The following books have been reviewed in the following file (please do a text search, no links added, late submissions follow the table).
Reviewer: Poppy Arford
Date: 5/26/06
Thompson, William D. Preaching Biblically: Exegesis and Interpretation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1981) 251 T379p [Poppy Arford]
At the time his book was published, William Thompson occupied a teaching chair at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. It is therefore no surprise that he starts out by informing us that the book is “designed primarily for use in the seminary classroom”. He adds that it will also be useful for the “practicing preacher whose background in homiletics is spotty or out of date, or whose preaching needs strengthening” (p. 7). The targeted audience is broad then, including the student, as well as the practiced, preaching population. Regarding the purpose of the book, Thompson tells us that “To preach biblically, preachers have always needed to know how to understand and interpret the Bible”. He believes that a single text in which “principles and techniques of biblical exegesis and of biblical interpretation are brought together specifically for the preacher with a view to incorporating the outcome of that study in a sermon" is missing from our seminary bookshelves. The purpose of his book, Thompson states, “is to provide just that help”(p. 12-13).
Preaching Biblically is a very well organized and intelligently structured 127-page text. Thompson uses a six-chapter format followed by a well ordered and generous reference section to deliver this book to us. The text is relatively brief, yet comprehensive enough to read like a very good “how to manual” on exegetical and interpretive sermon construction. Presenting the material in instructional form allows for the reader to be taken through Thompson’s discussion on exegesis, interpretation, methology, a case study, and biblical genres in an easy to read and comprehend manner.
In the “Notes” section Thompson provides a listing of over sixty references that he has quoted from or mentioned in the book. There were a few authors such as Calvin, Keck, and Tillich that I was familiar with. Much of the textual evidence is presented by Thompson to assist in the explanation and elaboration of his thesis that “biblical preaching occurs when listeners are enabled to see how their world, like the biblical world, is addressed by the word of God and are enabled to respond to that word” (p.10).
Thompson’s discussion of genres was very helpful in solidifying my own understanding of how “the literary form of the biblical text profoundly influences it’s interpretation” (p. 81). Thompson asks us to consider as we engage in the process of interpreting biblical text; what theological function the form or genre of the text performs at that particular place. The final chapter is devoted exclusively to a very good discussion of what Thompson considers the traditional categories of biblical genre including: law, history, poetry, wisdom literature, gospels, epistles and apocalyptic.
I really liked this book. My own library was in sore need of such a helpful and reader friendly instructional text on how to preach from the bible, so I purchased a copy for myself. I thoroughly enjoy it’s manual like read and will undoubtedly refer to it many times during my seminary training and beyond. I recommend it for anyone wishing to gain a greater understanding of and competency in the process of exegetical study, interpretation and sermon design.
Reviewer: Sarah Pringle-Lewis
Date: 10.05.06
Wurthwein, Ernst: The Text of the Old Testament (New York:The Macmillan Company, 1957). 221.44W952t
Ernst Wurthwein was at the time of this publication Professor of Old Testament in Marburg, Germany. The book was published in 1957 by the Macmillian Company in New York as an authorized translation Der Text des Alten Testaments, originally published in 1952, by permission of the Privilegierte Wurttembergische Bibelanstalt, in Stuttgart. It was written as an introduction to Kittel-Kahle's Biblia Hebraica.
The book is divided into four Chapters and includes forty illustrative plates.The four sections are Transmission of the Text in the Original Language, Translations from the Original Language, The Remaining Translations and Textual Criticism. The Chapter on Textual criticism was not in the original work and is a later addition.
The book is written for those students who have a fair knowledge of Biblical Hebrew who wish to avail themselves of the wealth of material provided in Kittel's Biblica Hebraic. It is to serve as an aid in uncovering the most reliable interpretation of the text.
In Chapter II the author undertakes the discussion of Translations from the Original Language and begins a discussion of the Septuagint as a witness to the Old Testament text. He carefully examines the Letter of Aristeas,the origin and history of the Septuagint up to the second century CE, the later Greek translations such as Aquila, Symmachu, and Theodotion, moves from there to Origen's Hexapla and follows with other recensions of the text. All this before discussing Lagarde's methodology or Kahle's thesis on it development. He is thorough in the extreme.
Although almost fifty years old, the scholarship exhibited by Wurthwein is timeless. His attention to detail make a subject that could be dusty, come alive.
Reviewer: Timoth Sylvia
Date: 04-26-06
Hayes, John H. and Carl R. Holladay, Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner's Handbook (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982)Timoth Sylvia
At the time of this book's writing, John Hayes was Professor of Old Testament at Candler School of Theology, Emory University and Carl Holladay was the Associate Professor of New Testament at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. The book was published in 1982 by John Knox Press of Atlanta. A fairly basic, nuts and bolts type book, it was written for the beginner (as stated in the title), perhaps a student or budding pastor just beginning her/his exegetical work.
Each of the chapters in the book takes on a different exegetical tool from Textual Criticism and Form Criticism to chapters devoted to helping the reader integrate these tools. Many layers of text are touched on throughout the chapters such as genre, function, structure, style and more.
This book, as a beginner's resource, has a lengthy bibliography at the end of each chapter. Through the in-chapter citations and these bibliographies the reader would be equipped with a large amount of resources for further study on any of the topics discussed in the various chapters.
As each chapter unfolds it sheds light on a particular process of exegesis. In the chapter on grammatical criticism, an example is used from Genesis. It is said that for someone to take on this type of criticism, a generous knowledge and ability of the English grammer is necessary. Depending on the individual questions of syntax and grammer, the meaning of a particular verse or text can differ. This problem is shown in an example from Genesis. The RSV has "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The authors point to a possible alternative translation of "When God began to create" as evidence that the grammer itself is a large deciding factor in the understanding of the passage.
As a beginner resource I found this book quite helpful, if not for the actual content of the chapters but for the vast amount of resources that are shared within the pages. So not only is it helpful to have this book on my shelves, but the long lists within the book itself of other resources proves to be quite handy as well.
Reviewer: Zareen
Date: 4/24/2006
Tuckett, Christopher, Reading the New Testament, Methods of Interpretation,First Fortress Press, 1987
"Christopher Tuckett is a lecturer in new Testament Studies at the University of Manchester. he is the editor of The Messianic Secret (Fortress Press, 1983)."
This book consists of 187 pages with eleven chapters . The chapters have about ten to twenty pages in each. Genre, Form, Source, Redaction as Textural Critism are written about.
Things like "conversation now means verbal commitment, 17th C meant "all conduct" " (43). The author describes how word usage varies as one would expect with different translations.He writes of the Mishnah (AD 200) "evidence accepted as valid for the time of Jesus" (61). He describes the gospel writers as "scissors and paste editors" (117)! Form critism "Sitz im Leben" shows correlation between the way in which the unit of tradition is told, it's form and the type of situation where it is being used (95). Gospel parallels are shown in the source criticism chapters as Q reference is given (80). The author says there is more interest in the New Testament thatn in other texts of the same time period (11). He describes canonizing well (173) -- those who place gospels next to each otehr as Pastorals alongside Romans..
The author says that Greek of the New Testament should be interpreted as 1st Century Greek not classical Greek (185). "dikaiosone" or "righteousness" used in Paul's Romans 3.21 relating more to Hebrew "tsadaqual" (Is. 46.13)than own Christian usage of righteousness -- more as "God's" intervention to rescue Israel.
The book was good. I would suggest it. I learned from it.
Reviewer: Adam Egan
Date:
Bultmann, Rudolf and Karl Kundsin. Form Criticism: Two Essays on New Testament Research (United States: First Harper Torchbook, 1962.
This book is two separate essays. Rudolf Bultmann authored the first essay, The Study of the Synoptic Gospels. Rudolf Bultmann is one of the most influential theologians and biblical scholars of the twentieth century. Known for his erudite contributions to both disciplines, he synthesized his wide-ranging efforts into a unified and provocative theological vision. He is perhaps best remembered for his call to demythologize the New Testament so that the Christian Gospel might be separated from its mythological trappings. Yet, a thumbnail sketch of demythologization often fails to appreciate Bultmann’s positive intent. Bultmann’s project is best seen as plotting out a middle course between nineteenth-century German theological liberalism and Karl Barth’s subsequent critique of that movement. Bultmann wanted, with Barth, to proclaim the saving act of God in Christ, yet without providing unnecessary stumbling blocks to the modern listener (www.people.bu.edu). Bultmann’s essay is part of a larger work, Die Erforshung der Synoptischen Evangelien (second, enlarged and improved edition, 1930). Not much biographical information on Karl Kundsin can be found in the text, outside sources are rare as well. Karl Kundsin is the Professor of Riga. Kundsin’s essay, printed in 1929, was second in the series, Erforschung, initiated by Bultmann. These essays describe Form Criticism by definition, principles, and how one should use Form Criticism in studying the New Testament.
Form Criticism: Two Essays on New Testament Research is two essays written by two separate authors. Although the book contains two separate essays, the book is separated into 18 chapters. Chapters 1-7 make up the first essay, The Study of the Synoptic Gospels, while chapters 8-18 make up the second essay, Primitive Christianity in the Light of Gospel Research. This text used is the Harper Torchbooks edition, which is updated from the original text and includes an updated forward by Rudolf Bultmann.
Karl Kundsin’s essay discuses how understanding and interpreting the Gospels as sources, not just stories, can help to establish a clearer picture of who Jesus was and what life was like in the early Church
Chapter 10 discusses The Doctrine of the Son of Man. The Synoptic Gospels use the term ‘Son of Man’ about 37 times, mostly from the mouth of Jesus himself. Using the Scriptures as a source one realizes that in some cases Jesus and the ‘Son of Man’ are compared or seen as separates. Example, Mark 8:38, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man also shall be ashamed of him, when cometh in the glory of his Gather with the holy angels..” “A careful examination of the ‘Son of Man sayings’ shows that at a certain point, apart from the Resurrection experiences there would naturally have been no such faith – the conviction arose and began its course: Jesus himself is the Son of Man. It was himself and none other who he had designated by this cryptic expression” (Kundsin, 97).
Despite being over 70 years old, this text remains relevant today. Form Criticism of the New Testament has not changed much if one compares this text to a modern equivalent. This is an English translation and easy to read. Bultmann’s introduction explains clearly what Form Criticism is and how one can use this method. Both essays make clear points to make sure one is using the method correctly. Bultmann focuses on the history of resources and research while Kundsin ties this information into the history of Christianity and the early church. Bultmann, still today, is referenced as a prominent figure in the methodology of Form Criticism. Anyone who is looking for an easy reading introduction to Form Criticism would benefit from reading this text.
Reviewer: Zareen
Date: 04/18/2006
Phipps, William E., The Sexuality of Jesus, Cleveland, Ohio, Pilgrim Press, 1996
William E. Phipps was a teacher at the College of Davis and Elkins. He has written several books on Jesus such as Was Jesus Married? The Distortion of Sexuality in the Christian Tradition.
There are six chapters that make up this book. Celibacy, Women and Magdalene, as Sexuality in general fill the chapters.
This book was a series of questions asked by the author of great interest. Ranging from was Jesus married to could Mary have not been of menstruating age yet when she conceived Jesus? That 10% of the population of this time of Jesus survived only until their 45th birthday as was Jesus homosexual? Why was not Jesus' adolescence discussed in the Bible? Augustine's seeing sex as sin and Chrysostum, a great leader in the Greek Orthodox Church, praising Mary Magdalene and seeing Jesus as the divine bridegroom. The author thought the Jesus probably married as an adult. He believes sexuality became distorted in the Christian tradition. The author gave various examples of Jesus marrying in other cultures ie. Japan. That ovulation was not even discovered until 1827. That at the Rresurrection scene when Mary sees Jesus the gardene outside the tomb he says, "do not hug me" (he says in greek translation) more because He has not risen and is in the prcess rather than dislike nor that He has not had relations with her. The author has much discussion about the Virgin Mary versus Mary Magdalene and the two schools of thought as examples in society as culture by now: the good, the bad and noindiffernt! Mostly the book involves Jesus and that His humaneness existed though His divinity is known. As why the rampant years of sexuality (adolescence) are missing from The Book. (2, 25, 163, 157)
How woman and wife in Greek are the same word is mentioned more than once in this book. That the example of Jesus' Resurrection is made of this word "gune" being interchangeable with "wife" for Jesus and Mary according to the author. The question of whether Jesus renounced His sexuality for the upcoming doomsday as Paul was thought to have done, by many. That jews historically had to have sex on the Sabbath and how did this effect Jesus as a restriction? The word "agape" for "love" does not usually apply to sexuality and it is (as another) really the only word for "love" the author says(?) in the Bible. Sad to note the honesty of the author when he refers to the Apostles Creed as "smothering the sage of Nazareth though said week after week". (193, 12)
The book was truly exciting. As great New York Time people say, "rivetting". I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it as when I put it down! I highly suggest it.
Reviewer: Ezra M. Chapola
Date: 4/11/06
McKnight V. Edgar, What is Form Criticism? (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969). 225.4 M218 Wc.2 [Ezra M.Chapola]
Edgar V. McKnight is a professor of Religion at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. This book is targeting the theological students who are interested in studying and understanding the original forms in which the gospels were circulating.
The book has four major sections out of which he has developed his argument. The following are the major points he has raised. -The origins of Form Criticism -The discipline applied by Dibelius and Bultmann. -Early scholarly evaluation and use of form criticism. Form criticism amd the current quest for historical Jesus.
Edgar defined and described form criticism by developing the that Martin Dibelious and Rudolf Bultmann had used when appliying form criticism on the gospels and some books of the Old Testament. he used the tools that Gunkel used in order to describe the forms and source in which the gospels were circulatin. He has given a historical background of form criticism, and explained why scholars were interested in finding the forms in which the gospels circulated.
Edgar has given a number of examples by explaining what he calls a 'controversial dialogue' and a 'scholastic dialogue'. A controversial dialogue is defined as moments when Jesus Christ heals someone and people were against it, like the healing of the weathered hand by Jesus Christ on the sabbath in Mark 3:1-6. Whilst the scholastic dialogue always comes up when the master has been asked to a question by someone seeking knowledge, for example the question concerning the chief commandment in Mark 12:28-34. The other forms are the proverbs, the prophetic and apocalyptic sayings, and laws and community regulations. Examples of the proverbs are:"for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt 12:34). Proverbs can also exist in a form of a question form: "And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?"(Matt 6:27).The prophetic and apocalyptic sayings are those sayings in which Jesus prockaimed the arrival of the reign of God and preahed the call to repentance, promising salvation for those who were prepared and threatening woes upon the unrepentant. Examples are: "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; reoent, and believe in the gospel"(Mark 1:15). Eamples regarding the law and jewish piety and regualtions of the early comminity are: "there is nothing outside a man which by doing into him cam defile him"(Mark 7:15). "Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:4).
Edgar has done agood job in this book by explaining and giving tangible examples of what form critism is all about, and what lead scholars to venture inot this business of Form criticism. The book is very interesting to read even though it is now regarded as an old book. I beleive somewhere out there we have latest information on this topic than the one containing in this book.
Reviewer: Michael Kasevich
Date: 4/10/2006
Stuart,Douglas K.:Old Testament Exegesis:A Primor for Students and Pastors(Philadelphia: WestminsterPress,1984). 221.6St91o1984
Dr. Stuart is Professor of Old Testament at the Gordan-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. He has been there for the last twenty eight years. Dr. Stuart graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and in 1971 he received his PhD. from Harvard University in Near Eastern Language and Literature. He attended seminary at Yale. Dr. Stuart was a minister at Boston’s historic Park Street church while attending graduate school. Stuart is the senior Pastor of First Church Congregational of Boxford, Massachusetts. He also has a seat as chair of the local Christian school, Boxford Academy. Dr. Stuart has written eleven books, including Old Testament Exegesis: A Primer for Students and Pastors, and How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, which has been translated into twenty different languages. Dr. Stuart is ordained in the Conservative Baptist Association of America. As of 1999, when the article I received this information from was written, Stuart and his wife Gayle lived in Boxford, Massachusetts.
Dr. Stuart’s book is comprised of four sections or chapters: Chapter one: Guide for Full Exegesis. This includes topics such as, Text, Translation. Historical Context, Literary context, Form, Structure, Grammatical Data, Lexical Data, Biblical Context, Theology, Secondary Literature, Applications and Moving from Outline to Paper. Chapter two: Exegesis and the Original text. This chapter deals with looking at the original text. The topic discuss here are: Text, Translation, Historical Context, Literary Context, Form, Structure, Grammatical Data, Lexical Data, Biblical context, Theology, Secondary Literature, and Application. As we can see the outline is very similar to the first chapter. Chapter three: Short Guide for Sermon Exegesis. This chapter is based on the application of student and Pastor use. The topics are: Text and Translation, Literary-Historical Context, Form and Structure, Grammatical and Lexical Data, Biblical and Theology Context, Application and Moving from Exegesis to Sermon. Her we see a more condensed and combined chapter. It does allow the student or Pastor to work through a weekly exegesis with a condensed form. Chapter four and final; chapter is : Exegesis Aids and Resources. This chapter has many different topics, yet it is full of information about how to receive information. The topics run as such: Textual criticism, Translation, History, Literary Analysis, Form, Structure, Grammar, Lexical analysis, Biblical Context, Theology, Second Literature, and Applications. In the end of his book Dr. Stuart places a list of the authors in which further information may be obtained. He also lists scripture passages that will assist in the topic of exegesis.
Dr. Stuart has written a “how- to” book. By following the prescribe steps one may select which style of exegetical method they choose to use and are able to complete their given task by following along with the outlines laid out in the text.
Dr. Stuart writes in chapter three, Short Guide for Sermon Exegesis, topic six, Application (page 83): paragraph (a): List the Life issues in the passage. Make a list of possible life issues that are mentioned explicitly, referred to implicitly, or logically to be inferred from the passage. There may be only one or two of these, or there may be several. Be inclusive at first. Later you can eliminate those which, upon reflection, you judge to be less significant or irrelevant.
After reading this book by Dr. Stuart my expectations of an exegesis was enlightened. The task of writing and researching alone in a sea of books, theories and unknown uncharted waters had a complexity to it that was non-understandable to me. I found the text of the book easy to follow. It reminded me of a cook book or a motorcycle repair manual. All one has to do is follow the instructions provided in the text and an exegesis is easy as baking brownies or changing push rods in a panhead. Dr. Stuart is a teacher / Pastor and his concerns are about students and Pastors. The writing in his book brings these themes about as one reads the selected chapter’s ala carte for the specific purpose they are intended for. I found this book valuable in other areas in my seminary studies along with my position as a student Pastor.
Reviewer: Lynn Briggs
Date: 4/7/06
Metzger, Bruce M., Ehrman, Bart D.: The Text of The New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration (New York: Oxford University Press,Inc., 2005).
Bruce Metzger wrote the original version of this book that was first published in 1964. The version I read is the fourth edition, and also the most current. Bart D. Ehrman collaborated with Metzger on this work. Metzger is the current dean of New Testament textual criticism and Professor Emeritus of New Testament Language and Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary, and Ehrman chairs the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The purpose of this work is to supply the student with information concerning textual criticism. Specifically, it addresses the making and transmission of ancient manuscripts,descriptions of the most important witnesses to the New Testament text, and the history of the textual criticism of the New Testament in terms of the succession of printed editions of the Greek Testament. Equally important in my opinion is the emphases in the modern usage of computers and its importance to the collection and evaluation of manuscript evidence in modern textual criticism. Clearly, the authors intend this work to be helpful to students interested in The New Testament.
Metzger and Ehrman structured this book into three parts. The first deals with "The Materials For The Textual Criticism Of The New Testament." Within this section, the making of books in Antiquity and important witnesses to the text of the New Testament are explored in great detail. The second section deals with "The History Of New Testament Textual Criticism As Reflected In Printed Editions Of The Greek Testament." Within this section two periods are examined: the precritical period (which dealt with the importance of the Textus Receptus), and the modern period which leads up through the present and the overthrow of the Textus Receptus. The third section of this book explores "The Application Of Textual Criticism To The Text Of The New Testament." This section dealt with several things including, the origins of textual criticism as a scholarly discipline, modern methods of textual criticim (included was information on the majority text, methods of determining family relationships among manuscripts, and the use of computers in collection, storage, and presentation of data), the causes of error in the transmission of the text of the New Testament, history of the transmission of the text of the New Testament, and finally the practice of New Testament textual criticism.
I was amazed at the evidence highlighted for use in this book. The list would go on, and on, and on. Every Greek text known to humankind is an option, not to mention writings of the Patristic Fathers, Latin versions, variant readings. Again, if it is known to humankind, Metzger finds it useful and even more importantly, thoroughly explains for the student how and when it can be useful. Perhaps the most helpful way to describe the evidence described by Metzger is to quote the book itself. He states, "Let it be emphasized that there is no single manuscript and no one group of manuscripts that the textual critic may follow mechanically. All known witnesses of the New Testament are to a greater or lesser extent mixed texts, and even several of the earliest manuscripts are not free from egregious errors. Although in very many cases the textual critic is able to ascertain without residual doubt which reading must have stood in the original, there are not a few other cases where only a tentative decision can be reached, based on an equivocal balancing of probablilities. Occasionally, none of the variant readings will commend itself as original, and one will be compelled either to choose the reading that is judged to be the least unsatisfactory or to indulge in conjectural emendation. In textual criticism, as in other areas of historical research, one must seek not only to learn what can be known but also to become aware of what, because of conflicting witnesses,cannot be known." (p. 343)
This book dealt far more with how the scholar becomes a textual critic and what we use to do it than it did with particular examples of Biblical interpretation. However, in the section that dealt with the causes for error transmissions there were a few examples given of variant text readings. The most comical was a scribal judgment error mentioned concerning the fourteenth-century Codex 109. In this manuscript the Scribe must not have understood that the geneology text from Luke's gospel was written in two columns of 28 lines each. Instead of transcribing the text using the columns, the scribe compied the geneology going completely across the page, thus causing the geneology to be very different than it should be. In this variant reading the phrase "Adam, the son of God" is no longer the ending to the text as it should be. Instead, God is said to be the son of Aram and the source of the whole race is not God but Phares! The Codex is housed today in the British Library. (p. 259)
This book was what I would call a "heavy" read. It was densely packed with valuable information, an extremely thorough work. Yes, I enjoyed it a great deal because I learned so much. However, the reader needs to be aware that the material is very densely packed, so one needs to be in a state in which you can really concentrate to absorb the material. This is not a book you want to sit and read in an evening. It takes some time to wade through. It is very helpful and well worth it to the New Testament student though, and I would even recommend it to certain members of a congregation who may have an interest in this area.
Reviewer: Alice Lester
Date: 04/04/06
Fee, Gordon D. ; New Testament exegesis: A handbook for students and pastors (Louiville,Kentucky Press, 1993)
Gordon D. Fee is Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. He received his BA and his MA from Seattle Pacific University and his PhD from University of southern California. In addition to writing New Testament Exegesis: a Handbook for Students and Pastors, he has written a number of other books including, commentaries on 1 Corinthians and Philippians and the Pastoral Epistles. His other books include Listening to the Spirit in the Text, God's Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul
Looking over New Testament Exegesis: a Handbook for Students and Pastors, it is easy to see why Fee called it a Handbook. Fee set up the structure very simply. There are only 4 major chapters or divisions but don’t make the mistake of not reading the introduction and reading over the Analytical Table of content. The first is very important for cross referencing and in the introduction Fee sets the groundwork by explaining what an exegesis is and by giving the reader other necessary background. He explains things like the different genre of the Gospels, Epistles, Acts and Revelation. The major divisions consist of I Guide for Full Exegesis, II Exegesis and the Original Text, III Short Guide for Sermon Exegesis and IV Aids and Resources for the Steps in Exegesis.
In the first chapter Fee begins by creating a simple diagram of the steps needed to do an exegesis. He divides it by those steps that are done for all studies and those done for each genre. He divides the genre as follows: Gospels, Acts, Epistles and Revelation. The last diagram is the steps used to complete an exegesis. Fee has given the reader a step by step guide to doing an exegesis, an extremely simplified guide. In the remainder of this chapter he goes into more detailed explanation of what needs to be done. Throughout chapter I Fee refers to certain sections of Chapter II. The reason he is doing this is because chapter II contains detailed explanations of how to accomplish certain steps in the exegesis. In Chapter III Fee speaks to the pastors, who have learned to do exegesis for longer more detailed and time consuming papers, and shows them how to take that information and apply it to the preparation of the weekly sermon. The final chapter is a bibliography of aids that is divided using the steps for doing an exegesis.
As an example of how Fee works with the different steps in chapter I and uses the more detailed aids in chapter II lets look at pg 40, Step 5 Establish the text. Fee explains, “The first concern of the interpreter of any ancient text is the textual one. What words did the author use, and in what order? The science that seeks to recover the original form of a hand produced document is called textual criticism, which is a very technical and complex field of study.” At the beginning of step 5 Fee refers the reader to chapter II.2 page 81 which gives an even more detailed explanation of how to establish the text and a list of resources to help.
For a book of a little less than 200 pages, I found it to be a wealth of information and direction. Along with a class like we are taking it will go a long way to help any student to prepare an exegesis. Even without a class it would be of great value to someone studying the Bible or having to write an exegesis. I feel it would be a good addition to any pastors or Biblical students library.
Reviewer: Roxanne Bredenberg
Date: 4/2/06
Egger, Wilhelm: How to Read The New Testament (Peabody,MA/Hendrickson Publishers Inc, 1996)Translation from German to English: Hendrickus Boers
Egger, Wilhelm. Bishop is a Roman Catholic Bishop in Italy, who has written several books and articles. Hendrikus Boers is a NT professor at Emory University.
The book is very logically set up into headings, subheading, etc. It looks like a high school grammar book. There are 29 diagrams; some of them show models (such as the 2 source theory). In this way, it could be a resource book for a researcher. It is very left-brained and visual in its aqpproach to theory. The bibliography consists mostly German and French resources.
The Book is divided into: (Intro- do not skip Boer's explanations)1. Textual Theory 2. Preparatory Steps in Analysis 3. Synchronic Reading 4. Diachronic Reading 5. Reading Historically 6. Reading Hermaneutically.
page 108- a chart showing use of the word "apostle" in Acts 1:21-22, MK 6:7, 30 and Lk 6:13, 1 Cor 9:1 and 1 Cor15:8, Phil 2:22. This chart is title "SEMANTIC FEATURES OF "APOSTLE".
This is not "NT for Dummies". The technical language (and lack of explanation at times)can be mind-numbing. If I were to write a thesis using diachronic (and to a lesser extent, synchronic) methods, this would be a good book for my shelf. If that day ever comes, Ihope to be smart enough to understand it all.
Reviewer: Tom Grogan
Date: April 2,2006
Hayes, J., H., Holladay, C., R., Biblical Exegesis: A Beginners Handbook, Atlanta, GA, John Knox Press, 1987, Call# 220.6, H327b
John H. Hayes is an Old Testament Professor at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is the author of numerous works on the Bible and is editor of the Know Preaching Guides. Carl Holladay is a New Testament Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is the author of various studies of the Bible.
This work is divided into twelve chapters beginning with a nice introduction to exegesis. Chapters two through ten in turn take on a specific approach to exegetical analysis, from textual criticism to canonical criticism. Chapter eleven pulls the very different approaches together and acts almost as a second introduction. It focuses on understanding how various approaches work together. Finally chapter twelve provides an overview of the different ways that biblical exegesis is used. Chapters two through ten each have a similar structure. Each chapter begins with a description of the approach it is describing. This is followed by an example of the approach and then an explanation of why this approach is helpful in analyzing the particular test. The authors then describe how one would go about employing this approach, suggesting specific tools to use. Finally each chapter ends with a last bit of advice or a warning, usually something to keep in mind when employing the particular approach.
Each chapter ends with an extensive bibliography divided into at least three sections; General, Old Testament (method specific), New Testament (method specific). Evidence cited through this work represent all parts of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. Interestingly, examples are also drawn from non-biblical sources illustrating the generic nature of the exegetical process.
The following example is taken from page 67 in chapter four, Grammatical Criticism: The Language of the Text. “A similar exegetical problem is presented in the opening verses of Genesis, which the RSV renders ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The alternative translation, ‘When God began to create,’ is possible because of a different assessment of the grammatical evidence. As before, the other translations point to the same exegetical problem. To resolve such questions, we must inevitable deal with the grammar and syntax of the passage. This becomes evident when one consults critical commentaries on the passage where the various options are outlined and discussed. Eventually, it may be necessary to consult standard grammars of the Hebrew and Greek language, (Hayes & Holladay 1987 64).”
This book provided me with a succinct definition of more methods of exegesis than I realized existed and it did so in a way that was both approachable and scholarly. It helped me to contextualize a good deal of what I have already learned about the exegesis process and confirmed that while I may have much to learn, I have already learned good deal. Two examples of things that I particularly enjoyed about this work are the following. On page 23 there is a discussion about the importance of understanding our relationship to the text we are working on, pointing out the fact that we will never know all that there is to know about a particular text. By asking questions and evaluating the data we uncover we can come to a certain “understanding a text” but we cannot expect ourselves to “establishing the meaning of a text”. This distinction was helpful for me to read. It helps me to remember that we are not working toward perfection in understanding a text we need only be in relationship with the text. The second example is from page 84 in which the authors discuss, not unlike our discussion in class, the importance of “form” in everyday exegesis. Reading this helped make the point for me that the professor was making. That by understanding the form a text takes we can better understand the context in which the text exists and thus, better understand the text. I very much enjoyed reading this book. I’m not sure if it would have been more helpful to read it before attempting any exegesis or whether it would have made it more confusing, probably more confusing. What I can say is that I’m glad I have read it and I will purchase it.
Reviewer: Tim Hall
Date: April 1, 2006
Tuckett, Christopher M.: Reading the New Testament: Methods of Interpretation (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987). BTS call: 225.6 T799r; UMaine (URSUS) call: BS 2331 T83 1987.
Christopher Tuckett is Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford. Other works by Professor Tuckett include Christology and the New Testament (2001), Luke (1996), Q and the History of Early Christianity (1996), and The Revival of the Griesbach Hypothesis (1983). Source: The nature of new testament theology. (n.d.). Retrieved Apr. 01, 2006, from http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/book.asp?ref=1405111747
Tuckett has written this book as an introduction to methods of critical scholarship regarding the study of New Testament texts (p. 1). After providing some background information on the history of scripture and cannon (pp. 5 – 19), Tuckett explains “textural criticism” as an attempt to recover the original form of scripture text from the many “altered” texts we have available to us today in ancient manuscripts (p. 21). Because New Testament texts come from a particular point within history, and are therefore open to historical investigation, Tuckett focuses on the historical-critical method (p. 41). Background problems that must be solved during this investigation method include language, speaker identity, culture, linguistics, surrounding cultures, religions (and surrounding religions), historical dates and facts, and outside sources (pp. 42 – 51). Additional challenges in investigating scripture in the historical-critical method include historical, cultural, or geographical contexts, authorship, asciption and pseudonymous writings, and historical reliability (pp 53 – 66). Having set the introduction and background to New Testament issues, Tuckett explores several methodologies within the historical-critical method, inlcuding Genre (pp. 68 – 76), Source Criticism (pp. 78 – 93), Form Criticism (pp. 95 – 114), and Redaction Criticism ( 116 – 134). He also includes some discussion newer methods that utilize Sociology to gain insight into New Testament texts, including the use of sociological explanations and models (pp. 136 – 148). Beyond the historical-critical method, Tuckett explains structuralistic approaches to New Testament study, including the study of word order within texts and the structure of texts themselves (using, for instance, actantial models (p. 156)) (pp. 151 – 165). Other approaches to critical scholarship explained by Tuckett include Canonical Criticism (pp. 168 – 174), and Literary Criticism (pp. 174 – 181). Some paraphrased definitions from Tuckett’s book are included here: Genre: A “context of expectation” – F. Kermode (p. 75) Source Criticism: A branch of study which seeks to identify earlier traditions in a writer’s text. (p. 78) Form Criticism: An attempt to illuminate the way in which the traditons about Jesus were used in the period before the production of written sources. (p. 95) Redaction Criticism: The work of adapting the traditions that were available to an evangelist. (p. 117) Canonical Criticism: Recognition that the canon provides not only a text but also a con-text in which individual texts should be interpreted. (p. 169) Literary Criticism: An argument that a literary text can have multiple meanings, and that concentration on the author’s original meaning unjustly limits the understanding of the text. (pp. 174 – 175). Tuckett concludes with a general defense of historical-critical methods, arguing that they must not be overlooked in any serious analysis of New Testament texts. In the author’s words, “ . . . we cannot make a total divorce between ‘what a text meant’ and ‘what it means’.”
Tuckett’s book is carefully and thoroughly referenced, with notes following each chapter. There are suggestions for further reading at the end of the book arranged by each book chapter. Throughout the book, Tuckett cites scripture beyond the example texts (Mark 3: 1-6 and parallels) to illustrate the various critical methods.
Tuckett uses one particular bible story (Mark 3: 1 -6 and parallels) throughout his book to illustrate analysis methods: the story of the man with the withered hand. For example, Tuckett points out that several manuscripts of Mark 3:1 read that Jesus entered the synagogue, while others read that Jesus entered a synagogue or “went to synagogue.” Which interpretation is right depends on several factors (p. 37). Tuckett also uses this story to explain differences in the context of meaning. When Jesus argues with others over whether the healing constitutes illegal “work” on the sabbath, it could be a legal “lifesaving” defense, or it could be a polemical assertion of rights in light of Jesus’ status (p. 63). Tuckett uses the story in his explanation of source-critical study to explain an support the two-source theory (p. 90 – 93). The story is again studied from a form-critical point of view and is classified as a paradigm or pronouncement story rather than as a miricle (p. 113). In a redaction-criticism study, differences in the perspective of Mark and Matthew are explored, and are compared to the source “Q” (pp. 131 – 134). Finally, the structure of the story is explored and charted in the context of structuralism (pp. 163 – 164).
Tuckett’s book is fairly easy to read despite idioms that are clearly British. His use of the Mark 3 story throughout the book is helpful in understanding the methods he explained. I appreciated the introductory chapters on canon and scripture. Tuckett took some time to classify New Testament manuscripts in three groups: Alexandrian, Wester,, and Byzantine, but seemed to quickly drop any mention of those groups in his discussion of critical scholarship. I would recommend this as an introductory text for studying exegetical methods.
Reviewer: Audrey Naese
Date: March 22, 2006
Beardslee, William A. Literary Criticism of the New Testament (Philadelphia:Fortress Press, 1970). 225.6B38Ic.1 [Audrey Naese].
William A. Beardslee was Professor and Chairman of the Department ofReligion at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia at the time the book was published. Beardslee, a New Testament Scholar, writes from a Process Theologian’s belief that past events combine to produce the present. Literary Criticism of the New Testament is the first of a series of books on literary criticism, form criticism, and redaction criticism. The forward of the book by Dan O. Via, Jr. describes the book is written for “the interested layman.”
The book is a collection of essays written which tell the “religious functions of the narrative form.” Beardslee arranges these essays in chapters that describe literary criticism, tells the form of the synoptic Gospels, and how the use of proverbs play an important role, along with the history of the form from Hellenistic and Hebraic writings. The book of Revelation with its symbols and vision is explained. The book ends by explaining how literary criticism shows how imagination, creativity, and mythic power can connect to our contemporary concerns.
With Beardlee’s description of how the Gospel of Luke and Acts was written, the reader sees how in Luke the writer, although writing in Greek, uses the themes from former writings which are from a Hebraic style. The writer develops his own style of writing in Acts. He leaves the style of writing in a historical form and tells a story of the community. The writer is removed as a direct character in the story “but his stories with legendary elements show his intention of viewing the power of the self in relation to the overarching power of God.”
Besides the history the writer included in Acts, the story also tells the story of how the church finds its structure and how Paul’s mission brings the church to others. The structure of this narrative consists of Paul’s journey and a succession of escapes that can be found in 9:23-23; 14:5-7, 19-23; 16:19-40; 17:5-10, 13-14; 18:12-17; 19:23-41. This structure of escapes is also shown with the stories included of Peter and his escapes.
In conclusion, I have found the book, its references, and its insights an important book for me. In it I have found a new way of seeing how the Gospels, Acts, and Revelation were written that includes a way of involving my imagination to explore how the past can be brought into our world. I thought the book may be a little intense for “the interested layperson.” The most significant and valuable part of my reading this book is the references the author includes to other books and essays that have drawn my attention and sparked my interest to read more.
Reviewer: Timothy Ireland
Date: 03/20/06
Fee, Gordon D. New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors(Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002)225.6,F32n 2002[Timothy Ireland]
Fee wrote this third edition prior to 2002 to improve upon his first two editions. He understood that a revised edition was called for, not because the basis elements or methods of exegesis have changed, but because much else has happened in ten years (XVII). Because his books are written as a guide for students and pastors, as the title so nicely points out, he wanted to supply them with the most updated resource possible.
This book is structured not as a book would be structured, but as the title suggests, as a handbook. This handbook is structured in four chapters, which can be used as a step-by-step guide to methodically working your way through the exegesis process.
The author first starts out by giving you a 15 step guide for full exegesis (p. 6-7). He believes that a good exegesis, is the happy combination-or careful integration-of all data into a readable presentation. The aim of such a presentation is not originality or uniqueness, but as close and approximation of the author’s original intention as careful investigation can bring us. The schematic gives you and overview of the process (p.5&8).
In Section II.2, Establishing the Text, the author teaches you some basic concepts about New Testament textual criticism. He lets us begin with the variants in John 3:15 in the Nestle-Aland text (p.62). He explains variant and variant units and also the four different kinds of variants we might encounter as we go through the exegetical process. Ending with the goal of textual criticism is to determine which reading at any point of variation is most likely the original text, and which reading are the errors (p. 61).
I enjoyed reading this book although it was a little confusing at times because as you read, the author continually keeps referring to different steps along the way. So you would have to either back up or go ahead to understand what point he was trying to make. But I found with my limited knowledge of the exegetical process that the 15 step guide which the author supplied, to be very beneficial. I have to work on a sermon each month for the church I attend so this book has been an excellent resource for me. This book should be read prior to taking this Exegetical Methods class. For all the students or pastors looking to improve their Exegesis skills, this is an important resource.
Reviewer: Mark E. Woodsum
Date: 19 March 06
Fee, Gordon D. New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.)
Being a relative, well actually a complete, novice to exegetical studies, in fact to theological studies in general, I did not know Gordon D. Fee from Tiger Woods prior to this assignment. However, after a little research before selecting a book to review, it became abundantly clear to me that Mr. Fee is “The Man” when it comes to exegetical methodology. Apparently, he has both figuratively and literally written the book on the topic. A professor of New Testament at Regent College, Vancouver, Canada, his book “New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors” is a terrific resource for anyone, lay person, seminarian student, or pastor, requiring a guide to the process of exegesis. Though much has been written in the thirteen years since the initial publication (I am reviewing the third edition published in 2002), it is still considered to be the standard against which other books in this field are judged and, I assume, must have been a break through publication when first published. Mr. Fee welcomes us with a quote from Karl Barth - “So listen to my piece of advice: exegesis, exegesis, and yet more exegesis!” However, you do not have to be Karl Barth to understand this book. In fact, Mr Fee has made it very accessible to the non-scholar, while giving even a seasoned pastor a wonderful handbook to be used for research, teaching, and the Sunday sermon.
After an excellent introduction (in fact, at the beginning of Chapter 1 Mr. Fee explicitly reminds us not to skip the introduction!), the book is structured in four parts as follows: Chapter 1: Guide for Full Exegesis This chapter, as are most of the others, is basically organized in outline form, first providing the initial steps for all genres, naming the major exegetical steps that must be performed and then providing additional detailed information and guidance at each step along the way. He then moves past the steps that are the same for all genres and provides tools specific to the various genres (i.e. Epistles, Gospels, Acts, Revelations). Along the way, he recommends the use of numerous secondary sources to give rigor to ones conclusions. He cautions us, however, that we must be prepared to show where the author of a secondary source is misinformed, uninformed, inconsistent, incomplete, misinterprets data, or, alternatively, makes valuable contributions to the discussion at hand. Finally, the chapter ends with a section on moving from interpretation to application. Mr. Fee believes strongly that the exegesis needs a purpose and that the purpose is to “take the point of the passage as you have exegeted it and to make that point a living word for a present-day congregation.” He even goes on to suggest that one try to imagine sitting in an early Christian community hearing these letters for the first time. Chapter 2: Exegesis and the Original Text This is by far the longest section of the book, nearly 100 pages in length, and is also arranged in outline format. Mr. Fee covers the following sub-sections in great detail: 1. Structural Analysis. 2. Establishing the Text. 3. Analysis of Grammar. 4. Analysis of Words. 5. Historical-Cultural Background. 6. Analysis of Pericope. Just as in the other chapters, the outline works from very general headings and general paragraphs of information to very specific and technical subheadings. Throughout this section, he emphasizes the importance of “sentence flow,” along with the importance of “arrangement” and “sequence” in the structure of the text. All of this is supported with detailed schematics, diagrams and outlines. In discussing the all-important variants, Mr. Fee reminds us that they are either accidental (slips of the ear, eye, or mind) or deliberate (in the sense that the copyist either consciously or unconsciously tried to improve upon the text he or she was copying). Moreover, every variation by the copyist is one of four kinds: 1. An Addition. 2. An Omission. 3. A Transposition. 4. A Substitution. Chapter 3: Short Guide for Sermon Exegesis This chapter is relatively short (some 20 pages) and clearly (by Mr. Fee’s own admission) is not meant to be the end-all of preparing a comprehensive, powerful, and inspiring sermon. It is, however, a very solid tool demonstrating, in a clearly defined methodology, how to move easily between exegesis and sermon. The point being, it is meant to provide the sermon with a solid and defensible foundation, nothing more. He does, however, emphasize that in preparing for the sermon it is important to outline the following issues prior to beginning the exegesis: 1. The main point or points of the biblical text that are to be proclaimed. 2. The purpose of the sermon – how the biblical points are to be seen as applicable to the audience. 3. The response that one hopes to receive from the audience. Chapter 4: Aids and Resources for the Steps in Exegesis Mr. Fee concludes by referring the reader to other very useful resources (from books, to periodicals, to commentaries) organized by type. In an effort to please everyone, he even goes so far as to recommend a variety of systematic theological works segregated into four categories: 1. Radical (Bultmann, et. al.). 2. Moderate (Goppelt, et. al.). 3. Liberal (Guthrie, et. al.). 4. Roman Catholic (Schelkle, et. al.)
The best way to describe the purpose of this book is to quote the author in the first paragraph from the preface to the first edition: "A former New Testament colleague was once asked by a student how he could learn to do exegesis, intending that his teacher should suggest a book. My colleague answered, “You will just have to take a course.” … there simply is no book that serves as a (complete) guide for students to learn the exegetical process.” Of course, as I mentioned earlier, that was over thirteen years ago, but this book still stands as the model for subsequent publications. Though this book's target audience is an academic one whose end to exegesis will be a paper (or an expository sermon), it can be very useful for the layman as well. The book gives great credence to understanding Greek (or at least a rudimentary knowledge of the Greek alphabet in order to deal with text critical words and phrases), yet it is eminently useful for non-Greek literate readers as well. In fact, this is a great book for laypeople, seminary students, and pastors alike. It also lists useful resources for studying various genre of the New Testament and for doing background work, syntactical diagramming (Greek and English), and word studies, along with practical step-by-step procedures for the exegetical side of a sermon.
One of the most difficult aspects of exegesis is setting out each of the textual variants, along with its supporting evidence. In Chapter 2, using the Nestle-Aland Greek text, Mr. Fee does a superb job of working through an example of variants in the text by evaluating each of the variants via a detailed list of criteria for judging external evidence and transcriptional probability. This is one of the more esoteric sections in the book and, quite frankly, one of the more challenging aspects of exegesis period, yet Mr. Fee makes it eminently understandable and moves through the material at a measured and thoughtful pace. Also in this chapter, Mr. Fee does some nice analysis of the sequence of the pericope in the Gospels. In discussions of both the “Triple Tradition (Mark – Matthew – Luke” and the “Double Tradition (Matthew – Luke),” he provides a variety of information that will be very useful for the reader in future exegesis on the Gospels, along with general analysis of sources, sequences, and variants that will be helpful throughout the New Testament.
This book methodically and thoughtfully lays out the steps that should be taken in producing a sound and well-supported exegesis. These steps include lexical, historical, cultural, theological, genre, and text critical analysis that requires great patience, coupled with some tedious research. In the end, according to Mr. Fee, “Good exegesis is the happy combination – or careful integration – of all these data into a readable presentation.” Furthermore, he states, “The key to good exegesis is the ability to ask the right questions…” and this book does an admirable job of defining both the right questions and when to ask them. Moreover, the additional resources referred to throughout the book make this a worthwhile read for that reason alone. One concern that I have with the book, in fact with any book recommending such methodologies with regard to sacred scripture, is that it can lead the reader (especially the novice reader without a strong theological background) to rely too heavily, and too readily, upon the human intellect - forgetting that these texts have divine inspiration behind them and, ultimately, are meant to be read with equally divine guidance. That being said, Mr. Fee does indicate early on that, “the single most important thing for exegesis is to grapple with how the pericope fits the immediate narrative purposes of the evangelist. In the end, biblical exegesis has to do not with exegeting the historical Jesus, as it were, but with the historical Jesus as he is now mediated through the witness of the evangelists themselves. It is the biblical book that one exegetes, not the reconstructed story that lies behind the book.” Which is precisely why exegesis can never be truly complete without the sustenance of the Holy Spirit. In the end, our goal is “divining” the word of God – not simply “exegeting” the word of Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, or Paul. Let us take care not to undertake exegesis without prayerfully asking for the Lord’s guidance and support.
Reviewer: Eric Gagnon
Date: 3/19/2006
Stuart, Douglas K.: Old Testament Exegesis: A Primer for Students and Pastors (Philedelphia: Westminster Press, 1984). 221.6 St91o 1984.
The Rev. Dr. Douglas Stuart is an author, educator, and pastor. In addition to his teaching schedule as a member of the faculty at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, he serves as senior pastor of First Church Congregational of Boxford, MA. He has authored nearly ten books, including this work and the Hosea-Jonah portion of the Word Biblical Commentary. Dr. Stuart has an affinity for languages including Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic, Egyptian, Ugaritic, Babylonian, Assyrian, Syriac, Arabic, French and German. Old Testament Exegesis is written primarily for seminary students and pastors who, the author feels, need a simple (but not simplistic) resource for understanding the Old Testament in a way that can be applied to ministry today. Stuart’s work is less concerned with matters of redaction and form criticism, and focused on practical theology, recognizing that students and pastors have precious little time in their week to spend on lengthy exegetical study. Although Stuart promotes the learning of biblical languages, his book is equally useful to those with no such knowledge.
Stuart begins his book with a guide for full exegesis. In this section he goes into detail about the text itself, establishing a good translation, researching the historical context, analyzing the literary function, identifying form and structure, considering grammar and word use, consideration of the passage elsewhere in Scripture, looking at the text theologically, consulting secondary literature, and identifying the passage’s applicability to life now. In Stuart’s second chapter, uses the outline he presented in Chapter One and discusses them again, using specific OT passages in Hebrew, Greek, and English to walk the reader through the process of exegesis with original languages. In Stuart’s third chapter he gives a shorter guide exegesis for pastors and others preparing sermons. He makes a clear distinction here in consideration that, in his experience, most theologically trained pastors have had experience in formal research-paper style exegesis, but less or no experience in sermon-style exegesis. This section is aimed at the latter. Stuart gives suggested time frames for the steps in this guide for pastors, considering that pastors should spend at least five hours preparing to write their sermons. Stuart’s fourth and final chapter discusses research tools for exegesis. This is primarily a bibliographical index by subject (e.g. theological dictionaries). Stuart expounds on many of the resources contained within this section.
Because this book is a guide to exegesis, the author describes a wide variety of matters including languages, context, criticism, literary structure.
In Stuart’s full guide, Chapter 1, paragraph 2a. (Prepare a tentative translation of your reconstructed text; p 25) he states, “Start fresh, from the beginning. Look up in a lexicon such as Holladay’s (see IV.8.a) all words whose range of meaning you are not absolutely certain of. Read the more lengthy lexicon articles in major lexicons such as Koeler-Baumgartner or BGrown-Driver-Briggs (see IV.8.a) for significant words. Remember that words don’t have a single meaning, but rather a range of meanings(s)…Translation, therefore always involves selection.” In the shorter guide (for pastors; p. 50) Stuart continues his discussion on translation: “The purpose of the following illustrations is to encourage you to produce your own translation of a passage rather than simply relying on passages found in major modern versions…What right to you have to disagree with translations produced by ‘experts’? You have every right!”
Despite its age (c. 1984), this book remains a standard “how-to” for biblical exegesis. Its writing is clear and its steps easy to follow. Stuart obviously has a heart for seminary students and pastors (appropriate, since he teaches one and is the other). What I like about this work is that it is not beyond the grasp of most student-scholars. It teaches those that would use its techniques to draw a great deal of information from the Scriptures, rather than relying solely on the work of Bible societies and translators. I have also read Stuart’s third edition, Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors (2001), which, although revised and expanded from the reviewed book, stays true to Stuarts heart for students and pastors. It also addresses my main criticism with the reviewed book, which is that Stuart’s resource lists are sorely out of date with many of his references being for books written in the 1960s and 1970s. The 2001 update corrects this and even includes information on Internet and computer based Bible resources.
Reviewer: Tara Olsen
Date: 3/09/06
Thompson, William D.: Preaching Biblically: Exegesis and Interpretation (Nashvillle: Abingdon, 1981). 251 T379p
William D. Thompson was a professor of preaching at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This school has beciome a part of Eastern University as Palmer Theological Seminary. I could find no evidence of Mr. Thopmpson's whereabouts today as this book was written 25 years ago. He is no longer listed on the faculty ledger for the school. The book was written as part of a series of books: the Abingdon Preachers Library. Preaching Biblically is designed to be used by seminary students and preachers as a practical guide to developing sermons that are based in the Word found in Scripture.
This book is divided into six chapters: The Challenge of Biblical Preaching, Task of Exegesis, Process of Interpretation, Methodology for Preaching Biblically, A Case Study, Guidelines for Preaching Biblical Genres. The main chapters are followed by a section of notes on the text, suggestions for further reading, exegetical tools-resources for exegesis, an index of Biblical references contained in the book, and an index of authors and subjects referred to in the reading.
Thompson holds that "biblical preaching occurs when listeners are enabled to see how their world like the biblical world, is addressed by the word of God and are enabled to respond to that word(p.10)." He goes on to lay out the tasks of biblical exegesis, sets forth some basic principles of interpretation, and ends with a practical methodology to help construct an authentically biblical sermon. The definitions of exegesis and hermeneutics are given early on in the text. Exegesis defined as "to bring meaning out of something," and hermeneutics is "the process of understanding or interpreting the divine message." While this distinction is helpful, Thompson goes on to say that what must really happen in preaching biblically is the "preacher must deal with the meaning-then in order to get to the meaning-now."
Thompson offers a practical case study at the end of his text by looking at Deuteronomy 34. Showing us how he would go through the exegetical process to developing a sermon. Thompson takes the student through structural analysis, redaction criticsm, historical exegesis, and theological exegesis. He then shows us his interpretation of the Scripture and diagrams out for the reader a map of his sermon, ending with a working outline for his sermon.
Eventhough the case study offered was a bit out of date in the topics discussed, I enjoyed this book and would refer to it again. It is very accessible to the reader and easy to follow. I especially appreciated the discussion of exegesis vs. hermeneutics. I believe that one can only learn how to prepare a sermon by doing it; working through the steps for oneself. However, this book is a very helpful tool for those struggling with that process and trying to become more comfortable with it.
Reviewer: Judy Young
Date: 3/7/06
Stibbe,Mark W.G.: John as storyteller Narrative criticism and the fourth gospel (Cambridge, New York, Port Chester, Melbourne, Sydney:Cambridge University Press 1992) 226.5ST51j
The author studied English literature for his first degree at Cambridge University. After a spell of teaching English and RE, he started training for the ordained ministry in the Church of England at St. John's College, Nottignham. He started studying the Bible fron a literary perspective while at Nottingham University. After being ordained deacon, he worked as a curate at Nottingham while also working on his doctoral dissertation entitled "The Artistry of John".
The book is well organized. The author uses two major sections, Part I: The Method of Narrative Criticism and the Gospel of John and Part II: An Application of the Methods of Narrative Criticism to John 18-19. Each of these parts has 4 separate chapters. He uses references to passages from John but also from the synoptic gospels, as well, for examples. In Part II he uses the same passages,John 18-19, to discuss the 4 forms of criticism he is addressing. For me it was helpful to have the same chapters for comparison.
The author uses many different authors, as well as his own theories, as his sources. He starts out with four books, Mark as Story (Rhoads and Michie,1982; Best,1983); Matthew as Story (Kingsbury,1986); The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts (Tannehill,1986) and Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel (Culpepper,1983). He then went on to quote over 30 other authors that he agrees with, disagrees with or expands on. Since I was not familiar with theses authors or the works sited, I found this to be distracting and confusing. Page 89 of the text sums up the authors focus" What I an saying is that John the storyteller had various narrative pre-texts at his disposal. He had the actual life-history of Jesus, which was, as all human lives are, already an inchoate story. He had various sources redescribing Jesus in narrative form, in particular, the reminiscences of the BD(which may already have been a rudimentary gospel including a passion/resurrection narrative), a catena of Galilean miracles stories, a Samaritan mission tradition, and so on. He also had the pre-text of the OT which, as the testimonies in the passion narrative and the references to Deutero Isaiah above amply reveal, were clearly important to him as a reptoire of narrative possibilities. The fourth gospel therefore represents a very complex journeying through variour pre-texts to the final form we have today, and the principle imagination behind the creative narrative reworking of these pre-texts is that of John the storyteller.
"Gallie claims that 'history is essentially a story'(p.67), and because it is story, facts within the mass of history impose themselves insurmountably upon the historian as narratable (p.104). Facts call out to be formed into a followable story."
I would not recomment this book for a beginning student in exegetical methods. I feel it was written for scholars not beginning students. I would recomment it if a student was doing an exegesis of John, especially if doing narrative criticism. The author used so many quotes from other authors that I felt it interrupted the flow. I chose this book because of the four NT gospels, I especially like the emphsis on the spirituality and divinity of Jesus expressed more so in John than the synoptic gospels. I have joked, about all the gospels, that Jesus should have appointed a secretary to take notes and get it straight. For this reason, the theory of the gospel as story is intriging to me. I especiall like the author's theory that Lazarus, not the apostle John, is the beloved disciple and the source for John, "Lazarus is to John what Peter is to Mark." The following quote from the book sums it up for me "John did not set himself to write a complete history, but only to enforce a given view of the Christian revelationin in the light of selected facts."
Reviewer: Lori H. Whittemore
Date: 3/7/06
Aland, Barbara and Kurt. The Text of the New Testament. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989.
The authors are two of the best regarded Biblical textual scholars. Kurt Aland has been a co-editor of the Nestle-Aland text of the New Testament since the 1940s. Barbara Aland has been the co-editor of the Nestle-Aland text since 1979. She is presently the Director of the Institute for New Testament Textural Research in Munster, Germany.
The Aland’s book is structured as a guidebook or textbook on how to approach the original texts of the New Testament as a Biblical Scholar. It seems to function as a very good reference book. Both editions of this book were written in German and translated into English by Erroll Rhodes. There are prefaces by the author and the translator for both editions. This book is jammed packed with information and is well structured to present it. It begins with a thorough table of contents detailing text, plates, tables and charts. There are 8 chapters and it is interesting to note that the authors tell us right in the preface that in the first 4 chapters they discuss primarily the history and problems with the different texts. It is in the fifth chapter that they begin going over how to use the different Greek texts and their translations. The next 150 pages of very small font, contain the meatiest and most thorough instructions one could hope to carry around with them. It is a well structured tool for the exegete.
Chapters I-IV of this book give a decent overview and of the history of the different editions of the New Testament along with a fairly strong editorial on the merits of the translation and application of apparatus. An example of the editorializing can be found in their discussion of Van Soden’s apparatus, where they state that is “little more than a collection of variant readings whose attestation needs verification elsewhere.” (Aland, p23) However biased, this chapter along with the chapters on Transmission, Manuscripts and Early Versions are excellent foundation material for the Biblical Scholar to be. Starting with chapter V, they instruct the exegete how to use the modern versions, including the Nestle-Aland. They then dive into the other tools and resources the exegete will need, including concordances, dictionaries etc. And following that they speak of the rules of textual criticism providing some examples. It almost acts as a workbook for exegesis. The book could be divided into two books; one about history and one for instruction. In fact, the authors state in the preface that if the reader is ready to dive into the technical textual analysis and already has selected their translation; they can skip chapters I-IV and proceed directly to chapter V.
The authors use some examples to demonstrate text criticism. One of which is a textual analysis of the pericope about James and John arguing for positions at the right and left side of Jesus. They take the reader through a description of the apparatus of the translation chosen, along with the variants, uncial formatting and confusion, transmission errors, and a comparison of manuscript traditions. It is a helpful analysis using the tools that they have previously laid out.
This book is an excellent resource and will come in handy throughout my seminary career. It would be a good reference book for seminary students and Biblical scholars alike. If one learns best by reading, it would even substitute for an introductory exegetical methodology class. It is quite heavy with material, a little dry and not nearly as fun as class though.
Reviewer: Jacquelyn Thornton
Date: 3/4/06
Fee, Gordon D. New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors (Louisville : Westminster John Knox Press, 2002) 225.6 F32n 2002 [Jacquelyn Thornton]
Fee wrote the first edition of New Testament Exegesis because at the time there were no books that could serve as a textbook or guide for students to learn the exegetical process. Although there were helpful publications available he felt there were none that could take a student “from the opening of their Bibles to the writing of the paper(XIII) .” This third edition was written mainly to update the bibliographical information. Fee includes an enormous amount of reference material in this book. In the ten years since its last revision there had been new publications, revisions, and the introduction of internet resources relevant to exegetical methods. Fee made major revisions to include information on social science criticism and intertextuality. This text also, according to Fee, is “to put more emphasis where it belongs: on the evangelist’s own narrative (XII).” As the subtitle states this book was written for seminary students working on exegetical papers and practicing pastors preparing well informed sermons. This is a broad audience that Fee handles by making a clear distinction between the task of exegetical paper writing and reaching a congregation through scripture and sermon.
This text has a very methodical structure. Fee takes the reader through the process of research and writing in sequential steps each building on the previous. The author uses four large chapters each broken into steps and each step broken into sub-steps. The chapters are Guide for Full Exegesis , Exegesis and the Original Text, Short Guide for Sermon Exegesis, and Aids and Resources for the Steps in Exegesis. Bibliographical information is important to Fee’s method. He includes this information with short critiques and reasons for using another text with in the chapters and steps rather than in endnotes. Though this is not the most space efficient method, as he repeats the same references several times through out the book, it is an advantage to the student and pastor because allows the reader to have the outside reference and the reason for using it all on the same page.
Fee includes a large amount of information in a relatively small handbook. He does this by giving concise definitions and examples in his 15 steps. When possible he includes examples within the body of the text in the appropriate spot. In “The Analysis of Word” chapter he includes Greek text as well as an example of lexical data. Fee avoids giving too much information by frequently referring the reader to other reference material.
In the structural Analysis section Fee gives an example using Luke 2:14. Interestingly enough I had chosen this verse from Nestle-Aland because it looked like poetry but through step by step analysis Fee makes a convincing argument that the grammar of the passage does not support this. Instead of a poetic verse Fee rationalizes the sentence structure used in the Revised Standard Version on the opposing page of Nestle-Aland. I found Fee’s section on text analysis interesting and useful. It allows this one year Greek student to take that next step in making some use of my basic knowledge.
Reading Fee’s New Testament Exegesis in its entirety is a difficult task to get into. I never felt that I was getting all the necessary information by simply reading the text because the author so often refers the reader to other text rather than explaining the topic at hand in his writing. He begins with a step by step guide for seminary students writing an exegetical paper. He presumes his audience is using this book as a textbook and is actively working on a project while reading through the steps. This would be an exhausting task but would be the best way to understand Fee’s writing. The best use of Fee’s book is stated in the subtitle. It is a book that I would find useful as a handbook as I write exegetical papers in seminary and explore the meaning of the text for sermon preparation. As a step by step guide it is exhausting but as a quick source, a handbook, for sermon or paper preparation it is a gold mine. The author structures the book very well. This makes the writing easy to follow as the author refers forward and back to various steps within this text. If I were to need to exegete a Bible verse or passage for a particular reason I could simply look at the table of contents or the chart Fee provides on pages 6 and 7 and easily find the type of exegetical method I need for that task. Each section also provides a wealth of bibliographic information within the text associated with that information. Fee does not have all the answers but is able to direct a pastor or student to the sources that do. This makes the book a true handbook because the reader can focus a particular step important to the task at hand without searching through a sea of information and references.
Reviewer: Pamela Gross
Date: 3/2/2006
McKenzie, Steven L. and Stephen R. Haynes, Eds. To Each Its Own Meaning:An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Applications (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999) 220.6T55a1999
The editors of this book describe themselves as a “specialist and non-specialist” who “joined forces” to create a text that would “demonstrate how biblical scholarship sheds light on the meaning of the Bible and thus helps bring it alive.” Steven McKenzie is a biblical scholar who is trained in biblical criticism and Stephen Haynes is a professor of Religion and Literature, who is approaches Biblical material from a “literary” position. They had 3 goals: “1) offer an up-to-date presentation of the principal methods of critical biblical study; 2) make these methods readily accessible to students and other nonspecialists; and 3) to show biblical criticism in action by demonstrating how particular methods may be implemented in the interpretation and explication of specific texts.” As editors, they attempted to achieve balance and diversity in both contributors and the content itself. In content, they sought balance between theory and application, historical and nonhistorical approaches, old and new approaches. Similarly, in an effort to balance the identities of the contributors, gender, age, and religious background were taken into consideration. For example, they asked younger scholars to evaluate older methods and “more established” scholars were asked to write about newer methods. The editors’ different individual perspectives are cited as “weaknesses that became strengths” in the creation of this book; their respect for one another’s perspectives has clearly been challenged and strengthened in the creation of this book. Their introduction alone is worth reading for the respectful, yet passionate, feeling they express about their work. It seems this is a labor of love for them both. This is the ‘revised and expanded’ edition, using 6 years of readers’ feedback; the book is reportedly a widely used text in colleges and seminaries.
The overall structure seems deceptively simple. There are three parts reflecting the development of biblical criticism over time: Part One-Traditional Methods; Part Two-Expanding the Tradition; and Part Three-Overturning the Tradition. Each part consists of essays on different methods from individual contributors. Part One covers earliest methods in essays on Historical, Source, Form, Tradition-Historical, and Redaction Criticisms. Part Two covers Social-Scientific, Canonical, Rhetorical Criticisms and Intertextuality. Part Three covers Structural Criticism; Narrative Criticism; Reader-Response Criticism; Poststructuralist Criticism; Feminist Criticism; and Socioeconomic Criticism. All of these methods are addressed in an individual essay. What makes this book most interesting however, is the secondary structure created by the editors. Each contributor was asked to address the same five sets of issues for their respective method: 1) definition and history of the method; 2) the method in relation to others in the book; 3) demonstrate the method by applying it to a specific text; 4) discuss the drawbacks of the method; and finally, 5) suggest reading for further understanding of the method. This parallel structure facilitated the process of comparing and contrasting methods for me as a reader. In a most amazing way, the book’s structure revealed the complex, interconnected history of biblical criticism as a whole, while allowing the strengths and weaknesses for each method to emerge as well.
Since each chapter/essay is written by a different scholar who uses the method addressed, there is a variation in style from one topic to the next. Nevertheless, due to the foundational structure of the five issues that are addressed, the content is connected. Each scholar sets her/his method in the context of the field of biblical criticism historically and methodologically, then demonstrates the use of the method with a biblical text from either Genesis or Luke-Acts. I believe the editors’ own words eloquently express the ‘evidence’ of this book: A concern in our own discussions across the divide that separates historical from literary approaches to the Bible has been whether textual meaning is to be found “behind” a text (that is, in the historical events or sources that underlie it), “in” the text (that is, in the interaction of the elements and structures that emerge in a close reading of the text in its final form), or “in front of the text” (that is, in the construction of meaning that takes place in the interaction between text and reader). It was not our expectation that this question would receive a definitive answer in the book. We only sought to provide a forum for each author to address it and provide his or her own version of an answer. The editors’ attempt at an inclusive view would be that the best biblical criticism does not confidently announce what a text “means” but humbly assures us that the text can be “meaningful” by demonstrating one or more possible, if not convincing, meanings. This dialogical strategy suggests that we believe mutual enlightenment is in fact attainable through dialogue. This is at least our hope, and we pause to make it explicit because it is taken for granted less and less in scholarly circles. The balanced, dialogical format we have chosen also makes us hopeful that strawpersons will be more easily identifiable, as each method is described in detail by a practitioner.
Example: Tradition-Historical Criticism, by Robert A. Di Vito (p.99) An Illustration of the Approach. “A brief illustration of the applicability of tradition-historical criticism to a specific biblical text will draw together the various points made here and show concretely both the prospects and the limitations of its approach. The text to be considered is Gen. 32:22-32 (23-33Heb.). Anyone who has thoughtfully investigated the story of Jacob’s encounter with the mysterious “man” in Genesis 32 can attest to the many obscurities with which it confronts the discerning reader. Yet if we follow the form critical lead suggested by Gunkel for tracing the history of a tradition, these obscurities are clear indications of the antiquity of the story and the long history of its transmission. Along with the presence of possible variant traditions, these indications provide the concrete means by which one may reconstruct the history of the tradition in question. Such indications within the text of Genesis 32 include apparent vestiges of “primitive” religious conceptions, the narrative’s lack of connection to the immediate context, the unevenness of the present form of the story, and its multiple etiologies and conclusions. Also a variant form of the tradition in Genesis 32 occurs in Hos. 12:3b-4a, where the prophet indicts Israel for following in the footsteps of its eponymous ancestor: “In his manly vigor he [Jacob] wrestled with a “god”; He [Jacob] wrestled a “god” and prevailed. (The god) wept and besought his favor.” On the basis of these two lines of evidence at least four stages in the growth of the tradition may be discerned. Analysis proceeds by working “back” from the present narrative, beginning with the results obtained from source-critical study. Such study generally affirms the literary integrity of Gen. 32:22-32 and attributes the text to the work of the Yahwist…”
This is the first book I’ve encountered that adequately explained the different methods of biblical criticism in language that was engaging and accessible. It was also helpful in forming an image of “the forest”—the whole—of biblical criticism. After reading this book, I feel as if I understand the connections between the oldest and newest methods for the first time. I wish I had space to give an example from each of the three parts of the book, to give a sense of the balance one encounters from very traditional to less traditional methods. In particular, I thought the chapters on poststructuralist(deconstructive) criticism and feminist criticism were thoughtful, clear and very readable. Both authors took complicated—often difficult—subjects and gave excellent, simple explications. I’d recommend these chapters alone to anyone who has struggled to understand deconstructionist or feminist biblical criticism. But the most significant thing about this book for me was the journey from Tradition to Expanding Tradition to Overturning tradition—for the first time I feel as if I have an appreciation of the field of biblical criticism. I’m getting a copy of this for my library because it offers directions for the use of, and guidance for learning more about, the different methods of criticism. It is also a concise and highly readable history, from the beginnings of modern biblical criticism right into the 21st century. I am very glad to have found this gem of a resource among usually dry, difficult texts.
Reviewer: Rob Neal
Date: 2/26/06
Tuckett, Christopher: Reading The New Testament, Methods of Interpretation (Philadephia: Fortess Press, 1987) (Rob Neal) 225.6 T799r.
The author, Christopher Tuckett, is a lecturer in New Testament Studies at the University of Manchester in England. Published in 1987, the book sets out to discuss the various methods commonly used to interpret the New Testament. The author intends to reach students new to studying the Bible and calibrates the book as an “introductory” book about the methods of critical scholarship.
Throughout the book Tuckett asserts that the historical critical method of interpreting the New Testament is fundamental to all methods of interpretation regardless of whether the practitioners of other methods recognize the importance of historical context. Tuckett suggests it is impossible to escape the historical context in part because every other method depends upon interpreting texts, language, canons, sources that were all written by authors living in a particular time, place, and context. Even form, genre, and redaction methods depend upon the social and cultural contexts from which the particular words were generated. He states the obvious in his Conclusion on p.184 when he says, “different approaches will get different things out of the same text.” Tuckett structured the book in a simple easy to follow format. Following the Table of Contents and the introduction to the book, the first chapter lays the foundation for why scholars can accept the New Testament as Canon while also applying critical methods of interpretation. The next seven chapters focus on specific methods of interpretation, and these are followed by two chapters on methods of expanding a scholar’s understanding of the historical context. Then Tuckett finishes with a chapter on two methods, canon and literary, that can be used to challenge the value of the historical critical methods. His concluding chapter ties together all the pieces in a summary manner. Footnotes are added at the end of each chapter, a suggested reading list relevant to each chapter is included after the Conclusion chapter, and an Index completes the book.
Tuckett uses a simple, consistent thread throughout his book to illustrate how each method of interpretation can work. While he does use a variety of illustrations and examples from the Bible and other sources, he consistently uses the story in Matthew, Mark, and Luke where Jesus heals the man with the withered hand. He does this on the Sabbath, which is “forbidden” by Jewish law, according to tradition. Each version of this same story reveals something different, or at least suggests something slightly different when applying the various methods of interpretation to this text in each of three Gospel accounts.
For example, in using textual criticism related to this story we find in Luke, a small difference. Codex D adds a verse and moves a verse. The usual v.5 phrase ‘And he said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath”’, is placed in v.10. Verse 5 adds the phrase, ‘On the same day he saw a man working on the Sabbath, and he said to him “Man, if you know what you are doing you are blessed: but if you do not know, you are cursed and a transgressor of the law.”’ Tuckett asserts that on text grounds this added verse cannot claim to be part of the original text, but it shows how in some primitive traditions (he suggests dominical) text is inserted and preserved to make a particular point about Jesus. So this addition is hardly ever (never?) seen in modern Bibles but the verse hangs out there in the scholarly world.
This book was a good choice for me being a new seminary student with this and one other course being my first ones. The book explained in a simple, readable manner the basics of the various methods of interpretation. I enjoyed reading the book and appreciated his staying consistent in each chapter with how he made his points about each method. Plus the consistent reference to the text related to the man with the withered hand whom Jesus healed, made it much easier to understand the similarities and differences between the methods. The book will most likely benefit students similar to me in their level and experience in studying the Bible. Its not a book for advanced students but a good one for those getting started.
Reviewer: Eileen Ringel
Date: 02/26/06
Kaiser, Otto and Kummel, Werner: Exegetical Method: A Student’s Handbook: (New York: The Seabury Press, 1963) [Eileen Ringel] 220,6J123e.
Kaiser and Kummel published Exegetical Method: A Student’s Handbook in 1963 in Germany at the request of the Association of German Evangelical Theological Students. It was written expressly for seminary students “as a preparation for the proclamation of the gospel.” No other bibliographical material about the authors is provided.
The book contains two essays, one by Kaiser on Old Testament exegesis and the other by Kummel on New Testament exegesis. Although either essay can stand alone, the exegetical methods outlined in Kaiser’s essay on the Old Testament establish concepts helpful in understanding Kummel’s essay on the New Testament. The thesis of both authors is that theological students cannot truly understand the subject matter of the Scriptures without a detailed and personal knowledge of the techniques with which the Scriptures are analyzed, i.e., exegesis. Both emphasize that exegesis, at its best, is an active process in which the student discovers the text by unraveling it, rather than a program in which the student transcribes opinions of experts presented in lecture format.
The essay on Old Testament Exegesis provides not so much evidence as detailed instructions on the process of performing an exegesis. Kaiser describes specific steps to be taken in carrying out text criticism, literary criticism, form criticism, traditional criticism, subject exegesis, concept exegesis, and context exegesis, the latter three taken as a unit. Extensive references and source material are provided, including suggested titles for Hebrew and translations of the text, concordances, dictionaries, and histories. He suggests the Biblia Hebraica for basic, scholarly exegetical work. He recommends exploring not only ancient Israelite references but also non-Israelite materials to establish the text in its cultural context. The Sitz im Leben, or the sociological and historical setting, of the examined text should be investigated in depth. Interestingly, Kaiser closes his essay with a warning for the Christian seminarian against premature judgment of the Old Testament according to viewpoints established in the New Testament. Working with the preconception that the Old Testament is the “law” and “promise” while the New Testament is the “gospel” and “fulfillment” will inhibit understanding of the original message. “As a matter of principle,” says Kaiser, “one should venture to say No to the Old Testament only when the full meaning of Yes is understood.” The second essay in Exegetical Method, that concerning the New Testament, briefly reviews elements of Biblical exegesis, specifically regarding form criticism and linguistic references relevant to the New Testament . For example, Kummel suggests the Nestle and Aland edition of the Greek New Testament as an appropriate, reliable text. Kummel then changes his focus to those problems with special relevance to the New Testament. Whereas most of the New Testament can be investigated with methods similar to that of the Old Testament, he feels that the Synoptic Gospels present special exegetical difficulties and opportunities. Although different presentations of a pericope can be confusing, examination of variations in wording, form, and content, can yield information about the evangelist, his sources, oral tradition, and, perhaps, even the words of Jesus, that would not otherwise be apparent.
The last two sections of this essay explore specific examples of New Testament exegesis, one from Romans, a non-synoptic text, and the other from Matthew, a synoptic text. Kummel works through these passages with the reader, showing how a painstaking exploration of the text can yield new information.
Both essays in Exegetical Method are valuable to students of Biblical exegesis, albeit in different ways. The essay on the Old Testament is best used as a reference. It is so dense that it is difficult to read from cover to cover. Definitions for critical terms are often cursory or not given at all. It is completely lacking in examples, the inclusion of which would go a long way in elucidating the concepts presented by the author. On the other hand, Kaiser’s essay has value in that it lays out a concrete roadmap for a student new to Old Testament exegesis. The essay on New Testament exegesis, on the other hand, is probably best read in its entirety. Although the sections which review references contain valuable information, the most illuminating sections are those in which the author takes the student through the performance of two exegeses. These exercises illustrate the principles presented earlier in meaningful and memorable ways. As a whole, this essay is especially useful for a seminary student, since it illustrates how the meaning of a text can open up when examined honestly in the context of historical and scientific inquiry, i.e., how exegesis can build rather than destroy faith.
Reviewer: Barbara Prose
Date: 2/25/06
Metzger, Bruce M. The Text of the New Testament. Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. (NY and London: Oxford University Press, 1964). 225.4 M568t
Bruce Metzger is professor emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is a scholar of Greek, New Testament and Old Testament Bible and is a prolific writer. He was the editor for the Reader's Digest Condensed Bible, has edited and provided commentary for numerous bible translations, written dozens of books and served as general editor of the New Revised Standard translation of the Bible.
The book is divided into eight sections: the making of ancient books, important witnesses to the NT text, the Textus Receptus, a history of the modern critical period, the origins of textual criticism, modern methods of textual criticism, causes of error in the transmission of texts, and examples of applications of NT textual criticism.
The book is well organized, not difficult to read although it includes a lot of detail and comprehensive, for 1964. I wish I had read the fourth edition published in 2005 which brings these topics up to date by integrating recent research findings and approaches into the body of the text. In the fourth edition, Metzger, with co-author Bart D. Ehrman, examines the use of computers in the collection and evaluation of manuscript evidence and the effects that social and ideological influences had upon the work of the scribes. Despite my frustrations reading an old edition of a book focused on a rapidly evolving field of study, Metzger's book did open my eyes even wider to the complexities and nuances, to the science and art which is the practice of textual criticism.
A great paradox seems to underlie this book and this semester of study. Metzger teaches the reader that we need to do textual criticism because none of the original documents from which the NT evolved exist. For example, we do not have one document with Paul's handwriting on it. Thus, the textual critic seeks to ascertain which form of the text, amongst and between the multiple and conflicting texts, should be regarded as closest to the original. The original which does not exist. Paradox becomes irony when one realizes that, "The earliest efforts to asertain the original text of the New Testament seem to have been made by those who were excmmunicated as heretics." (p. 150) The ironies and paradoxes of this passionate search for the first edition of the NT feels almost like a fairy tale. Although I consider Metzger's step by step instructions about how to do textual criticism helfpul and was happy to test myself following the logic of the arguments that accompany his examples in the last chapter, I was equally happy to read that, "To teach another how to become a textual critic is like teaching another how to become a poet." (p. 211) It just isn't done.
I learned a lot reading this book. I am pretty sure I have more questions now than when I began reading but that may be a good sign. I think I will buy the fourth edition for myself and see if the updates answer some of my questions which stem from trying to reconcile Trobisch's classroom teaching with what is in the 1964 edition.
Reviewer: Zareen Taj Mirza
Date: 2/22/2006
Fee, Gordon D. New Testament Exegesis,A Handbook for Students and Pastors Louisville, Kentucky Westminster John Knox Press,2001
The author Gordon D. Fee wrote the book before sometime in 2002. I am not sure whether he wrote it, but know he did dedicate it to Mandine, Mark, Cherith, Craig and Brian (who taught him “that exegesis is not an end in itself but must always be applied.”) The very title of the book New Testament Exegesis-A Handbook For Students and Pastors shows Mr. Fee wants the book to be for students and pastors.
The book is divided into four (parts) chapters. These chapters encompass 1)a broad overview of exegesis 2)actually taking the passage Greek and all and showing the many layers and interpretations a person doing the exegesis can take 3)practical use in sermon of exegesis 4)resources of worth to pay attention to in learning about exegesis.
Greek text is used in this book. Essential to exegesis Fee says here are three reasons to exegete a text 1)”methodical working one’s way through as entire biblical book”2)attempt to resolve the difficulties in a well-known crux, or problem passage (ICor. 7.14,15.29etc.)3)”preparation for next Sunday’s sermon or lesson for others related pastoral concerns”.(p.2) Fee says there are main points of biblical texts 1)purpose of present sermon 2)response that one hopes to achieve .(p.38) Also he outlines the exact amount of time that should be allowed for each section of doing an exegesis or sermon—just even the preparation. He suggests reading aloud the text, analyzing the content (what is said) and context (why it is said) and making your own opinion. When reading commentaries (interpretations of others) Fee suggest to note where the author is “misinformed, uninformed, inconsistent, incomplete, misinterprets and makes valuable contributions.” Fee also wants to determine what kind of text we are exegeting, first? He believes the New Testament is divides into four types (genres). He stresses it’s importance to recall Jesus’ word is through others, not us so that ability to understand the text is even more difficult. Textual, lexical, grammatical and historical-cultural background Fee says are good “questions of Content” types to strive for. (p.5) He believes in sentence diagrams.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would strongly, highly and emphatically suggest it. The many dimensions of understanding I felt I was invited to enjoy made reading it a pleasure. It is a book for anyone interested in reading about exegesis and can do nothing but add to one’s education of the subject.
Reviewer: Zareen Taj Mirza some left out:
(After "Greek text is used in this book")Meaings of Greek words I had not encountered prior were extremely exciting to learn the meanings of. Eucharistomen to theo pantote peri panton hamon pomennian adeleptos api ton prosen "we give thanks to God always for all of you making mention unceasingly in our prayers". Maomoneontes umon toe eggou tes pisteos ki tes upomonestes elioos toe hamon "remembering your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ". Doza theo enfstos ki epum uedkia anthropos "Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth goodwill among people"
Alla spoian enmostorio theo ton apokekromenon on o theos prorisen pro ton aionon es dogan hamon "But we speak wisdom in a mystery of God which had been hidden which God predetermined before the ages for our glory which none knew of the rulers of this age"(p49)
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