Archive | Books Some notable publications, old and new.
» See the introductory post if this series is new to you. » Special thanks go to Dr. Elliott and to Paternoster’s European Journal of Theology for permission to represent the reviews that first appeared in 2003 (on SHS 1 through 3) and 2008 (on SHS 4 through 8). Where I have some evaluative comments of my [...]
By M. Elliott, 6 June 2008
» See the introductory post if this series is new to you. » Special thanks go to Dr. Elliott and to Paternoster’s European Journal of Theology for permission to represent the reviews that first appeared in 2003 (on SHS 1 through 3) and 2008 (on SHS 4 through 8). Where I have some evaluative comments of my [...]
By M. Elliott, 23 May 2008
» See the introductory post if this series is new to you. » Special thanks go to Dr. Elliott and to Paternoster’s European Journal of Theology for permission to represent the reviews that first appeared in 2003 (on SHS 1 through 3) and 2008 (on SHS 4 through 8). Where I have some evaluative comments of my [...]
By M. Elliott, 9 May 2008
John Webster writes on the clarity of Scripture with special attention in the small-print section to Luther, Zwingli and especially Bullinger... Rusty Reno shows how the patristic-era exegetes like Origen and Chrystostom did not feel they had to explain scripture and draw out abstract lessons from it. This is a very worthwhile and stimulating paper... There is a wise point [via Al Wolters] learned from Theodore ‘that the use of figurative language does not somehow compromise the ability to tell the truth about historical states of affairs.’(284) There is also the possibility of multiple fulfilments of prophecy. This is a nice study in the history of exegesis... By the way, why does Scobie in quoting George Herbert put [sic] after ‘the constellation of the storie [sic]’? Does he think that Herbert didn’t know to spell?
By P. Sumpter, 29 April 2008
"If exegesis is to be nothing more than giving an account of the meaning of a writer–of what he himself meant by what he said–then no doubt the conventional explanation of the story of Jesus’ temptation as an objective appearance and activity of Satan is the only true one, for in their account Matthew and Luke appear to have nothing more in mind."
By M. Elliott, 25 April 2008
Here Alvin Plantinga takes on Robert Gordon; van Inwagen lines up against Colin Greene and Joel Green, and there is an essay by William Alston that seems appended to that phase of the book. There are two ‘Catholic’ contributions from Mary Healy and Peter Williamson. Re-thinking history is what goes on in the next six essays, while the last four-Möller, Seitz, Neil MacDonald and Stephen Wright seem a little more miscellaneous.
By P. Sumpter, 21 April 2008
Brevard Childs has often been accused of “flattening the text,” i.e seeking literary unity where there is none for the sake of sticking with the text’s final form. However, it is clear as one reads his 1974 Exodus commentary that nothing could be farther than the truth... In what, then, does the "integrity" of the final form consist, if not in its literary structure, and why is this so important to Childs?
By M. Elliott, 11 April 2008
It is perhaps fitting that in this volume most of the best moments come when the orchestra and its other soloists quieten down and allow the pianist to respond in this concerto... O’Donovan is just the right polymath theologian to draw out the best from his sparring-partners.
By M. Elliott, 5 April 2008
The importance and value of speech-act theory is the main theme of the second volume... In his introduction Bartholomew strongly hinted that the Wolterstorff-Hesse interaction was the heartbeat of the book... Thiselton thinks that we must as biblical exegetes move beyond explanation to understanding and beyond significance to application... Vanhoozer has spelled out how the communicative act mediates between the word and the deed... His is by far the strongest essay in the collection so far. Two other chapters are especially worthy of attention in this strong set of essays. First, Stephen I Wright’s interaction with Stephen Prickett who has observed that in the C20 miracle has been turned into parable and parable into universal truths... Second, for Neil B. MacDonald, meaning did not dislodge from that of the story to a historical referent during the Enlightenment as Hans Frei claimed.
By M. Elliott, 28 March 2008
Neil Macdonald’s intriguing point is that ‘events’ are bigger than author’s intentions.... Stephen Wright deals helpfully with the question of the bible’s imperfection.... Also positive is Trevor Hart’s essay on Imagination.... the most successful of the ‘conversations’ in Book One.... Chris Seitz [contributes] an essay that is less about interpretation and more about the nature of Scripture and the tragedy of Anglican biblical interpretation.... Colin Greene['s essay] is more than a little diffuse, and reads as though by someone who is very new to Lessing and Pannenberg....
By M. Elliott, 20 June 2008
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