Stephen Fowl and Theol Interp of Scripture (Book Review, Part I)

When I lived in Massachusetts, my wife and I would go to hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra once in a while.  I like music as much as the next person, but I did not have enough technical knowledge of music theory and composition to really appreciate what was going on in each concert.  It happened, [...]

Dunn’s NT Theology (Abingdon) – overview

Some time ago I mentioned that Abingdon had published a short New Testament Theology (introduction) by James D.G. Dunn in thier ‘Library of Biblical Theology’ series.  I have had a chance to look it over and I would like to offer my thoughts.
On the back, Brueggemann mentions that this book offers a ‘culmination of James [...]

Review of G.D. Fee’s Galatians Commentary (Part II)

In the earlier part, I simply introduced the commentary by Fee.  Now I will press on to comment on the content and theological perspective of Fee’s excellent commentary.
On introductory issues, Fee has little to say.  He favors the Southern Galatians view just slightly (with the mentioning of Barnabas being the tipping factor).  More controversially, Fee [...]

deSilva and the Sacramental Life (review)

At SBL last year I picked up David deSilva’s Sacramental Life: Spiritual Formation through the Book of Common Prayer (IVP, 2008).
The book obviously has a devotion character where deSilva is thinking through a holy and upright life with the Bible in one hand and the Book of Common Prayer in the other.  This spiritual exercise [...]

Brevard Childs’ Canonical Reading of Paul (Part 2)

By the aid of Mr. Shepherd in PART 1, we were able to get a taste of what Childs is all about.  Now, I (Nijay) would like to dip into his The Church’s Guide for Reading Paul: The Canonical Shaping of the Pauline Corpus [Eerdmans, 2008] book to explore how he reads the great apostle.
Childs [...]

Reflections on Jerry Sumney’s Colossians Commentary

Tonight I finished reading Jerry Sumney’s Colossians commentary for the New Testament Library series (WJK, 2008).  The series, as a whole, has not produced seminal volumes (though Luke Timothy Johnson’s volume on Hebrews has received positive reviews).
Having recently reviewed and read through Douglas Moo’s Pillar commentary on Colossians, I was not expecting a shorter commentary [...]

Constantine Campbell and Verbal Aspect in NT Greek

I have taken probably 15 courses in classical and NT Greek, and I have taught Greek about 6 times. There are few things more difficult to understand (let alone teach!) than the meaning and exegetical utility of ‘verbal aspect’. It was a no-brainer, then, that when I saw Basics of Verbal Aspect in [...]

Review of Bishop Tom’s JUSTIFICATION Book

I have finally finished reading Tom Wright’s new Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision (SPCK, 2009).  I dare not attempt the very detailed and insightful mutiple-post review that Ken has so admirably accomplished.  Rather, I wish to just offer some ‘reflections’ on my understanding and appreciation for what the good bishop has said. (DISCLAIMER: One [...]

Review of J.B. Green’s BODY, SOUL, AND HUMAN LIFE (BAKER)

Joel Green, professor of New Testament interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary, is known as an expert in biblical exegesis (especially in Luke and 1 Peter) as well as in his work on ‘theological interpretation’. One who has already shown breadth and depth of knowledge, he flexes his interdisciplinary muscles by exploring the way [...]