Interpretation articles from April 2009

Interpretation archives from April 2009

Guest editorial.(John Calvin's 500th birthday)(Guest editorial)
April 1, 2009... This issue of Interpretation celebrates John Calvin's 500th birthday. The French exile who became the powerful reformer of Geneva could hardly have imagined his influence on the shape of Western culture and history--in forms of political and...

Oracles, visions, and oral tradition: Calvin on the foundation of Scripture.(John Calvin)(Critical essay)
April 1, 2009... John Calvin claims that the foundation of Scripture is the oracles and visions revealed to the patriarchs, transmitted through countless generations by an oral tradition that faithfully preserved these oracles. The oral tradition of...

Calvin and praying for "all people who dwell on earth".(John Calvin)(Critical essay)
April 1, 2009... John Calvin's teaching that Christians should pray "for all people who dwell on earth" is based on his interpretation of 1 Tim 2:1-2 and related to the Lord's Prayer. It is also illustrated clearly in his daily practice of leading...

Calvin as biblical interpreter among the ancient philosophers.(John Calvin)(Critical essay)
April 1, 2009... God providentially guided the ancient classical authors into the perception of truths and the unmasking of errors. Even the errors they never caught are instructive. For Calvin, the only proper response to this rich intellectual...

From Erasmus to Calvin: exploring the roots of Reformed hermeneutics.(Desiderius Erasmus and John Calvin)(Critical essay)
April 1, 2009... Calvin's debt to the church reformers who preceded him both inside and outside the reform movements of the sixteenth century has not been sufficiently understood or appreciated. The humanistic methods of interpreting and teaching...

Between text & sermon: Genesis 9:8-17.(the deluge)
April 1, 2009... God gave Noah de Rainbow sign, Don't you see? God gave Noah de Rainbow sign, No more water but fire next time, Better get a home in dat rock, Don't you see? --African-American spiritual Somewhere over the rainbow...

Psalm 114.(Critical essay)
April 1, 2009... PSALM 114 IS CONCISE, VIVID, AND TIGHTLY STRUCTURED. Falling into the category of "hymn" or praise of God, its intention is reflected in its single imperative: "Tremble, O earth" (v. 7). By implication, this imperative is also directed at those...

James 1:17-27.(Critical essay)
April 1, 2009... OVER THE PAST FORTY YEARS, I HAVE HAD many interesting conversations with my father-in-law who is 102 years old. Much of the time his mind seems cloudy and out of focus, but every now and then the clouds dissipate and his mind sharpens. Since...

Matthew 1-7: A Commentary.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Matthew 1-7: A Commentary by Ulrich Luz Hermeneia, Fortress, Minneapolis, 2007. 432 pp.$75.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-8006-6099-4. THIS NEW RELEASE COMPLETES the Hermeneia edition (three volumes) of Ulrich Luz's critically...

Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus by Klyne Snodgrass Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. 846 pp. $50.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-8028-4241-1. AT THE TITLE SUGGESTS, the book is a "comprehensive guide,"...

Mark.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Mark by R. Alan Culpepper Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Smyth & Helwys, Macon, Ga., 2007. 622 pp. $60.00(cloth). ISBN 978-1-57312-077-7. R. ALAN CULPEPPER, a premier Johannine scholar, turns his exegetical skills to the...

Acts.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Acts by J. Bradley Chance Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Smyth & Helwys, Macon, Ga., 2007. 562 pp. $60.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-1-57312-080-7. OVER THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AGO in an article in Interpretation, Paul Minear expressed a...

Judges: A Commentary.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Judges: A Commentary by Susan Niditch Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2008. 290 pp. $45.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-664-22096-9. DRAWING UPON HER considerable expertise in folklore studies, Susan Niditch examines the "multilayered...

The Early Monarchy in Israel: The Tenth Century B.C.E.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... The Early Monarchy in Israel: The Tenth Century B.C.E. by Walter Dietrich, translated by Joachim Vette Biblical Encyclopedia. Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2007. 396 pp. $47.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-263-3. THIS BOOK BY...

The Destiny of the Righteous in the Psalms.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... The Destiny of the Righteous in the Psalms by Jerome F. D. Creach Chalice, St. Louis, 2008. 168 pp. $21.99. ISBN 978-0-8272-0634-2. JEROME CREACH IS Professor of Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, a member of the...

God's Land on Loan: Israel, Palestine, and the World.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... God's Land on Loan: Israel, Palestine, and the World by W. Eugene March Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2007. 131 pp. $19.95. ISBN 978-0-664-23151-4. THIS BOOK BY EUGENE March presents a biblical theology of land that...

Jesus and the Peasants.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Jesus and the Peasants by Douglas E. Oakman Cascade, Eugene, Ore., 2008. 336 pp. $38.00. ISBN 978-1-976752-275-5. THIS COLLECTION OF ESSAYS is a valuable addition to the reference library of pastors, preachers, Bible teachers, or...

Ephesians and Colossians.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Ephesians and Colossians by Charles H. Talbert Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament. Baker, Grand Rapids, 2007. 296 pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-3128-1. THIS IS THE FIRST OF eighteen projected commentaries in a series edited...

We Preach Not Ourselves: Paul on Proclamation.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... We Preach Not Ourselves: Paul on Proclamation by Michael P. Knowles Brazos, Grand Rapids, 2008. 256 pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-1-58743-3211-8. MICHAEL KNOWLES MERGES the horizons of homiletics and NT interpretation in a study intended...

Paul, Judaism, and the Gentiles: Beyond the New Perspective.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Paul, Judaism, and the Gentiles: Beyond the New Perspective by Francis Watson Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2007. 416 pp. $32.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-4020-2. THE FIRST EDITION OF Francis Watson's Paul, Judaism, and the Gentiles (Cambridge...

The Nature of Biblical Criticism.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... The Nature of Biblical Criticism by John Barton Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2007. 206 pp. $24.95. ISBN 978-0-664-22587-2. JOHN BARTON OF OXFORD University has written a defense of biblical criticism in response to various...

Biblical Theology: Issues, Methods, and Themes.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Biblical Theology: Issues, Methods, and Themes by James K. Mead Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2007. 328 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978-0-664-22972-6. BIBLICAL THEOLOGY remains a vital issue for pastors and academics who wish to...

Imagining Theology: Women, Writing, and God.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Imagining Theology: Women, Writing, and God by Heather Walton T & T Clark International, London, 2007. 152 pp. $110.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-567-03173-0. LITERARY WORKS BY MEN have often been studied for their theological...

Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Theology.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Alone in the World? Human Uniqueness in Science and Theology by J. Wentzel van Huyssteen Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 365 pp. $40.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-3246-7. IN HIS GIFFORD LECTURES (Edinburgh, 2004), Wentzel van Huyssteen,...

Social Selves and Political Reform: Five Visions in Contemporary Ethics.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Social Selves and Political Reform: Five Visions in Contemporary Ethics by C. Melissa Snarr T & T Clark, New York, 2007. 134 pp. $125.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-567-02603-3. MELISSA SNARR PROVIDES a skillful and perceptive...

Knowing Truth, Doing Good: Engaging New Testament Ethics.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Knowing Truth, Doing Good: Engaging New Testament Ethics by Russell Pregeant Fortress, Minneapolis, 2008. 388 pp. $29.00. ISBN 978-0-8006-3846-7. AWARE THAT CHRISTIANS often find themselves deeply divided over how the Bible should...

The Future of Faith in American Politics: The Public Witness of the Evangelical Center.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... The Future of Faith in American Politics: The Public Witness of the Evangelical Center by David P. Gushee Baylor University Press, Waco, Tex., 2008. 335 pp. $24.95. ISBN 978-1-60258-071-8. OBSERVERS OF THE ROLE of religion in the...

Thumpin' It: The Use and Abuse of the Bible in Today's Presidential Politics.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Thumpin' It: The Use and Abuse of the Bible in Today's Presidential Politics by Jacques Berlinerblau Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2008. 190 pp. $16.95. ISBN 978-0-664-23173-6. "THE BIBLE IS BACK," writes Jacques...

The Church: Signs of the Spirit and Signs of the Times. The Christian Story--A Pastoral Systematics, Vol. 5.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... The Church: Signs of the Spirit and Signs of the Times. The Christian Story--A Pastoral Systematics, Vol. 5 by Gabriel Fackre Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2007. 185 pp. $22.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-3392-1. THIS IS THE FIFTH volume in...

God's Ambassadors: a History of the Christian Clergy in America.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... God's Ambassadors: a History of the Christian Clergy in America by E. Brooks Holifield Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2007. 356 pp. $30.00. ISBN 978-8028-0381-8. THIS VOLUME IS A masterful achievement. As if looking through a...

The Church In the Shadow of the Mosque: Christians and Muslims in the World of Islam.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... The Church In the Shadow of the Mosque: Christians And Muslims In The World Of Islam by Sidney H. Griffith Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2008. 220 pp. $35.00. ISBN 978-0-691-13015-6. AFTER MORE THAN thirty years of...

Roman House Churches for Today: A Practical Guide for Small Groups.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Roman House Churches for Today: A Practical Guide for Small Groups by Reta Halteman Finger Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2007. 206 pp. $15.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-0764-9. IN THIS CASE, THE SUBTITLE of the book is important: "a practical...

Thinking Theologically: The Preacher as Theologian.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Thinking Theologically: The Preacher as Theologian by Ronald J. Allen Fortress Minneapolis, 2008. 96 pp. $12.00. ISBN 978-0-8006-6232-5. IN THIS CONCISE, ACCESSIBLE contribution to the Elements of Preaching Series, Ronald Allen...

Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: A Guide.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: A Guide by Gail O'Day and Charles Hackett Abingdon, Nashville, 2007. 161 pp. $17.00. ISBN 978-0-687-64624-1. IN THE OPENING PAGES of this book, NT scholar Gail O'Day and liturgical historian...

Teaching Preaching: Isaac Rufus Clark and Black Sacred Rhetoric.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Teaching Preaching: Isaac Rufus Clark and Black Sacred Rhetoric by Katie Geneva Cannon Continuum, New York, 2007. 184 pp. $16.95. ISBN 987-0-8264-2897-4. KATIE CANNON, PROFESSOR of Christian Ethics at Union-PSCE, sets down in book...

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, Vol. 1, Advent through Transfiguration.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, Vol. 1, Advent through Transfiguration by David Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2008. 471 pp. $39.95. ISBN 978-0-664-23096-8....

A Guide to Preaching and Leading Worship.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... A Guide to Preaching and Leading Worship by William H. Willimon Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2007. 103 pp. $17.95. ISBN 978-0-664-23257-3. IF AN INTRODUCTORY workshop on worship could be put into print, it might read like A...

A City Upon a Hill: How Sermons Changed the Course of American History.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... A City Upon a Hill: How Sermons Changed the Course of American History by Larry Witham HarperOne, New York, 2007. 318 pp. $24.95. ISBN 978-0-06-085427-0. THE HISTORY OF THE United States has been marked by a paradoxical...

Hospitality and the Other: Pentecost, Christian Practices and the Neighbor.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Hospitality and the Other: Pentecost, Christian Practices and the Neighbor by Amos Yong Orbis, Maryknoll, N.Y, 2008. 169 pp. $25.00. ISBN 978-1-57075-772-3. THIS BOOK TACKLES THE nagging issue of distinctions arising from...

God Against Religion: Rethinking Christian Theology through Worship.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... God Against Religion: Rethinking Christian Theology through Worship Matthew Myer Boulton Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. 260 pp. $28.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-2972-6. IN A BROAD AND INSIGHTFUL monograph, Matthew Boulton advocates the...

Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music by Jeremy S. Begbie Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2007. 412 pp. $22.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-2695-9. IN THIS VOLUME, Jeremy Begbie focuses on the theological implications of...

Do This in Remembrance of Me: A Ritual Approach to Reformed Eucharistic Theology.(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Do This in Remembrance of Me: A Ritual Approach to Reformed Eucharistic Theology by Martha L. Moore-Keish Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. 192 pp. $20.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-6244-0. IT CAN BE A GREAT PLEASURE to watch a theologian's...

John Calvin: A Pilgrim's Life.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... John Calvin: A Pilgrim's Life by Herman J. Selderhuis InterVarsity, Downers Grove, III., 2009. 304 pp. $25.00. ISBN 978-0-8308-2921-7. This biography aims to present John Calvin as a whole person rather than merely as a theologian...

Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers by Michael J. Gorman Hendrickson, Peabody, Mass., 2009. 286 pp. $19.95. ISBN 978-1-59856-311-5. First published in 2001, this widely used guide provides...

Between Experience and Interpretation: Engaging the Writings of the New Testament.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Between Experience and Interpretation: Engaging the Writings of the New Testament edited by Mary F. Foskett and O. Wesley Allen Jr. Abingdon, Nashville, 2008. 262 pp. $28.00. ISBN 978-0-687-64739-2. Eleven essays, written in honor...

In the Shadow of Empire: Reclaiming the Bible as a History of Faithful Resistance.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... In the Shadow of Empire: Reclaiming the Bible as a History of Faithful Resistance edited by Richard A. Horsley Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2008. 199 pp. $24.95. ISBN 978-0-664-23232-0. The Bible developed against the...

Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage edited by Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Richard B. Hays Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. 359 pp. $28.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-2471-4. In this sequel to The Art of Reading Scripture (Eerdmans,...

Sharper Than a Two-Edged Sword: Preaching, Teaching, and Living the Bible.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Sharper Than a Two-Edged Sword: Preaching, Teaching, and Living the Bible edited by Michael Root and James J. Buckley Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. 103 pp. $16.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-6271-6. In collected papers that were delivered at...

Teaching Preaching as a Christian Practice: A New Approach to Homiletical Pedagogy.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Teaching Preaching as a Christian Practice: A New Approach to Homiletical Pedagogy edited by Thomas G. Long and Leonora Tubbs Tisdale Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2008. 239 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978-0-664-23254-2. Fourteen...

Exploring Ecological Hermeneutics.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Exploring Ecological Hermeneutics edited by Norman C. Habel and Peter Trudinger Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2008. 183 pp. $24.95. ISBN 978-158983346-3. This collection of essays on the emerging field of ecological...

From Midterms to Ministry: Practical Theologians on Pastoral Beginnings.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... From Midterms to Ministry: Practical Theologians on Pastoral Beginnings edited by Allan Hugh Cole Jr. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. 348 pp. $24.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-4002-8. Twenty-five distinguished ministers, scholars, and...

Torture is a Moral Issue: Christians, Jews, Muslims, and People of Conscience Speak Out.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Torture is a Moral Issue: Christians, Jews, Muslims, and People of Conscience Speak Out edited by George Hunsinger Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2008. 272 pp. $26.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-6029-3. Two dozen scholars, activists, military...

Christianity and Law: An Introduction.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Christianity and Law: An Introduction edited by John Witte, Jr. and Frank S. Alexander Cambridge University Press, 2008. 343 pp. $29.99. ISBN 978-0-521-69749-1. In this introduction, seventeen scholars explore the main legal...

A History of Presbyterian Missions: 1944-2007.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... A History of Presbyterian Missions: 1944-2007 edited by Scott W. Sunquist and Caroline N. Becker Geneva, Louisville, 2008. 390 pp. $34.95. ISBN 978-0-664-50300-0. This collection of interpretive essays addresses the breadth and...

Medieval Christianity, A People's History of Christianity, Vol. 4.(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2009... Medieval Christianity, A People's History of Christianity, Vol. 4. edited by Daniel E. Bornstein Fortress, Minneapolis, 2009. 409 pp. $35.00. ISBN 978-0-8006-3414-8. This volume of A People's History of Christianity explores the...