438 Interpretation
Book Notes
The Bible and the Environment: Towards
a Critical Ecological Biblical Theology
by David G. Horrell
Equinox, Sheffield, 2010. 172 pp. $26.95. ISBN 978-184-
5536-220.
This volume illustrates diverse ways in which the
Bible has been interpreted in relation to issues of
ecology and the environment. Horrell discusses a
wide range of biblical texts from Genesis to Reve-
lation, and contrasts and evaluates competing inter-
pretations. The analysis shows that the Bible pro-
vides a thoroughly ambiguous legacy. It cannot
straightforwardly provide positive teaching on care
for the environment, but neither can it be seen sim-
ply as an anti-ecological book. Horrell argues for
the explicit development of an “ecological herme-
neutic,” constructing interpretive lenses that both
arise from the engagement between our contempo-
rary context and the biblical text and also generate a
new reading of the biblical tradition appropriate to
face contemporary ecological challenges.
For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian
Vision for Creation Care, Second Edition
by Steven Bouma-Prediger
Baker, Grand Rapids, 2010. 288 pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-
88010-3695-8.
This highly acclaimed and award-winning book,
first published in 2001, explores the relationship
between Christianity and the natural world, claiming
that “authentic Christian faith requires ecological
obedience.” It urges Christians to acknowledge their
responsibility and privilege as stewards of the
Earth. This second edition has been substantially
revised and updated with the latest scientific and
environmental research.
Ecological Hermeneutics: Biblical,
Historical and Theological Perspectives
edited by David G. Horrell, Cherryl Hunt, Christopher
Southgate, and Francesca Stavrakopoulou
T & T Clark International, London, 2010. 352 pp. $44.95.
ISBN 978-0-567-03304-8.
Twenty leading scholars reflect critically on the
OCTOBER 2011
kinds of appeals to the Bible that have been made
in environmental ethics and ecotheology; engage
biblical texts with a view towards exploring their
contribution to an ecological ethics; and explore the
kind of hermeneutic necessary for such engage-
ment to be fruitful for contemporary theology and
ethics. Crucial to such broad reflection is the bring-
ing together of a range of perspectives: biblical
studies, historical theology, hermeneutics, and theo-
logical ethics. Katharine Dell, John Barton, Francis
Watson, Richard Bauckham, and Brendan Byrne are
among the contributors.
Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction,
Third Edition
by James L. Crenshaw
Westminster John Knox, Louisville, 2010. 308 pp. $34.95.
ISBN 978-0-664-23459-1.
This premier introduction to biblical Wisdom
literature has been expanded to include discussion
of sapiential works from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the
impact of Wisdom traditions on the NT writers,
and a new chapter on knowledge about God and
the ancient sages’ understanding of revelation. It
provides expert analysis of the legacy of Wisdom in
other parts of the canon and in other cultures,
offering new insights and fresh perspectives, as well
as an updated bibliography.
Translating the New Testament: Text,
Translation, Theology
edited by Stanley E. Porter and Mark J. Boda
Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2009. 376 pp. $36.00. ISBN 978-
0-8028-6377-5.
Thirteen contributors provide an up-to-date assess-
ment of NT translation in terms of textual criti-
cism, translation theory, and theology. Each of the
three sections includes theoretical essays on the
interface of a given area with particular issues in
translation, followed by applications of that theory
to a common passage—the story of the rich man
and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31. Advocates of dif-
ferent positions note the translational implications
that follow from choosing a particular textual tradi-
tion or type over another. These differing perspec-
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