Today St. John’s college was selling old library books (from the college library) and about two dozen people turned up for the ‘opening’ at 10.30 this morning.  I didn’t know what to expect (having come from Christian Book Distributors famed ‘warehouse’ sales where you could get new commentaries for under $5).  But it turned out that they were getting rid of some really outstanding older books.  Here were my great buys:

W.C. van Unnik, Tarsus or Jerusalem: The City of Paul’s Youth. (I am dealing, in part, with Paul’s ‘religious’ background and experience and this is a key contribution).

Robert Banks, ed. Reconciliation and Hope: FS for L. Morris. (Includes essays by DA Hubbard, FF Bruce, EE Ellis, Ridderbos, Bornkamm, R. Martin, JDG Dunn , R. Longenecker, IH Marshall, R. Banks, CEB Cranfield and GE Ladd; a priceless volume at a very small price!)

J. Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus (A classic reference work)

EP Sanders, ed. Jewish and Christian Self-Definition: Self Definition in the Graeco-Roman World (helpful for my study of the shaping of Christian identity; with essays by W. Burkert, Malherbe, HC Kee, and HD Betz).

Martin Hengel, Judaism and Hellenism [Vol. 1]. (Another classic).

Eduard Schweizer, A Theological Introduction to the NT.

CK Barrett, NT Essays.

HC Kee, The Living World of the NT.

Bertil Gartner, The Temple and the COmmunity in Qumran and the NT (A foundational volume for studying about views of the temple in Qumran and especially Paul).

Tyndale Bulletin 1997 48.1, 48.2.

Here’s the best part – I got all of these for under $20!  Thank you St. John’s and thanks especially to Richard Briggs who opened this event up to non-St. John’s members.

Since coming to Durham, I have stumbled upon a reference collection that is very valuable for anyone wanting to dive into the world of the New Testament and learn more about the Jewish and Graeco-Roman context.  It is ANRW, or, Aufstieg und Niedergang der romischen Welt (Rise and Decline of the Roman World).  It is a set of 16 volumes that contains essays from scholars around the world in the areas of classics, Judaism, New Testament, and early church history.  It is not a ‘Christian’ collection.  It has a broader vision of dealing with the Roman world in general, but many essays deal with key issues of the time from social, political and religious perspectives.  Thought most of the articles appear to be in English, there are a large number of articles in German and French.  This is truly an international collaboration.  I have tried to look at the English articles and filter what might be of primary aid to NT researchers.  Forgive me if you have found my list wanting, but use it as you please.  I did not include German articles, but when I learn the language a bit better, I may give it a shot. Note, also, that you can search for topics in ANRW at this webpage.  Rodney Decker has some more info on ANRW as well.

I plan on spending time with ANRW particularly for articles on Philo and non-Christian attitudes towards Christians in the Roman Empire.  This is just one kind of use for this series.

I would like to recommend a book I turn to quite often, David deSilva’s Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture.  deSilva, a professor at Ashland Theological Seminary (my hometown), is an evangelical and an expert in social-scientific criticism and a wise exegete as well.  This book is somewhat of an introduction to the cultural background of the world of the NT, but done in a clear and down-to-earth fashion.  Whatever area of NT you are interested in, it can only be enhanced by better grasping these issues (mentioned in the title).  Some scholars in deSilva’s social-scientific circles are a bit overboard with the importance of such things, but deSilva is careful and convincing.

If you love biblical commentaries, as I do, you eagerly anticipate the latest volumes by our favorite authors. Well, I thought you might be interested in knowing what is coming down the pipeline in pauline commentaries (with Acts through in). BTW – I received this info from another commentary-o-phile: parableman.

ACTS: Darrell Bock (BEC), Loveday Alexander (Luke-Acts, Black’s), R. Pervo (Hermeneia), Joel Green (NICNT; replacement), Stanley Porter (NIGTC), Carl Holladay (NTL), David Peteron (Pillar), Steve Walton (WBC), Craig Keener (Independent)

1-2 THESSALONIANS: Jeffrey Weima (BakerEC), Helmut Koester ( Hermeneia), Karl Donfried (ICC)

GALATIANSL Douglas Moo (BakerEC), John Riches (Blackwell), Gerald Borchert (Cornerstone), Graham Stanton (ICC), Martinus de Boer (NTL), Gordon Fee (Pentecost), D.A. Carson (Pillar), NT Wright (Two Horizons)

1 CORINTHIANS: Jorunn Okland (Blackwell), E. Ellis (ICC), Alexandra Brown (NTL), Brian Rosner/Roy Ciampa (Pillar), Mark Bonningtonn (of Durham!; Two Horizons), Linda Bellville (WBC)

2 CORINTHIANS: George Guthrie (BakerEC), Ralph Martin (Cornerstone), Mark Seifrid (Pillar), Philip Towner (Two Horizons)

ROMANS: Richard Longenecker (NIGTC), Beverly Gaventa (NTL), Stanley Porter (Sheffield Readings), I.H. Marshall (Two Horizons)

PHILIPPIANS: John Reumann (Anchor), David Garland (Expositors), NT Wright (ICC), Charles Cousar (NTL), George Hansen (Pillar), George Guthrie (Zondervan)

COLOSSIANS: Greg Beale (BakerEC), Jerry Sumney (NTL), Douglas Moo (Pillar), Ben Witherington (Socio-Rhetorical)

EPHESIANS: Frank Thielman (BakerEC), Max Turner (NIGTC and Two Horizons), Stephen Fowl (NTL), Clinton Arnold (Zondervan)

PASTORALS: Stanley Porter (BakerEC), Linda Belleville (Cornerstone; 1 Timothy only), A. Kostenberger (Expositors), A. Malherbe (Hermeneia), Robert Yarborough (Pillar), Robert Wall (Two Horizons), Greg Beale (Zondervan).

AS FOR DATES, check the website linked above. They know some of the dates, but in the publishing world nothing happens ‘on time’. Also, these are not listed in order of release, so some may be 4-5 years off.

For those of you that honour me by reading my blog regularly or semi-regularly, I thought I would share (as often as I can) resources that I have found helpful.  Maybe others (like B. Blackwell) can do the same!

So, to start things off, I will mention two.

First, when I was in the US over Christmas, I got a hold of the newly released New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible: Vol 1 [A-C] by Abingdon.  This volume, covering only 3 letters of the alphabet is over 800 pages and covers hundreds and hundreds of topics.  Contributors come from a wide variety of confessional backgrounds (though the consultation committee is all United Methodist, in association with Abingdon’s background) and come from around the world.  Consider such names as: Paul Achtemeier, Dale Allison, Bill Arnold (Asbury), Richard Ascough, Davie Aune (Notre Dame), John Barton, Darrell Bock, Helen Bond, Warren Carter, Raymond Collins, R. Alan Culpepper, David deSilva, William Dever, Terence Donaldson, Jimmy Dunn , Paul Ellingworth (Aberdeen), Craig Evans, John Fitzgerald, Terence Fretheim, Beverly Gaventa, John Goldingay, Lester Grabbe, Joel Green, Donald Hagner, Richard Hess, Craig Hill, Michael Holmes, Larry Hurtado, Edgar Krentz, Richard Longenecker, Bruce Malina, Howard Marshall, Ralph Martin, Margaret Mitchell, Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, Pheme Perkins, Christopher Rowland, Alan Segal, Anthony Thiselton, Paul Trebilco, James VanderKam and Stephen Westerholm.

How is this set of volumes (I’m guessing there will be 4-6 volumes?) differ from the Anchor Bible Dictionary?  Well, first of all, this ‘New’ series is a replacement of the older series done before the ABD.  So, perhaps there was no ‘new’ vision except to make it competitive.  But, I do think there is a major difference – audience.  Abingdon seems to be shooting for more of a pastoral audience: pastors, missionaries and laypeople.  I say this for 2 reasons: first, there are more conservative scholars writing for this than for ABD – many more ‘evangelicals’.  That is because, I think, evangelicals often have pastors in mind when writing, but not always.  Second, the articles are shorter and less technical, so that means that they are a bit more intelligible and can be read in one sitting (without the need for coffee).  One thing really like about the dictionary is that the print is fairly large – like the New Interpreter’s Bible commentaries series.  It is just visually appealing.  Very worthwhile.  The articles have been very informative (though I have only read a dozen or so). How much?  Amazon sells it for $47.

Second resource: Interpreting the Bible: A Handbook of Terms and Methods (ed. W. Randolph Tate).  This book is a reference resource in the same style as Soulen’s Handbook of Biblical Criticism.  How is it different?  It is much longer (500 pages vs. Soulen’s 200 pages) and it seems like it includes more recent kinds of concepts (though I haven’t done an indepth comparison).  This resource is great when you are reading a technical piece of scholarship and you encounter the term ‘polyptoton’ or ‘synaesthesia’.  You no longer have to sit in shame and self-pity (at least not for ignorance of biblical-academic jargon).  I have turned to this many times and I even have cited it in my thesis work.  Some articles are more lucid than others.  From what I gather, Tate rounded up droves of students at his institution (Evangel) to compose articles.  Some did a better job than others.  Overall, though, it is a worthwhile purchase.  This one is $22 at Amazon.

I have many more resources to share, but not enough time to write now.

I received more information about F. Watson’s role.  He will be teaching one masters module per year and doing ‘a lot of research supervision’.  Also, it is confirmed that Watson is not replacing anyone.  He is an additional member of the staff.  So, no fears for current and incoming students!  If only he were coming in ’07!

In other news, C.K. Barrett turns 90 this 4th of May.  Morna Hooker will be coming to Durham to give a paper in his honour and there will be a departmental reception afterwards.  We will have quite the congregation of NT scholars: potentially we may have in the same room C.K. Barrett, Morna Hooker, Jimmy Dunn, John Barclay, NT Wright and Francis Watson!  Might the world implode at such an occurrence???

I heard that Bruce Longenecker and Markus Bockmuehl may be leaving St. Andrews.  Can anyone verify this?