Interpretation articles from January 2008

Interpretation archives from January 2008

Editorial.
January 1, 2008... Abraham Heschel observes that "the fundamental experience of the prophet is a fellowship with the feelings of God" (The Prophets, 1962, 26). Heschel's discernments provide an apt introduction to this issue on the "Images of Jeremiah," which...

Jeremiah as a messenger of hope in crisis.
January 1, 2008... Some thirty years ago William L. Holladay, one of the leading historical-critical scholars of our time, made an intriguing case for reading Jeremiah as a "spokesman out of time." While insisting that the prophet was firmly grounded in "a very...

Jeremiah as teacher of Torah.
January 1, 2008... What makes a prophet a prophet? I like to pose this question at the beginning of any class on OT prophecy. Surprisingly, undergraduate students at Marburg as well as graduate students at Yale Divinity School, where I taught from 2003-2006,...

Lamenting back to life.(analysis of the writings of the prophet Jeremiah)
January 1, 2008... When I first began studying the Bible in a master's program, I was required to write a paper on any text I chose from Jeremiah. (1) I read the book from beginning to end in search of an appealing passage. The only ones I liked at the time were...

Interlocutions: the poetics of voice in the figuration of YHWH and his oracular agent, Jeremiah.
January 1, 2008... Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) (1) A book that does not contain its counterbook is considered incomplete. (2) PREFACE The burden of Jeremiah is...

Jeremiah 1:1-10.(Between Text & Sermon)
January 1, 2008... WHILE THERE IS OFTEN A HEALTHY REFLEX not to preach on what seems to be an "obvious" subject in a passage of Scripture, one need not avoid a sermon on vocation from these verses. Douglas Ottati's observation over a decade ago still applies: the...

Jeremiah 5:20-29.(Between Text & Sermon)
January 1, 2008... PREACHERS SEEKING A SINGLE DIRECT MEANING will no doubt be perplexed by this text that invites so many questions and barely hints at answers. Appropriately, Jeremiah's indictment of the house of Judah is framed by two pairs of questions....

Jeremiah 8:18-9:3.(Between Text & Sermon)
January 1, 2008... THE PROBLEM CALLED THEODICY, THAT IS, the question of God's power and love amid great suffering, is a perennial enigma of theology. This lesson from Jer 8:18-9:3, however, inverts the problem of theodicy. Instead of attempting to justify the...

Job.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Job by Samuel E. Balentine Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Smyth & Helwys, Macon, Ga., 2006. 750 pp. $65.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-1-5731-2067-8. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OF THE MAKING OF COMMENTARIES there seems to be no end, and...

The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco, 2006. 250 pp. $24.95. 978-0-078966-4. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AMY-JILL LEVINE HAS WRITTEN an important...

Matthew.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Matthew by Ben Witherington III Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary. Smyth & Helwys, Macon, Ga., 2006. 568 pp. $60.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-1-57312-076-0. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN THIS HISTORICAL-CRITICAL commentary, Ben Witherington...

Colossians and Philemon.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Colossians and Philemon by Robert McL. Wilson International Critical Commentary. T & T Clark, London, 2005. $100.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-567-04471-6. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS VOLUME REPLACES THE time-honored commentaries on...

Transforming Spirituality: Integrating Theology and Psychology.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Transforming Spirituality: Integrating Theology and Psychology by F. LeRon Shults and Steven J. Sandage Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2006. 300 pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-2823-6. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CAN ONE TRANSFORM...

Who Owns the Bible? Toward the Recovery of a Christian Hermeneutic.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Who Owns the Bible? Toward the Recovery of a Christian Hermeneutic by Karl Paul Donfried Crossroad, New York, 2006. 176 pp. $20.00. ISBN 978-0-8245-2390-9. KARL DONFRIED'S LATEST book is a lament for the sorry state of biblical...

1 & 2 Kings.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... 1 & 2 Kings by Peter Leithart Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible. Brazos, Grand Rapids, 2006. 304 pp. $29.99. ISBN 978-1-58743-125-8. THIS COMMENTARY ON the books of Kings by Peter Leithart is part of the Brazos...

The Book of Proverbs in Social and Theological Context.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Book of Proverbs in Social and Theological Context by Katharine J. Dell Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006. 225 pp. $85.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-521-63305-5. KATHARINE DELL CONSIDERS three major issues in this lucid...

Ethical Dimensions of the Prophets.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Ethical Dimensions of the Prophets by Joseph Jensen Michael Glazier/Liturgical, Collegeville, 2006. 203 pp. $24.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-5983-0. JOSEPH JENSEN, BEST KNOWN for his important studies on the book of Isaiah, has written a...

The Way According to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of Luke-Acts.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Way According to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of Luke-Acts by Paul Borgman Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 404 pp. $21.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-2936-8. IN THIS VOLUME, Paul Borgman demonstrates his skill as a careful reader of...

John.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... John by Gail R. O'Day and Susan E. Hylen Westminster Bible Companion. Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2006. 205 pp. $24.95. ISBN 978-0-664-25260-1. GAIL O'DAY AND SUSAN HYLEN conclude this volume of the Westminster Bible...

Entertaining Angels: Early Christian Hospitality in its Mediterranean Setting.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Entertaining Angels: Early Christian Hospitality in its Mediterranean Setting by Andrew E. Arterbury New Testament Monographs. Sheffield Phoenix, Sheffield, 2005. 227 pp. $90.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-1-905048-21-2. WHILE THE ULTIMATE...

Death and the Afterlife in the New Testament.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Death and the Afterlife in the New Testament by Jaime Clark-Soles T & T Clark, Continuum, New York, 2006. 161 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978-0-567-02912-6. THE TITLE OF THIS VOLUME misleads, for it discusses death and the afterlife in only...

Saved From Sacrifice: A Theology of the Cross.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Saved From Sacrifice: A Theology of the Cross by S. Mark Heim Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 329 pp. $24.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-3215-3. FOLLOWING A BRIEF REVIEW of the current crisis in atonement theology, Mark Heim's argument...

The Scandalous God: The Use and Abuse of the Cross.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Scandalous God: The Use and Abuse of the Cross by Vitor Westhelle Fortress, Minneapolis, 2006. 180 pp. $22.00. ISBN 978-0-800603895-5. IN THIS VOLUME, Vitor Westhelle, Professor of Systematic Theology at the Lutheran School of...

Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 3: Sin and Salvation in Christ by Herman Bavinck Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2006. 685 pp. $49.99 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-8010-2656-0. HERMAN BAVINCK'S FOUR-volume study in dogmatics, only now appearing in...

Christian Ethics and the Moral Psychologies.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Christian Ethics and the Moral Psychologies by Don S. Browning Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 244 pp. $30.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-3171-2. DON BROWNING'S BOOK addresses the the relationship between Christian ethics and psychological...

Genetics and Christian Ethics.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Genetics and Christian Ethics by Celia Deane-Drummond Cambridge University Press, New York, 2006. 281 pp. $29.99. ISBN 978-0-521-53637-0. CHRISTIAN ETHICISTS, pastors, and laypeople are justified in seeking theological resources...

The Will to Arise: Theological and Political Themes in African Christianity and the Renewal of Faith and Identity.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Will to Arise: Theological and Political Themes in African Christianity and the Renewal of Faith and Identity by Caleb Oluremi Oladipo Peter Lang, New York, 2006. 240 pp. $32.95. ISBN 978-0-8024-6389-6. THIS BOOK FOCUSES ON THE...

Korean American Evangelicals: New Models for Civic Life.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Korean American Evangelicals: New Models for Civic Life by Elaine Howard Ecklund Oxford University Press, New York, 2006. 222 pp. $45.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-1953-0549-4. ON THE SURFACE, THIS fascinating study is a contextually rich...

Living the Sermon on the Mount: A Practical Hope for Grace and Deliverance.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Living the Sermon on the Mount: A Practical Hope for Grace and Deliverance by Glen H. Stassen Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2006. 222 pp. $21.95 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-7879-7736-8. IN THIS DELIGHTFUL BOOK, Glen Stassen, an ethicist at...

Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Christ.(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Christ by Mark Yaconelli Youth Specialties, El Cajon, Cal., 2006. 251 pp. $21.99. ISBN 978-0-310-26777-5. NO, YOUR EYES DO NOT deceive you. In perhaps the unlikeliest...

Like Fire in the Bones: Looking for the Prophetic Word in Jeremiah.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Like Fire in the Bones: Looking for the Prophetic Word in Jeremiah by Walter Brueggemann Fortress, Minneapolis, 2006. 255 pp. $35.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-8006-3561-9. Walter Brueggemann breathes life into the ancient words of the...

Interfaces.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Interfaces edited by Barbara Green By focusing on indepth analysis of specific biblical characters, this series offers an alternative to commentaries on biblical books. Each volume is designed for a unique exploration of scriptural...

Jeremiah: Preacher of Grace, Poet of Truth.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Jeremiah: Preacher of Grace, Poet of Truth by Carol Dempsey Interfaces. Michael Glazier, Collegeville, 2006. 124 pp. $14.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-5985-4.

Four Times Peter: Portrayals of Peter in the Four Gospels and at Philippi.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Four Times Peter: Portrayals of Peter in the Four Gospels and at Philippi by Richard J. Cassidy Interfaces. Michael Glazier, Collegeville, 2006. 154 pp. $14.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-5178-0.

"As Those Who Are Taught": The Interpretation of Isaiah from the LXX to the SBL.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... "As Those Who Are Taught": The Interpretation of Isaiah from the LXX to the SBL edited by Claire Mathews McGinnis and Patricia K. Tull Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 342 pp. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-103-2. In 1990,...

Hearing the Old Testament in the New Testament.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Hearing the Old Testament in the New Testament edited by Stanley E. Porter Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 342 pp. $29.00. ISBN 978-1-58983-109-2. How did NT authors make rhetorical use of OT texts? Are our interpretations of these...

New Currents through John: A Global Perspective.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... New Currents Through John: A Global Perspective edited by Francisco Lozado, Jr. and Tom Thatcher Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 248 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-201-5. In 1957, John A. T. Robinson delivered a...

Rereading Paul Together: Protestant and Catholic Perspectives on Justification.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Rereading Paul Together: Protestant and Catholic Perspectives on Justification edited by David E. Aune Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2006. 270 pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-2840-3. This series of essays from a 2002 colloquium at the...

1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... 1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary by Ben Witherington III Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 286 pp. $30.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-2836-1. Ben Witherington explores the ways in which Paul may have used the Greco-Roman...

The Reality of Apocalypse: Rhetoric and Politics in the Book of Revelation.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Reality of Apocalypse: Rhetoric and Politics in the Book of Revelation edited by David L. Barr Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 248 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-218-3. The fruit of over a decade of scholarly...

Engaging the Bible: Critical Readings from Contemporary Women.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Engaging the Bible: Critical Readings from Contemporary Women edited by Choi Hee An and Katheryn Pfisterer Darr Fortress, Minneapolis, 2006. 360 pp. $29.99. ISBN 978-0-8006-3565-7. Christian churches face increasingly diverse...

Presidential Voices: The Society of Biblical Literature in the Twentieth Century.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Presidential Voices: The Society of Biblical Literature in the Twentieth Century edited by Harold W. Attridge and James C. VanderKam Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 342 pp. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-259-6. This...

Resurrection: The Origin and Future of a Biblical Doctrine.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Resurrection: The Origin and Future of a Biblical Doctrine edited by James H. Charlesworth with C. D. Elledge, J. L. Crenshaw, H. Boers, and W. W. Willis, Jr. Faith and Scholarship Colloquies. T & T Clark, New York, 2006. 250 pp....

The Historical Jesus in Context.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Historical Jesus in Context edited by Amy-Jill Levine, Dale C. Allison, Jr., and John Dominic Crossan Princeton Readings in Religions. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2006. 320 pp. $20.00. ISBN 978-0-691-00992-6. Over...

For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology edited by James K. Beilby Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2006. 270 pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-2766-6. The commonalities and the conflicts between philosophy...

Atonement and Violence: A Theological Conversation.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Atonement and Violence: A Theological Conversation edited by John Sanders Abingdon, Nashville, 2006. 170 pp. $22.00. ISBN 978-0-6873-4294-5. How is it that Jesus the Christ saves? No theological concept is more controversial within...

Repentance in Christian Theology.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Repentance in Christian Theology edited by Mark J. Boda and Gordon T. Smith Michael Glazier, Collegeville, 2006. 425 pp. $39.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-5175-9. Biblical, theological, and historical scholars survey the interpretation,...

New England Theology: From Jonathan Edwards to Edwards Amasa Park.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... New England Theology: From Jonathan Edwards to Edwards Amasa Park edited by Douglas A. Sweeney and Allen C. Guelzo Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2006. 320 pp. $29.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-2709-3. A collection of sermons from Jonathan...

The Doctrine of God and Theological Ethics.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Doctrine of God and Theological Ethics edited by Allan J. Torrance and Michael Banner T & T Clark, New York, 2006. 342 pp. $61.41. ISBN 978-0-567-08461-3. Christian doctrine and ethical praxis are inextricably connected. This...

Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue, Second Edition.(Book Notes)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue, Second Edition by Robert K. Johnston Engaging Culture Series, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2006. 385 pp. $19.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-3187-8. While there are continuities between the...