprising, then, that his theology lacked any grounding in Scripture.

I came to despise all ‘theology’ lacking a substantive connection to the biblical text and absent exegetical justification.  That is why I despise this book and all those like it.  It should be titled ‘Kierkegaard and the Changelessness of Kierkegaard.’  God should be left out of the title just as God’s self-testimony in Scripture has been, in substance and essence, left out of the volume.

Creating the Canon: Composition, Controversy, and the Authority of the New Testament

In Creating the Canon, Benjamin P. Laird explores misunderstood, disputed, and overlooked matters tied to the composition, collection, and authority of the New Testament canon. His engaging study takes on questions such as:

• Was there a single “original autograph” of each New Testament book?
• Who exactly were the “original readers” or the “original audience” of the New Testament writings?
• Did theological controversies play a decisive role in prompting the canon’s formation?
• How did such a diverse body of writings come together as a single canonical collection?
• Is there a basis for the canon’s ongoing authority?

Wide-ranging yet accessible, Creating the Canon offers constructive insight on the composition, formation, and authority of the New Testament, while also serving as a helpful guide for those new to the study of canon.

Laird’s spiffy little book introduces readers to the New Testament canon, and answers the question ‘how did we get it?’

The New Testament is the product of a long and winding process.  First, texts were written.  Then copied.  Then collected.  Then disseminated.  Then argued about.  Then settled on.  And it took centuries for all that to happen.

It may be a story well known to New Testament scholars, but the guy or gal sitting in a Church somewhere may not know (and surely doesn’t) it.  So this book tells them.  In a really delightfully readable way.  Laird has the ability to be interesting and informative without falling into the trap of being annoying and boring.  Laird may teach at a very conservative school (Liberty U.) but he is no Fundamentalist.  No indeed.  He is a thinking, thoughtful, well informed Conservative.  A real breath of fresh air. He knows the primary sources and he knows the secondary literature.

The volume falls into three very sensible parts.  First, Laird addresses questions about the production of the New Testament documents.  Second, he turns to a look at the how and why of the formation of the Canon.  And third he make a theological turn and talks about the authority of the New Testament.

The first two parts are historically oriented and the third is a purely theological issue.  Non Christians may be interested in the first two, but the third will not be their favorite since it presumes authority where they grant none.  Consequently, the third part may be the most important to many believers, as it assists them in understanding why they hold the New Testament to be formative for faith and practice.

The volume, aside from the three main parts, also includes a bibliography, an index of names, a scripture index, and an index of ancient texts.

And now the wry twist: this book is clearly intended for a general readership.  Such readers, then, must surely wonder what on earth is being said in the dedication to Meredith, Jonathan, Lydia, Nora, and Charles:

μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαράν, ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα

No citation is provided.  No translation.  No explanation.  It’s 3 John 4 if you don’t read Greek and don’t recognize the sentence.  And I love it.  What’s better than tossing a linguistic curve ball to your readers and letting them try to find out what you’ve said (vainly). It  keeps people on their toes and serves as a cool little ‘wink and a nod’ to scholars (or maybe some scholars anyway since these days having a PhD in New Testament doesn’t even guarantee knowledge of Greek in some quarters) which says ‘I’m one of you too!  I’m not just about the commoners!’

That isn’t a criticism, by the way.  I do it all the time.  That’s why I said I love it.

This is a super little book.  Absolutely super.  I like it very much, and I think you will too (in spite of the fact that he cites Doug Campbell and N.T. Wright).

Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

For centuries, discussions of early Christianity have focused on male leaders in the church. But there is ample evidence right in the New Testament that women were actively involved in ministry, at the frontier of the gospel mission, and as respected leaders.

Nijay Gupta calls us to bring these women out of the shadows by shining light on their many inspiring contributions to the planting, growth, and health of the first Christian churches. He sets the context by exploring the lives of first-century women and addressing common misconceptions, then focuses on the women leaders of the early churches as revealed in Paul’s writings. 

Many years ago I read a fantastic volume titled ‘When Women Were Priests‘.  It was a revolutionary and eye opening volume and more influential on my own approach to the issue of the place of women in the history of earliest Christianity than anything else.

I love that book.

I love this book more.  Here’s why.  When Women were Priests focused primarily on the historical evidence.  This volume focuses on the biblical material itself.

Beginning with examples from the Hebrew Bible, Gupta then moves to an examination of women in the New Testament world and women in the ministry of Jesus.  And that’s just Part One.

In Part Two, Gupta looks more closely at the role of women in the early Church; i.e., as co-laborers (and he has examples aplenty).  He also takes us on a tour of the biblical stories of Phoebe and Prisca and Junia.  The material here is first rate and the exegesis is just simply and impressively top notch.

The final part of the book may, though, be the most important.  Here, in two sections, Gupta examines, with his now usual exegetical aptitude, the issues of Paul’s prohibition of women teaching in the church; and the so called Household Codes and their directions that wives be submissive.

The whole presentation is drawn to a close with a postscript, followed by a general index and a scripture index.

[I need to note at this point that the copy I received was an uncorrected proof from the publisher, so the text as I have it may not be the exact same text you may obtain].

Gupta’s style is engaging and attention grabbing.  Take, as one example, his treatment of Euodia and Syntyche:

While we don’t know a lot of personal information about these women …., the fact that Paul calls them out on a disagreement publicly implies that they had important stature in the community.

Indeed it does!  And this is the sort of careful thinking that characterizes the volume as a whole.  Examples like this could be added endlessly, until virtually the entire volume would be ‘underlined’ or ‘highlighted’ or however it is one marks up books these days.

I wish this volume had been published when the previously named work appeared.  They work perfectly together.  The first with a wider look at women in the early Church, and the latter more specifically at the texts of the New Testament (primarily) where women perform ministry (and the objections thereto).

I am genuinely grateful to Prof Gupta for writing this book.  And for the many women whose voices have in recent years made the persuasive case which he too makes here.

The simple fact is irrefutable: women had leadership roles in the early church and beyond.  It was a distortion of both the New Testament and early Christianity when the church, centuries ago, erased that fact.  So, thank you, Dr Gupta, and those who with you have proven the historical and exegetical case, including but not limited to Beth Allison Barr, Helen Bond, Joan Taylor, Susan Hylen, Dorothy Lee, and Cynthia Westfall along with many others.

This volume needs to be on the desk of every Pastor, every scholar, every student, and every Church member.

Seriously.  It is, again, the best book on women in ministry since When Women were Priests, and better.

The Hope of Life After Death: A Biblical Theology of Resurrection

Jeff Brannon explores how the hope of life after death is woven throughout Scripture—even in unexpected places. In the biblical narrative, the themes of life, death, and resurrection correspond with the biblical-theological categories of creation, fall, and redemption. As we follow these themes, Brannon shows, we gain a fuller understanding of the doctrine of resurrection and what it means for Christian faith and discipleship. Jesus’ resurrection and the future resurrection of his followers truly changes everything.

Nope.

As sympathetic as I am to the truth of the doctrine of the resurrection, our author oversteps the bounds of exegesis and bounds happily into the realm of eisegesis in his treatment of the Old Testament passages which he asserts assert the doctrine.  It simply is not there.  There is no notion of ‘resurrection’ anywhere in the Hebrew Bible.  To see it therein is to eisegete.

Accordingly, the first five chapters of this book can safely be ignored (in which Brannon discusses the doctrine in the Old Testament).  Indeed, they should be ignored, as they suffer the fatal problem of simply being wrong.

Brannon is on much firmer ground when in chapter seven he addresses the notion of the resurrection of Jesus.  Here his exegesis is solid and his presentation is accurate.  Chapter 6, the bridge between the OT and the NT on the subject suffers the same issues as the first 5 chapters:  it sees what is not there.

Chapters 8 and 9 turn our attention to the resurrection of the Church and the resurrection as future event.  And chapter 10 sums it all up.

The work closes with some recommendations for further reading (divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced); discussion questions; a name index and a scripture index.

If I were to recommend an antidote to the reading list and the eisegetical thrust of the first 5 chapters, I would urge readers to look instead at John Goldingay’s three volume ‘Old Testament Theology’.  There he treats quite completely the issues found here in Brannon’s little work.

Please don’t misunderstand me: I am not a fan of this book.  It’s far too misrepresentative of the message of the texts of the Old Testament to be either appealing or likeable.  I wanted to like it.  And I do like the chapters actually based in accurate New Testament exposition.  But reading about Hosea and Ezekiel and Daniel and their views of ‘resurrection’ was simply too much to bear.  It was, in fact, virtually unbearable.

It will, however, be a book that fundamentalists and others who see Jesus lurking behind every tree and under every bush in the Old Testament (mind you, he is not all the places he’s seen; instead far too often fundamentalists seem to see Jesus in the toast and the clouds and the doors and the spaghetti sauce and all the other places their fevered zeal provokes them to).

I wouldn’t, however, go as far as Calvin did when he once reviewed a book he could not endure:

[Our author] at length vomited out the poison with which he was sweltering from long dissimulation, and having fixed the sting, like a viper fled away.  — John Calvin

I do, though, think that Luther’s turn of phrase regarding a book he read is suitable here:

Are you not making an elephant out of a fly? What wonder workers!  –  Martin Luther

And that’s exactly what Brannon has done.  He has made large what is quite small (in the Old Testament).  And that shouldn’t be done.

Noli accipere, noli legere

The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary

In this introduction and commentary to both letters, Osvaldo Padilla sets them in their distinct context of Paul’s later ministry and draws out their pastoral wisdom. With thoughtful exposition he shows how the lessons Paul imparts to Timothy and Titus are still relevant to us today and how we can learn from them in our own walk with Christ.

Padilla follows tradition and asserts Paul’s authorship of these three New Testament letters.  He spends a good bit of time in the introduction arguing his case.  It is simultaneously unconvincing and engaging.

Others, it’s quite right to say, will, on the other hand, find his argument very persuasive, and that’s completely fine.  The brilliance of this commentary doesn’t lie in its putative authorship by Paul (or a member of the pauline school or whoever), but in the commentary proper.

This commentary is a commentary.  It looks in depth at the texts at hand and it explains them helpfully and diligently. Drawing on earlier and contemporary commentators, P., following a fairly conservative line throughout, offers cogent readings faithful to the intention of the author (yes, some of us still believe in authorial intention in these crusty days of reader-response oriented newfangled methodologies).  Yet unlike many conservatives, Padilla, since he is quite capable of understanding the biblical text, grants that deacons may also be women, i.e., deaconesses.   And no, he is not so forthright in his description of the overseers.  His language throughout the exposition of 1 Tim 3:1ff leaves the impression that men are the occupants of the overseer’s ‘office’ (my word, not his).

Each pericope treats the following topics:

• Context
• Comment
• Theology

The volume includes no indices.  It does, however, include a general preface to the series, an author’s preface to the volume, a list of abbreviations, and a select bibliography.  That bibliography includes works from a good range of perspectives.  In other words, this isn’t a narrow minded, fundamentalistic commentary drawing only from other fundamentalists.  It is a conservative (in the positive sense of that word and not in its dreadful politicized sense) work with a wide cast net engaging with scholarship from other perspectives.

Padilla is an exceptional write to boot.  His style is friendly and warm and welcoming.  His observations are wise and theologically insightful.  That’s not to say that he is always right.  And sometimes he makes remarks that make you go hmmmm.  In a good way and a bad way interchangeably.

Here’s one of them, in his discussion of ‘Instructions for slaves’ (p. 134 f)-

It should be noted that, in contrast to American slavery, ancient slavery was not based on skin colour.  Furthermore, especially in the case of Roman households, many of the Greek slaves  were educated and taught the children of elite Romans to speak and read Greek (with its highly regarded classical literature among Romans).

This skews exceedingly close to the ‘well slavery had its good points too’ line of thinking which, I am absolutely convinced, Padilla would utterly repudiate.  Still, it is a comment that makes you go hmmmmm.

There’s lots to love here.  And some to wonder about.  And even more to think about.

When it comes to commentaries (about which I have more than a passing familiarity), when they teach me something new, I instantly fall in love with them.  I love this commentary.  And I think you will too, regardless of your spot on the theological spectrum.

Tolle, lege!

An Explorer’s Guide to John Calvin

Creation is the theater of God’s glory. Scripture is like a pair of glasses that clarifies our vision of God. Justification is the hinge on which religion turns.

These and other affirmations are often associated with John Calvin, the 16th-century French Protestant Reformer best known for his ministry in Geneva and his authorship of the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Over the course of his lifetime and through several editions, Calvin expanded the Institutes from a brief study to a four-volume book that covers the main doctrines of the Christian faith and continues to shape the theology of the Reformed tradition.

In this volume, Reformed theologian Yudha Thianto guides readers through a careful study of Calvin’s Institutes. After setting Calvin and his writing in their historical context, he outlines the most significant aspects of Calvin’s theology, guiding those who would know more about his work and, through it, the God who inspired him.

Books in the Explorer’s Guide series are accessible guidebooks for those studying the great Christian texts and theologians from church history, helping readers explore the context in which these texts were written and navigate the rich yet complex terrain of Christian theology.

In what I’ll call a fine little guidebook, Thianto first introduces readers to Calvin the man, the theologian, the exegete, the pastor; and then in the second part he introduces readers to Calvin’s Institutes and the main themes of that multi-edition behemoth.

I call it a fine little guidebook because it is.  It’s fine because it’s wide ranging and accurate, covering everything that should be covered in an elementary introductory work.  And it’s little because it’s 240 pages in a pocket handbook sized thing.

But it’s also a very good book in terms of its contents.  I agree with my friend Herman Selderhuis when he observes

“This is not just another book on Calvin but a personal and very readable account of the life and doctrine of the Genevan Reformer. Calvin’s theological relevance is made clear, classic misunderstandings are cleared up and put aside, and the picture of a man devoted to serving God and the church is painted as a mirror to the reader.”

The book is indeed very personal.  Our author calls Calvin his friend.  Accordingly, there is an air of hagiography about the work.  That doesn’t diminish it in any way however because the first step in genuinely understanding someone is to like that person or even admire them.  To be sure, admiration can blind us to a person’s faults.  But it can also give us greater openness to what they say and write.  We listen more closely to the people we like.  And Thianto has clearly listened to Calvin.  Well.

I also agree with my friend and co-author Don McKim when he remarks

“Anyone interested in exploring the life and thought of John Calvin will welcome this book! Thianto is a veteran scholar and teacher of Calvin who guides us step by step to understand Calvin’s life and context as well as the dynamic theology that motivated readers of his magnum opus, the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Thianto presents each of the four ‘books’ of the Institutes, providing clear discussions of their major theological insights. Primarily the Institutes provide a way of understanding God’s revelation in Holy Scripture. As such, Calvin’s thought has had a lasting impact on the global church. His views also nurture Christian living. Thianto’s book helps us understand Calvin’s theology and ways his insights can be significant for us today!”

Don is very concerned to draw connecting lines between Reformers and modern life and Christian practice.  Indeed, when he’s not around and I’m talking about him I call him Dr Dynamic Theology.  Thianto, too, shares that gift.  I.e., Thianto shows the connective tissue which holds Calvin’s theology and modern Christian practice together.  And that’s important, for otherwise men like Calvin would rightly slip into dusty obscurity where all are found who have nothing to say to believers today.

And finally I also agree with Chicagoan-Brit Jon Balserak:

“Introductions to Calvin are a dime a dozen. What distinguishes this volume is its attention to historical context, its detailed coverage of major themes found in the Institutes, and its readability. It is a fine work by a fine scholar and will reward careful and reflective reading!”

Thianto has given us a readable book.  A historically attentive book.  And a carefully researched book.  Nothing, literally nothing more can be asked of a scholar than that.  And yes, introductions to Calvin are a dime a dozen.  Most are utter nonsense.  A few are helpful and enlightening.  And some few are highly recommendable.  Among the latter I count the works of Selderhuis, Balserak, McKim, and Opitz.  And now I would add as well to that last category the brilliantly helpful little tome of Thianto.

To be sure, he doesn’t mention Zwingli or Bullinger enough.  But honestly, who does?

I’ll end this review with a quote from a letter to Melanchthon from Calvin himself, Thianto’s friend, which I think fits on this occasion : 

Farewell, most accomplished sir, whom I respect with all my heart. May the Lord always support you by his power, govern you by his Spirit, and shield you with his protection. Salute my friends, if I have any, in your quarter of the world.

Martin Luther and the Rule of Faith: Reading God’s Word for God’s People

Martin Luther is a giant among the church’s theologians. He is especially known for advocating views such as justification by faith and the priesthood of all believers, which challenged the late-medieval Roman Catholic Church.

Yet the reading of God’s Word was what Luther considered his primary task as a theologian—and as a Christian. Though he is often portrayed as reading the Bible with a bare approach of sola Scriptura, without any reference to or concern for previous generations’ interpretation, the truth is much more complicated.

In this volume in IVP Academic’s New Explorations in Theology (NET) series, Reformation scholar Todd R. Hains considers how Luther read the Bible according to the rule of faith, which guided his interpretation of the text by the church’s established practice of hermeneutics as reflected in the Apostles’ Creed and the church’s catechism.

This study will helpfully complicate your view of Luther and bring clarity to your own reading of God’s Word.

Martin Luther was a wonderfully gifted polemicist, a good theologian (sometimes) but he was an awful exegete.  Especially when he attempted to interpret the Old Testament.  He was incapable of allowing the text to speak for itself and rather than simply listen to it, he told it what he wanted to find in it.  And all he wanted to find in it was Christ.  Everywhere.  Not just in places like Isaiah 7 (which even Matthew saw as filled with messianic meaning) but literally everywhere.  For instance, in the story of God granting Abraham the Promised Land, Luther finds Christ-

Thus the church is the pupil of Christ. It sits at His feet and listens to His Word, that it may know how to judge everything—how to serve in one’s vocation and to fill civil offices, yes, how to eat, drink, and sleep—so that there is no doubt about any area of life, but that we, surrounded on all sides by the rays of the Word, may continually walk in joy and in the most beautiful light.

Does that have anything to do with Genesis 13?  Of course it doesn’t, but for Luther, Christ must be there, lurking behind every tree and under every rock.

Is Christ in Ecclesiastes?  No.  Except for Luther.

For one should not quit simply because so few are changed for the better to hear the preaching of the Gospel. But do what Christ did: He rescued the elect and left the rest behind. This is what the apostles did also. It will not be better for you. You are foolish if you either presume that you alone can accomplish everything or despair of everything when it does not go your way.

In short, Luther has to include Christ because for Luther the Old Testament has no meaning apart from him.

In the book at hand Todd Hains does a masterful job of trying to convince us that Luther’s reading of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments, is guided not simply by eisegetical concerns but by what he calls ‘the rule of faith’ (or what we old timers call ‘the analogy of faith’).  Alas, try though he may, Hains is unable to deliver Luther from the abundantly clear fact that Luther is an eisegete, regardless of how that methodology is labelled.  Like Sisyphus, Hains pushes the boulder up the hill but like Sisyphus the boulder rolls all the way to the bottom in spite of every herculean effort.  Luther won’t be pushed into being an actual biblical exegete no matter how many labels his methodology is given nor how much effort is expended in trying to convince ourselves and others that Luther’s purpose was higher or greater or better than we imagine.

Whether we call it the analogy of faith, or the rule of faith, or eisegesis; what Luther does to the Old Testament especially (he is marginally better when he treats the New Testament because there, naturally, Christ is actually to be found) is pure misinterpretation.

Still, again, Hains gives it his all.  He introduces his subject and his methodology and then defines the ‘analogy of faith’.  This, I confess, is my favorite chapter of the book.  Hains clearly knows the theological underpinnings of the analogy and he also clearly understands how Luther wants to use the analogy.  The entire book’s price is justified by the inclusion of this one chapter alone.

Hains then helps readers understand the place the Catechism played in Luther’s thought and life and here too he is not wrong.

Then the real fun starts (and by fun, I mean misery- not because Hains does a poor job at what follows, but because Luther is so annoying as an interpreter of Scripture).  Thus, in chapter five we learn how Luther read Torah through the lens of the ‘analogia fidei’.  And how did he?  Badly.

Chapter six is devoted to Luther’s reading of the Historical Books (which he had little time for because though he found Christ there a lot, he simply couldn’t be bothered with the history of the Jews.  Anyway, for Luther, their history only mattered till Jesus arrived and then he was done with it).  Chapter seven is another tour of Luther’s eisegesis but this time the focus is the Wisdom material (i.e., Psalm 72) and what it can contribute to our understanding of…. wait for it… Jesus.  Luther writes of Ps 72:7

Behold a miracle. In all the prophets, when the nations which are converted to Christ are specifically enumerated, only southern ones are mentioned, like Ethiopians, Arabians, and Egyptians. On the contrary, when evils are prophesied, almost always northern nations are mentioned, such as Gog, Magog, Tubal, Meshech, and Dedan. This demonstrates the difference between both groups of nations. The southerners are the ones to whom the sun draws near through faith, while the northerners are the ones from whom the sun withdraws because of unbelief.

It’s a miracle alright.  A miracle of eisegesis.  At some point one feels like yelling at Luther ‘just stop it dude’.  But he refuses.

When Hains arrives at chapter seven he’s ready to tell us how Luther reads the Prophets via the analogy of faith.  Nothing unexpected appears.  By now we are used to seeing Luther do what he wishes to the words of the ancients and we are also used to our good guide Dr Hains trying his dead level best to convince us that it’s ok.

Chapter eight is the final bit of biblical examination and here the whole of the New Testament is brought into view.  One can’t be too mad at Luther now.  At least he sees Christ where he actually is instead of where he definitely isn’t.

Chapter nine is the conclusion of the matter.  Here Hains gives his readers a lot of help when he presents his Five Theses on the Bible and the Analogy of Faith.  Linking catechism to biblical texts and both to the analogy of faith, Hains asserts (I have simplified, see the book for the full contents) that

1. the analogy of faith is biblical
2. the bible should be read according to it
3. this is the way reading the bible makes the bible the bible
4. faith is the key to reading the bible and master of all interpretive tools
5. and the catechism’s summary of faith is the beginning and end of the Christian life

Whether or not he’s right I’ll leave to each of you to decide once you’ve read the book.  Hains is a good guide even if you find his argument unconvincing.

If you read this book as a biblical scholar, you’ll be annoyed with Luther but pleased with Hains (for who can be angry at a well-intentioned skillful guide?).

Luther was as poor at exegesis as Karl Barth was; for as was true of Barth, when you read either scholar’s biblical exegeses you get 99% them and 1% biblical author.  But I still love them both, even though their eisegeses make me sick.  Analogy of faith or not.

For, at the end of the day, no analogy can rescue bad exegesis.  It’s just bad.

2 Corinthians: Reformation Commentary on Scripture

When the Reformers of the sixteenth century turned to this biblical text, originally written by Paul to the first-century church in Corinth, they found truths that apply to Christians regardless of their historical context. For example, Reformed theologian Wolfgang Musculus wrote, “To be a Christian is to be in Christ. If anyone is outside of Christ, he is not a Christian. It is easy to partake of the sacraments and to be of the name and profession of Christ, but that is not what it means to be in Christ… The largest part of Christians is still an old creature for they have not yet been regenerated and renewed by the spirit of Christ. To know a Christian, therefore, we should not so much examine his external profession, but his life.”

In this volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture, Reformation scholar Scott Manetsch guides readers through a wealth of early modern commentary on the book of 2 Corinthians. Readers will hear from familiar voices and discover lesser-known figures from a diversity of theological traditions, including Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Drawing upon a variety of resources—including commentaries, sermons, treatises, and confessions—much of which appears here for the first time in English, this volume provides resources for contemporary preachers, enables scholars to better understand the depth and breadth of Reformation commentary, and seeks to encourage all those who would be newly created in Christ.

I don’t think that people appreciate the massive amount of work that goes into a commentary like this one, or the others in the series to which it belongs.  Commentaries are hard enough to write when one is working through the biblical text itself, so imagine the amount of work necessary in order to provide a commentary on a biblical text from dozens of 16th century theologians.

First, one has to be familiar with the sources and that means being familiar with the languages in which those hearty 16th century souls wrote.  Then one has to select the theologians whose works will be examined.  Then one has to ensure that the context from which works are cited are faithfully treated.  Then one has to assemble all of that material and passage by passage, set it in its proper place.

These are not tasks that a first year Seminarian or graduate student can achieve.  These are skills only acquired over a very long career of technical academic research.  And they are the more admirable for the decades of hard work which always stand behind them.

Manetsch manages to demonstrate mastery here not only of the sources, but an insight into the texts and their contexts and their authors.  All of which allows him to construct a magnificently crafted library.  Because that is what this book is.  It is a library of books written by 16th century theologians on the biblical book called 2 Corinthians.

There are a number of ways to use this book.  First, readers can simply read through it.  This is an extraordinarily helpful and sensible course of action.

Second, readers can consult the author and writings index on page 487 and select their favorite theologian and turn to the pages where those thinkers have their works included.  So, for instance, if you wish to read the selections garnered from Pilgram Marpeck you can do so by visiting pages 38, 180, 279, and 311.  It will take you a bit longer to read the parts Zwingli contributed to the ‘library’ at hand.  And it will take you the most time to read the passages concerning for which Calvin, Hesshus, and Musculus are responsible.  Manetsch seems to admire them most, since he cites them the most.

Original sources and when available English translations of those sources are all listed in the bibliography beginning on page 481.  There is also a very helpful ‘Biographical Sketches of Reformation-Era Figures and Works’ which gives readers a brief overview of the theologians whose works are utilized.

Beginning on page 401 there’s an excellent ‘timeline’ of the Reformation which everyone should take the time to consult.  There’s also a map on page 399.

The volume begins with a very fine introduction to the series by Timothy George, and then an introduction to 2 Corinthians follows by the book’s author (this one, not Paul).

In short, Manetsch has read all these commentaries, picked out the best excerpts, and made them available in one handy place.  Below is a photo of a page simply so that you have an idea of how the volume is laid out and how it ‘works’.

This is an incredible resource.  I’ve been a subscriber to the series since it was first announced and I’m very much looking forward to the volumes to come.  Each is an entire library in one handy, portable, very nice smelling (as are all books) place.  And each, including the present, is simply packed full of learning.

Tolle, lege!

Colossians and Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary

Coming in July-

In the letter to the Colossians, Paul points us to the sufficiency of Christ, urging readers to continue to trust in him. Because Christ is supreme over all, our hope is secure in him. Colossians also shows how the new life that believers have in Jesus is to reflect his character in everyday relationships.

Then in the letter to Philemon, we see the difference the gospel makes in the delicate context of Onesimus’s departure from Philemon.

In this Tyndale Commentary, Alan Thompson shows how both Colossians and Philemon unpack and apply the beauty of the gospel of God’s grace and Christ’s supremacy.

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary

Coming in July-

In this insightful and accessible commentary, Nicholas Perrin explores the many unique pictures of Jesus found in the Gospel of Luke—from being a child in his Father’s house to associating with the poor and disreputable, in communion with the Holy Spirit, and, above all, setting out resolutely for Jerusalem to fulfill God’s plan for the world.

With particular attention to the redemptive-historical storyline and its scriptural roots, Perrin examines how Luke’s Gospel is embedded in human history. He also show how it follows a cyclical narrative structure, with each recapitulation expanding the horizons of what has gone before.

Part of the Tyndale New Testament commentary series, Luke: An Introduction and Commentary examines the text section-by-section—exploring the context in which it was written, providing astute commentary on Luke’s Gospel, and then unpacking the theology. It offers a thorough understanding of the content and structure of Luke, as well as its continued relevance for Christians today.

The Glory of God and Paul

The apostle Paul’s theology of glory has its foundations in the biblical drama of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation, and in the identity of Jesus as revealed in his teachings, life, death, and resurrection.

The triune God, who is intrinsically glorious, graciously and joyfully displays his glory, largely through his creation, human image-bearers, providence, and redemptive acts. God’s people respond by glorifying him. God receives glory and, through uniting his people to Christ, he shares his glory with them—all to his eternal glory.

Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson explore the glory of God in Paul’s letters with regard to the Trinity, salvation, the resurrection, the new covenant, the church, eschatology, and the Christian life. God intends his glory to impact many areas of believers’ lives: their gradual transformation “from glory to glory” (2 Cor 3:18) occurs as they meditate and reflect on the splendor of the Lord.

This provocative monograph centers itself on the notion of the glory of God.  Beginning with ‘A Panorama of God’s Glory’ (a scriptural overview of the concept of God’s glory), and moving on to the ‘Drama of God’s Glory’, The ‘Glory of God and Salvation (Romans), the resurrection (1 Cor 15), the new covenant (2 Cor 3-4), the Church (Ephesians), eschatology (2 Thessalonians 1), systematic theology, and finally, the Glory of God and the Christian life.  It is, briefly, a kind of ‘The Theology of Paul: The Glory of God’.

It would be easy to complain about the inclusion of Ephesians and 2 Thessalonians and 1 Timothy and the other deutero-paulines in a treatment of the theology of Paul (although they would be ok in a theology of Paul and his School).  And it would also be easy to dislike the odd font choice (a sort of settled down comic sans for the section headers).  But those mildly troublesome issues melt away when the actual content of the volume is examined.  And in fact they serve a polemical purpose.  But more on that momentarily.

As to the content of the work, take, for instance, the bold remark on page 64 that ‘Universalism is False’ (Rom 9:14-24).

Although many modern theologians and even a few evangelicals teach universalism, the view that  all human beings will be saved in the end, Scripture does not teach it.

But potential readers ought not imagine that this is a book that cares about the flow of some narrative.  It doesn’t.  Rather, it is a sort of dictionary of Paul’s theology of glory, chopped up into little bits and arranged canonically and thematically.

So, for example, in the chapter called ‘The Glory of God and Systematic Theology’, the phrase Grace and Faith is defined:

God manifests his glory in both grace and faith.

This brief statement is then expanded by the offering of a paragraph about grace and a paragraph about faith.

And so throughout.

Above, I called this work provocative.  I chose that word not because this work will provoke discussion of its method or its theology.  But because it will provoke a sturdy response from its evangelical targets; for, make no mistake, this is a polemical work.  It’s a full frontal attack on the left-ward drift of evangelicalism, as the example of its treatment of ‘universalism’ shows.  As well, the inclusion of the deutero-paulines in a book about the theology of Paul is aimed right at the heart of every theological perspective that isn’t traditionalist.  Indeed, the language throughout is polemical. If readers pay attention, they will quickly pick up on the cues.

The Christian view of God’s oneness jars with paganism (p. 169).

‘Jars with’ is a neat little bit of polemic.  Especially when one realizes that far more neutral terminology is available (like ‘The Christian view of God’s oneness is not something pagans in antiquity could have accepted’).  It intends to force readers to classical Trinitarianism or gross paganism.  A decision must be made.

Again, the bold

Satan is more powerful and intelligent than human beings (p. 119)

is meant to make a very clear, polemical point.  Satan is real.  And if you don’t believe it, you don’t understand Paul at all.

Given its tone, if not its structure and format and typeset, I love this little broadside at the progressive left.  Bravo, Morgan and Peterson, bravo!  Go get ’em!

Calvinism for a Secular Age: A Twenty-First-Century Reading of Abraham Kuyper’s Stone Lectures

Abraham Kuyper, the Dutch Neo-Calvinist theologian, pastor, and politician, was well-known for having declared that there is “not a square inch” of human existence over which Jesus Christ is not its sovereign Lord.

This principle is perhaps best reflected in Kuyper’s writings on Calvinism originally delivered as the Stone Lectures in 1898 at Princeton Theological Seminary. These lectures reflecting on the role of the Christian faith in a variety of social spheres—including religion, politics, science, and art—have become a touchstone for contemporary Reformed theology.

How might the lectures continue to inform the church’s calling in a secular age? In this volume, Jessica Joustra and Robert Joustra bring together theologians, historians, scientists, and others to revisit Kuyper’s original lectures and to critically consider both his ongoing importance and his complex legacy for today.

Discovering Biblical Equality: Biblical, Theological, Cultural, and Practical Perspectives

The conversation about the relationship between women and men and their roles in the Christian life and the church has evolved, but the topic continues to inspire debate and disagreement.

The third edition of this groundbreaking work brings together scholars firmly committed to the authority of Scripture to explore historical, biblical, theological, cultural, and practical aspects of this discussion. This fresh, positive defense of gender equality is at once scholarly and practical, irenic yet spirited, up-to-date, and cognizant of opposing positions. In this edition, readers will find both revised essays and new essays on biblical equality in relation to several issues, including the image of God, the analogy of slavery, same-sex marriage, abortion, domestic abuse, race, and human flourishing.

The table of contents is available at the link above.  I advise potential readers to take a careful look at it so they have a good idea of what they’re getting into.

I also advise potential readers that the present book has appeared in two previous editions, the first of which at least (I can’t find any copies of the second edition) had a quite different subtitle.   The full title of the first edition was ‘Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementarity Without Hierarchy’. I’m glad they changed the subtitle of the book when they added essayists and editors and expanded the treatment.  The previous subtitle was just simply off-putting and to be fair a bit misleading.  The present subtitle is both more accurate and more welcoming.

Yes, dear friend, red flags all around these days with that title.  It had several different editors and was considerably shorter.  I mention those details to point out that the third edition is, for all intents and purposes, a wholly different book.

I also need to mention the fact that this is the sort of book that will provoke all kinds of discussion and disdain from those corners of the internet where books are not read before they are debated and anger is the only criteria for the presumption of competence to comment.  To put it more briefly, this book will provoke lots of rage among those who have never and will never actually read it for themselves.

To be fair, this volume is not altogether convincing and there are parts of it that are just plain wrong.  But there are a lot, and I mean a lot more places where it is right and those with the intelligence and ethics to actually read carefully will be rewarded richly thereby.

The essays in this volume touch on some of the most angrily debated hot button issues of the day.  But they do it with a level of fairness one rarely sees on the right or the left.  Take, for instance, the essay by Ronald Pierce on same sex marriage.  Readers may or may not agree with his conclusions but there is simply no one who is fair minded who can accuse him of being biased or of misrepresenting a view he does not hold.  Indeed, Pierce’s essay is a model of fairly and equitably presenting both sides of an issue without either judgment or hostility to one position or the other.  More people writing on the topic of same sex marriage and homosexuality should be like Pierce.

Other exceptional chapters are penned by Gordon Fee (who is always fantastic), Cynthia Long Westfall (one of the best scholars of our day), Stanley Porter (whose essay titled ‘Gender Equality and the Analogy of Slavery’ should be turned into a book length treatment), and Alice Mathews (who provides perhaps the perfect capstone to the book).

This really is a lovely volume, and it provides much grist for the mill regarding the relations of the sexes, without being sexist, demeaning, or talking down to anyone.  More of these kinds of discussions are sorely needed and people then allowed to adopt a view which they can hold without being condemned for it.

Some will absolutely hate this book.  Without even reading it.  Those who read it may not love it but they will not dislike it, because it is the kindest, fairest, most level-headed multi-essay thematic volume produced on the subject of the Bible and the sexes (and sexuality) in a VERY long time.

Spirituality According to John: Abiding in Christ in the Johannine Writings

The Gospel of John, the epistle of 1 John, and the Apocalypse all begin in the same way: by pointing to the importance of knowing the Word, both written and incarnate. Using an artistic, storytelling approach to spirituality, John relies heavily on readers’ imaginations to help them see what it takes to become disciples by abiding in Jesus.

Rodney Reeves combines exegesis with spiritual reflection to explore how the only biblical writer to employ three different genres presents a consistent vision of Christian spirituality. Rather than focusing on detailed instructions, John uses evocative metaphors and illustrations so that readers can envision how to follow Jesus—as disciples, in community, and even at the end of the world.

Filled with stories and implications for today’s readers, Spirituality According to John provides an accessible introduction to the rich spiritual world of the Johannine literature that makes up much of the New Testament. In John’s era and now, anyone who has ears to hear can learn to truly abide in Christ.

Blech.  I did not like this book at all, and it’s not this book’s fault.  And it’s not because of the unending ‘stream of consciousness’ reading of the Gospel or John, his letters, and Revelation, nor is it the ‘aimed to encourage’ personal anecdotes that festoon every page.  To be sure, those are minor sources of discomfort (and if I’m honest, annoyance).

No, the reason in chief that I did not like this book is because it’s mysticism by another name: ‘spirituality’.  But not the sort of spirituality one encounters in the books of Tozer, for example.  This spirituality, this mysticism is pedestrian, contrived, forced, too sweet, too sugary, too haughty.

In Part One Reeves leads his hapless victims on a sugar coated excursion through bits and pieces of the Gospel of John.  The theme, as he sees it, is ‘Following the Word Home’ and one is to do this by hearing the Word, confessing the Word, Incarnating the Word (!) and abiding in the Word.

Part Two focuses on John’s letters, which he conceives as leading believers to ‘communing with the Word together’.   Part three attempts (and fails) to help readers ‘remain in the Word till the end of the world’ through a fairly woeful reading of Revelation.

There’s a final word and a brief and virtually insubstantial bibliography and an index.

In each and every part there are what can only be described as pure exaggerations.  Take, for instance, this gem from page 199:

Because of John, all of us are seers.

No. We aren’t.  Or this one from page 102:

Because they see, others come to Jesus.  That’s why we will abide together until he comes.

Blerg.  Mysticism.  Blerg.

Mysticism is bothersome because it isn’t based in theology or exegesis, it’s based in feelings.  It is the exaltation of one’s feelings to the level, in many instances, of revelation itself.  Yet your feelings are not divine revelation and they do not equal in power the words of Scripture.  But mysticism pretends that they do.

And in some places Reeves is just simply historically wrong.  For example, on page 121:

Biblical literacy fosters communion.

Really?  Then where did communion come from in the early church, where loads of people were neither biblically literate nor literate at all.  It’s true that biblical literacy is important in our context; but it is false to presume that it fosters communion.  Indeed, lots of folks who are biblically literate share nothing in common and certainly they do not share fellowship.

Personally, I find the act of exegesis far more spiritually satisfying and meaningful than reading anecdotes loosely connected to decontextualized and cherry picked scriptural passages.  Spirituality according to John as the exegesis of John’s own words is a spirituality I can happily embrace.  Mysticism, not so much.

If mysticism is your kind of thing you’ll enjoy this book.  And you should read it.  Because you’ll like it.  I read it.  I didn’t like it.  I could never like it.  Because I prefer scripture as scripture, not as springboard for the feeling of my feels and your feels and our feels in a great orgy of emotional feeliness.

Blech.  It’s just so repulsive.

Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation

Written by scholars with extensive experience teaching in colleges and universities, the Exploring the Bible series has for decades equipped students to study Scripture for themselves.  Exploring the New Testament, Volume Two provides an accessible introduction to the Letters and Revelation. It’s filled with classroom-friendly features such as discussion questions, charts, theological summary sidebars, essay questions, and further reading lists.

I earlier reviewed the companion volume of this work, ‘Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Gospels and Acts.’  As was true of that work, this one too has appeared in previous editions (this is the third).

As such, it will be familiar to some already and to others it is worth introducing.

It consists of

A. Setting the Scene
1. The World of First-Century Christians

B. Paul and His Letters
2. Letters in the New Testament
3. Paul, His Letters and His Life
4. The Letter to the Galatians
5. The Letters to the Thessalonians
6. The ‘First’ Letter to the Corinthians
7. The ‘Second’ Letter to the Corinthians
8. The Letter to the Romans
9. The Letter to the Philippians
10. The Letter to Philemon
11. The Letter to the Colossians
12. The Letter to the Ephesians
13. The Letters to Timothy and Titus
14. Paul—the Missionary Theologian
15. New Testament Letters—Interpretation and Authorship

C. Letters by Other Church Leaders
16. The Letter to the Hebrews
17. The Letter of James
18. The First Letter of Peter
19. The Second Letter of Peter and the Letter of Jude
20. The Letters of John

D. Apocalyptic Literature
21. The Revelation to John

The book isn’t a commentary and it really isn’t an ‘introduction’ in the classical sense of the word in New Testament scholarship, rather it’s a very nice ‘overview’ or ‘reader’s guide’ which helps persons looking at these biblical texts get an overarching idea of what each is about, why it was written, by whom, and when. There are numerous sidebars which aim to invite readers to engage with the text and think further about what it is that they are reading.

The font is a friendly size and the text is laid out in two columns (like a lot of bibles, which I suspect is intentional).  As was the case of its companion volume, there are bibliographies that are too heavily weighted towards the NT Wright school on thought.  The resource could have been much better if a broader spectrum of scholars had been reflected, at least in the bibliography.  Instead, readers will find essentially the same ideas found in the small circle of authors here included.  There is, after all, not much daylight between NT Wright and Scot McKnight and they are referred to frequently.  The general theological Tendenz is what I would call Witherington-ian.

It also can tend towards the ‘folksy’.  I.e., during the discussion of Hebrews and its audience, we find

As in the case of Jerusalem, we have here a collection of circumstantial evidence rather than a knock-down argument.

It’s a rather odd turn of phrase really, especially in an academic work intended for use as a classroom text.  At any rate, isn’t the phrase ‘knock-out’?

Aside from the relatively conservative nature of the work, as frankly one would expect from its publisher, the book is really a very fine addition to the plethora of ‘guides for readers’ that exist for biblical scholarship.  And, in the spirit of fairness, I think it’s fair to repeat here what I said in the review of this work’s companion:

But, as I remember every time I review a book, it’s far too easy to want authors to do what we want instead of appreciating what they did and honoring the decisions that they have made.  If I want a book that suits me in every respect, I need to write it myself.  Otherwise I fall under Kierkegaard’s condemnation of the critic:

Critics are like Eunuchs.  They know what must be done, but they cannot manage to do it themselves.

However, I would nonetheless maintain that if one is looking for an ‘Introduction to the New Testament’ with more critical acumen, then Ray Brown’s ‘An Introduction to the New Testament’ is still the best one can do.  It is unsurpassed both for its thoroughness and its fairness.

Until you have it, this work will do.

Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News

Whenever we reach for our phones or scan a newspaper to get “caught up,” we are being not merely informed but also formed. News consumption can shape our sense of belonging, how we judge the value of our lives, and even how our brains function. Christians mustn’t let the news replace prayer as Hegel envisioned, but neither should we simply discard the daily feed. We need a better understanding of what the news is for and how to read it well.

Jeffrey Bilbro invites readers to take a step back and gain some theological and historical perspective on the nature and very purpose of news. In Reading the Times he reflects on how we pay attention, how we discern the nature of time and history, and how we form communities through what we read and discuss. Drawing on writers from Thoreau and Dante to Merton and Berry, along with activist-journalists such as Frederick Douglass and Dorothy Day, Bilbro offers an alternative vision of the rhythms of life, one in which we understand our times in light of what is timeless. Throughout, he suggests practices to counteract common maladies tied to media consumption in order to cultivate healthier ways of reading and being.

When the news sets itself up as the light of the world, it usurps the role of the living Word. But when it helps us attend together to the work of Christ—down through history and within our daily contexts—it can play a vital part in enabling us to love our neighbors. Reading the Times is a refreshing and humane call to put the news in its place.

Bilbro’s book is a very much needed reminder that the role the ‘news’ plays in our lives may be exaggerated and that as Christians and as consumers of the media, we need to be very aware of the detrimental effect that media can have if we fail to see it as it is, in its proper theological light.

Bilbro walks us through the importance of the things we pay attention to and how those things can distort our perception of reality if we are not careful. He then helpfully reminds us of the differences between kairos and chronos and what happens when we forget those distinctions. Furthermore, he helpfully reminds us that, though this shouldn’t need to be said, it needs to be said; we Christians should use our time wisely. That is, social media, news consumption, and consumption of media in general needs to be properly prioritized. And in the final part of the volume, we are reminded that we are a part of a larger whole; a community.

The work includes a bibliography, a general index, and a scripture index.

This is a book that’s not only enjoyable but helpful, in an authentic way, as a gentle yet pointed re-centering of priorities in this information age of ours. Anyone who uses social media, or consumes cable or network news, or who reads newspapers should take a look at it. Once you pick it up, you’ll not put it down. And at less than two hundred pages, you’ll have it done in a restful weekend.

Christian History in Seven Sentences: A Small Introduction to a Vast Topic

Since the ascension of Jesus and the birth of the church at Pentecost, the followers of Christ have experienced persecution and martyrdom, established orthodoxy and orthopraxy, endured internal division and social upheaval, and sought to proclaim the good news “to the end of the earth.” How can we possibly begin to grasp the complexity of the church’s story?

In this brief volume, historian Jennifer Woodruff Tait provides a primer using seven sentences to introduce readers to the sweeping scope of church history.

How do you summarize the history of Christianity in a book of around 140 pages?  How do you choose which pivotal events to highlight?  What madness would lead a person to even attempt it?   Indeed, even the subtitle of the book, ‘a small introduction to a vast topic’ indicates that the volume is smaller than it should be or even really ever could be.

And yet…

JWT has here provided readers with a 35,000 mile above head birds eye view of a topic that has generated books whose pages number in the millions, with books still coming and which will come till history itself ends that is both readable and sensible and cogent and helpful.

Does she cover everything I or others would?  No.  Does she include materials that I and others would not?  Yes.  And that is precisely why this book, in spite of its brevity, is useful.  She sees things in a way that others will not (as indicated by her choice of the edict of Milan and the Rule of Benedict for inclusion).  And that allows readers a fresh perspective.

The book ‘works’ because JWT tells the story of Christianity through lenses not usually utilized as well as those which are (like Luther’s theses and the Second Vatican Council).  

The volume is comprised of the following:

Introduction
1 The Edict of Milan (313)
2 The Nicene Creed (325)
3 The Rule of St. Benedict (c. 530)
4 The Excommunication of Patriarch Kerularios by Pope Leo IX via Cardinal Humbert (1054)
5 Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses (1517)
6 The Edinburgh Conference (1910)
7 The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)
Conclusion

Each chapter concludes with a nice little listing of recommended readings.  It makes use of endnotes (unfortunately) and it has a quite full general index which, if used, makes the volume far more useful and expansive than the slim table of contents might indicate.

There are the occasional nuggets.  For instance, on page 109 she writes

Two hundred years before, John Calvin had sent missionaries to Latin America.

A fun fact indeed, and one which may not be as widely known as the fact that Calvin wrote the Institutes or that he is eternally associated with ‘predestination’.

JWT’s little book is a big contribution to general knowledge of the history of the Church.  Lay folk will enjoy it a lot, and they will learn a lot from it.  Experts will find it enjoyable even if not educational.  But it wasn’t written for experts anyway.  It suits its intended audience.  Give it a read.  And then give it to someone else to read.

Every Leaf, Line, and Letter: Evangelicals and the Bible from the 1730s to the Present

From its earliest days, Christians in the movement known as evangelicalism have had “a particular regard for the Bible,” to borrow a phrase from David Bebbington, the historian who framed its most influential definition. But this “biblicism” has taken many different forms from the 1730s to the 2020s. How has the eternal Word of God been received across various races, age groups, genders, nations, and eras?

This collection of historical studies focuses on evangelicals’ defining uses—and abuses—of Scripture, from Great Britain to the Global South, from the high pulpit to the Sunday School classroom, from private devotions to public causes.

What an utterly wonderful and wide ranging book this is.   It consists of

Part One: The Eighteenth Century
1. British Exodus, American Empire: Evangelical Preachers and the Biblicisms of Revolution, Kristina Benham
2. Lectio Evangelica: Figural Interpretation and Early Evangelical Bible Reading, Bruce Hindmarsh
3. Faith, Free Will, and Biblical Reasoning in the Thought of Jonathan Edwards and John Erskine, Jonathan Yeager

Part Two: The Nineteenth Century
4. “Young People Are Actually Becoming Accurate Bible Theologians”: Children’s Bible Culture in Early Nineteenth-Century America, K. Elise Leal
5. Missouri, Denmark Vesey, Biblical Proslavery, and a Crisis for Sola Scriptura , Mark A. Noll
6. Josephine Butler’s Mystic Vision and her Love for the Jesus of the Gospels, Mary Riso

Part Three: The Twentieth Century
7. The Bible Crisis of British Evangelicalism in the 1920s, David Bebbington
8. Liberal Evangelicals and the Bible, Timothy Larsen
9. “The Only Way to Stop a Mob”: Francis Grimké’s Biblical Case for Lynching Resistance, Malcolm Foley
10. “As at the beginning”: Charismatic Renewal and the Reanimation of Scripture in Britain and New Zealand in the “long” 1960s, John Maiden

Part Four: Into the Twenty-First Century
11. The American Patriot’s Bible: Evangelicals, the Bible, and American Nationalism, Catherine A. Brekus
12. The Evangelical Christian Mind in History and Global Context, Brian Stanley

Anyone wishing to engage the history of ‘evangelicalism’ (whatever that’s supposed to mean now, it used to mean something substantial in days gone by) will most definitely want to pick up a copy of this or get it from their library.

Following a chronological order, the essays here offered give readers a wonderful view of portions and segments of Christians in America and their handling and mishandling of the Bible.  There were excellent scholars among them and absolute dilettantes and everything in between.  There were mystics and academics and lunatics and racists and freedom lovers and they all used the very same book to make very, very different points.

But these essays are not only of interest historically, several of them are incredibly relevant.  Noll’s on slavery and the Bible is simply masterful.  And Brekus’ on the ‘Patriot’s Bible’ is perhaps the most important historical essay (for American history) that I have read in a very long time.

Thomas Larsen has done what can only be described as a masterful job of assembling a group of contributors who ‘know their stuff’ and can present it brilliantly.

The volume lacks but one thing- a bibliography.  Had it that, it would be as near to perfect as a historical treatment can be.

You should most assuredly read it.  Soon.