Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34 • NUMBER 4
with an interest in Greek religion or choral poetry will have
to consult this study. Its richness lies in its cumulative detail
and its bringing together of literary, historical, anthropologi-
cal, and archeological evidence to contextualize the dynam-
ics of cultic performance throughout the Greek world.
Jenny Strauss Clay
University of Virginia
THE ROMAN SELF IN LATE ANTIQUITY: PRUDEN-
TIUS AND THE POETICS OF THE SOUL. By Marc
Mastrangelo. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University
Press, 2008. Pp. xii + 259. $65.00.
Prudentius, a Roman Christian writer and poet (308-ca.
405), was certainly influenced by Christian writers such as
St. Ambrose and Tertullian. Mastrangelo does not disagree
with this generally accepted view, but he argues that pagan
writers influenced Prudentius just as strongly. Nowhere is
this more evident than in Psychomachia. In that work,
Prudentius systematically reworks Aeneid 6 in order to
transform Vergil’s grand narrative of the Greco-Roman liter-
ary tradition into a “ ‘meta-narrative’ of Roman Christian
identity in all its cultural, ideological, and intellectual
expression” (ch. 1). With this thesis, Mastrangelo lays the
foundation of his larger argument. In subsequent chapters,
he shows that Prudentius used contemporary poets, as well
as biblical, Platonist, Epicurean, and patristic writings to
weave an ingenious intertextual structure. Basically, Pru-
dentius’ reader is encouraged to identify with a new literary
hero who is encouraged to convert to Christianity, and thus
to the way of virtue, in order to help build the new identity of
a “Christian Rome.” Prudentius wrote at a crucial time in the
history of the West, and he has not been given enough credit
for his synthesis that allowed “radical” Christian traditions
to blend with imperial Roman (and pagan) ones to produce a
new identity for the Greco-Roman-Christian self. Not only
was Prudentius himself more important than has been
generally believed, but his work shows that poetry perhaps
played a more important role than did patristic prose in
developing a Christian Roman identity during the fourth
century. A provocative and important work that every histo-
rian and literary critic of Late Antiquity will need to engage.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
A COMPANION TO ROMAN RELIGION. Edited by
Jörg Rüpke. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
Pp. vii + 542. $185.95.
As C. R. Phillips points out in his essay, “Approaching
Roman Religion: The Case for Wissenschaftsgeschichte,” a
comprehensive history of Roman religion does not exist. This
ambitious volume seeks to fill this void, drawing from a broad
range of traditions of research, including Northern and South-
ern America, Italy, Greece, Britain, France, Germany, and
Switzerland. In the opening essay, “Roman Religion—
Religions of Rome,” Rüpke defines Roman religion as an
abbreviation for “religious signs, practices, and traditions in
• DECEMBER 2008
the city of Rome.” As a whole, the volume emphasizes this
local perspective and is structured accordingly in six parts:
“Changes,” “Media,” “Symbols and Practices,” “Actors and
Actions,” “Different Religious Identities,” and “Roman Reli-
gion Outside and Seen from Outside.” Each essay concludes
with a brief discussion of further reading for those interested
in pursuing a particular aspect of Roman religion. This dense,
erudite tome will undoubtedly prove to be a significant con-
tribution to the study of Roman religion for years to come.
Matthew R. Hauge
Claremont Graduate University
ROMAN RELIGION. By Valerie M. Warrior. Cambridge
Introduction to Roman Civilization. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2006. Pp. vii + 165. $19.99.
The Cambridge Introduction to Roman Civilization is a
series designed for students with no background in Roman
antiquity, focusing on key topics and primary texts closely
linked to the Cambridge Latin Course. Warrior has written a
brief treatment of traditional Roman religion with this in
mind, arranging the survey around the following chapters:
“The Gods and their Worship,” “Divination, Prayer, and
Sacrifice,” “Religion and the Family,” “Religion and the
State,” “Religion and War,” “The Calendar, Festivals, and
Games,” “Official Attitudes toward Foreign Cults,” “Magic
and the Occult,” “Becoming a God,” and “The Jews and Chris-
tianity.” At times, the discussion can be uneven and dis-
jointed, but the generous use of primary texts, illustrations,
and maps is commendable.
Matthew R. Hauge
Claremont Graduate University
Christian Origins
THE BIBLICAL CANON: ITS ORIGIN, TRANSMIS-
SION, AND AUTHORITY. By Lee Martin McDonald.
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2007; 3rd corrected printing,
March 2008. Pp. xlii + 549. $29.95.
In this expanded (from 340 to 549 pages) third edition
(formerly The Formation of the Christian Biblical Canon),
McDonald updates and develops his basic theses: e.g., while
for some Jews the canon was “largely settled” at the end of
the first century CE, it was not settled for most until the
third-fourth c.; Christianity did not inherit a closed canon
from Judaism; Jesus did not leave his followers either the
idea of a “closed canon” or a listing of books belonging to it;
for most of Christendom, the process of forming a second
testament was not completed until the fourth-fifth c. CE. In
general, the new edition presents a stronger case for these
views than the previous one. Regrettably, however—apart
from nonsense statements inflicted upon the author by an
editor, some of which were silently corrected in the third
printing (cf. pp. 39-40, 80, 170)—it also perpetuates misin-
formation: e.g., the confusion of a Latin canon list found in
Codex Claromontanus with the manuscript itself; the mis-
290
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
construal of Melito’s comments about the canon (claiming it
reflects the MT, e.g., when the order and titles of the books
are Septuagintal); the attribution of the colophon at the end
of the Nag Hammadi copy of the Gospel of Thomas to the
author (proposing that it could be “the first known document
called a gospel”); confusing and/or misleading summaries of
the work of earlier scholars. In short, the new edition has
substantial strengths in general but too often is unreliable
with regard to detail.
Michael W. Holmes
Bethel University
DAS GESETZ IM FRÜHEN JUDENTUM UND IM
NEUEN TESTAMENT: FESTSCHRIFT FÜR CHRIS-
TOPH BURCHARD ZUM 75. GEBURTSTAG. Edited by
Dieter Sänger and Matthias Konradt. Novum Testamentum
et Orbis Antiquus/Studien zur Umwelt des Neuen Testa-
ments, 57. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2006.
Pp. 344. €99.00.
J. Becker opens this disparate collection of seventeen
essays with a study of the relationship of the temple of God
and the Torah by focusing upon the temple rhetoric in 1 Cor
3:16-17. He concludes that the early Christian community
understood itself as God’s temple, thus implying a break
from the Jerusalem temple and its rituals of atonement
because it experienced the spirit of God. Other essays also
deal with some aspect of the Law. R. Bergmeier deals with
Rom 2:12-16, 25-29 and argues that the “law written on their
hearts” refers to Gentile Christians, not just to Gentiles gen-
erally (cf. 2:14). P. von Gemünden studies the relation of the
Law to passion and desire in 4 Maccabees and compares
those views with passages from Romans, particularly
Romans 7. The author of 4 Maccabees is more optimistic
about the law’s power to control desire than is Paul. O.
Hofius deals with the Law and “reconciliation” in 2 Cor
5:18-21; H. Kuhn deals with the understanding of the Law at
Qumran and in Paul; G. Nebe focuses upon the “law of
nature” and the “Torah-Law” in 1 Thess 1:9-10; D. Sänger
deals with the Law and paidagōgos in Gal 3:24; G. Theißen
analyzes the Law and the rhetorical “I” throughout Romans;
M. Klinghardt focuses upon “law” in Mark and Luke; and M.
Konradt analyzes the fulfillment of the Law and the conflict
with the Pharisees in the Gospel of Matthew.
Two essays deal with methodological issues: J. H. Char-
lesworth on how to clarify the literary dependence of a text
upon one that predates it, and P. Lampe deals with the rhe-
torical analysis of Pauline texts. Other essays include R.
Kirchhoff’s study of the “servant” language in Rom 12:1-2; G.
W. E. Nickelsburg’s “Torah and the Deuteronomic Scheme in
the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha”; B. Schaller on the
theme of “hope” in Rom 15:7-13; H. Thyen on the mystery of
Israel in Rom 11:25-32; and O. Wischmeyer on the genre of
the letter of James. This is an important collection for
research libraries.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
291
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
JEWISH BELIEVERS IN JESUS: THE EARLY CENTU-
RIES. Edited by Oskar Skarsaune and Reidar Hvalvik.
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2006. Pp. xxx + 930. $49.95.
The twenty-three chapters in this book explore all of the
fundamental questions about Jewish followers of Jesus: How
does one define a “Jewish Christian”? What were the inter-
actions between Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Jesus in
antiquity? How numerous were Jewish followers of Jesus?
And many more. The emphasis of the book is upon analyzing
texts from the first five centuries of Christianity, texts that
were believed to have been produced by persons and groups
that were ethnically Jewish but who confessed Jesus as the
Messiah. Of course, NT texts are presented, but also OT
pseudepigraphal writings that were edited by Jewish Chris-
tians, the Pseudo-Clementine writings, quotations of Jewish
Christian fragments and sources in the Greek, Latin, and
Syriac Church Fathers, texts of “church orders” and liturgy
(such as the Didache and The Apostolic Constitutions), and
Jewish Christians as presented in rabbinic literature. Jewish
Christian groups are also presented (such as the Ebionites
and the Nazoreans), as well as individuals such as Cerin-
thus. The overwhelming emphasis of the volume is upon
texts, but the discussion of Jewish Christian groups and a
chapter on the archeological evidence for Jewish Christians
open the way to further sociological work on the issues.
Along with the editors, the writers constitute an interna-
tional team of scholars (J. C. Paget, R. Bauckham, D. A.
Hagner, P. Hirschberg, C. A. Evans, T. Elgvin, G. Stanton, W.
Kinzig, S. Hidal, G. af Hällström, L. Lahey, A. Ekenberg, P. S.
Alexander, and J. F. Strange). With extensive bibliographies,
indices, and an affordable price, this volume should become
the new starting point for any study of Jewish followers of
Jesus in antiquity. Highly recommended.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
CONFLICTED BOUNDARIES IN WISDOM AND
APOCALYPTICISM. Edited by Benjamin G. Wright and
Lawrence M. Wills. Symposium Series, 35. Atlanta/Leiden:
Society of Biblical Literature/E. J. Brill, 2005. Pp. viii + 240.
$32.95.
In modern scholarship, at least since G. von Rad argued
that apocalyptic thought derived from wisdom circles
(1972), the relationship of the categories of wisdom and
apocalyptic have been greatly debated. The twelve essays
collected here give an important taste of the debate from the
Wisdom and Apocalyptic Group of the SBL. These essays
were judiciously chosen from those presented in the group
from 1994 to 2004 (a complete listing of all papers that were
presented is included). The volume is arranged in three
parts: “Issues and Outlook” (a major essay by G. W. E.
Nickelsburg, a response by S. J. Tanzer, and a response by
Nickelsburg); “Wisdom and Apocalypticism in Early
Judaism” (five essays by M. J. Goff, R. A. Werline, B. G.
Wright III, P. A. Tiller, and R. A. Horsley); and, “Wisdom and
Apocalypticism in Early Christianity” (four essays by P. J.
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
Hartin, Tiller, B. R. Rossing, and E. B. Aitken). Essays deal
with texts (form, genre, and so forth) but also with social
locations and politics. The papers are too diverse to summa-
rize, but there are important and provocative conclusions
throughout the collection (e.g., Rossing’s thesis that the
so-called “two ways” tradition should include, if not be
renamed, the “two-women” tradition, which she finds is
commonly used in sapiential and apocalyptic traditions, as
well as in secular Greek writings). This is an important
collection that is recommended for every research library.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
THE MESSIAH IN EARLY JUDAISM AND CHRIS-
TIANITY. Edited by Magnus Zetterholm. Minneapolis:
Fortress, 2007. Pp. 163. $18.00.
This volume provides a diachronic introduction to mes-
sianism within Judaism and Christianity from the fall of
Jerusalem in the sixth century BCE through the destruction
of the Second Temple and the rise of rabbinic Judaism. The
volume emphasizes that messianism was and is a highly
diverse phenomenon that must be investigated in its diver-
sity. J. J. Collins writes the first chapter on the pre-Christian
origins of messianism, particularly as found in the LXX and
Dead Sea Scrolls. A. Y. Collins and M. Zetterholm discuss
messianism among early Jewish Christians, particularly as
found in the Synoptic Gospels and Paul’s letters. K. Hedner-
Zetterholm explores messianism within rabbinic Judaism
and J. Steppa discusses how messianic ideas were adapted
by Christians as Christianity became a non-Jewish religion.
The volume provides a splendid introduction to the history of
messianism and will be required reading for all future
researchers on the topic; it is recommended for libraries at
all levels. The volume is accessible to undergraduates but
still useful for graduate students.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
MORE THAN A PASSOVER: INCULTURATION IN
THE SUPPER NARRATIVES OF THE NEW TESTA-
MENT. By Fergus J. King. NT Studies in Contextual Exege-
sis, 3. New York: Peter Lang, 2007. Pp. 395. $103.95.
This slightly condensed version of King’s Ph.D. disser-
tation under P. Grabbe and E. Botha at the University of
South Africa works at the interface of missiology and NT
studies. King proceeds from the initial observation that the
themes of Eucharist and mission tend to be sharply sepa-
rated within NT studies, with nearly all investigations pre-
suming that the Lord’s Supper was the ultimate insider
event and entirely separate from mission concerns. This
observation has motivated King to consider the historical
origins of the Supper traditions in the NT; in the course of
this investigation, he finds that various Jewish, Greco-
Roman, and distinctively Christian traditions are merged in
the NT Supper traditions. King labels this merger of tradi-
tions “enculturation” and argues that the NT writers prac-
292
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
ticed this enculturation for the sake of evangelism. He
further suggests that this ancient enculturation of the
Supper traditions can serve as a model for contemporary
Christian mission. This study reflects more significant
engagement with NT scholarship than most missiological
books but will still leave many NT scholars underwhelmed.
Nonetheless, no serious student of either the Supper tradi-
tions or the mission theme in the NT can afford to overlook
this volume.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
THE STUDIA PHILONICA ANNUAL. Edited by David T.
Runia and Gregory E. Sterling. Studies in Hellenistic
Judaism, XVIII. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006.
Pp. viii + 245. $39.95.
The lead articles in this annual publication are: “Moses’
Physiologia and the Meaning and Use of Physikôs in Philo of
Alexandria’s Exegetical Method” (S. Di Mattei); “Conscience
and Free Speech in Philo” (P. R. Bosman); and “Two Short
Notes on Philo” (P. W. van der Horst), which are his
responses to articles by F. Shaw and A. Kerkeslager in
volume XVII on Caligula’s use of the name of the God of the
Jews and on the influence of Dionysios, Lampo, and Isidorus
during the violence of 38 CE in Alexandria. A “Special
Section” (50 pages) focuses upon Philo’s De Virtutibus with
articles by both editors, D. Konstan, and J. R. Royse. A review
article (J. Annas) reviews five books and works on Plato’s
Timaeus, and this is followed by a bibliography on Philo
through 2003, with a provisional supplement through 2006.
The final sections consist of nine book reviews, and news
notes on the “Philo of Alexandria Group” of the SBL, a new
research project on Philo and Plutarch, and an in memoriam
for R. Arnaldez. The introduction to the volume also notes
the passing of D. Hay who worked for many years with both
this volume and with the accompanying monograph series.
This is a helpful and necessary acquisition for anyone inter-
ested in Philo’s role in Hellenistic Judaism, and in ideas that
are crucial for understanding Hellenistic Judaism and the
world of early Christianity.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
WHO DO MY OPPONENTS SAY THAT I AM? AN
INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST
THE HISTORICAL JESUS. Edited by Scot McKnight and
Joseph B. Modica. Library of NT Studies, 358. New York: T &
T Clark, 2008. Pp. 175. $130.00.
The seven essays in this volume each examine one
of the seven accusations leveled against Jesus in the
gospels—accusations that Jesus was demon-possessed, a
law-breaker, a glutton and drunkard, a blasphemer, a false
prophet, an illegitimate son, and that Jesus falsely claimed
to be king of the Jews. The volume was conceived as an
expansion of McKnight’s splendid article in the Journal for
the Study of the Historical Jesus (1.1 [2003]: 73-103) in
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
which McKnight sought to develop further B. Malina’s and
J. Neyrey’s idea of investigating “Christology from the
side,” that is, considering what Jesus’ detractors said about
him. McKnight’s contribution in the present volume,
clearly the strongest chapter in the book, retains that
agenda. However, some of the other essays lack clear focus
and methodological rigor (everything in the gospels seems
to pass the authenticity test for some of the contributors to
this volume). The generative idea behind the volume is
interesting and potentially illuminating but with only a
scant introduction and no conclusion, the volume lacks
cohesion and the quality of the essays is quite uneven. The
volume will find its primary audience among specialists
in historical Jesus studies, particularly those who are
maximalists.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
FEINDES- UND BRUDERLIEBE IM WIDERSTREIT?
EINE VERGLEICHENDE STUDIE ZUR SYNOPTIS-
CHEN UND JOHANNEISCHEN AUSPRÄGUNG DES
LIEBESGEBOTS. By Martin Hochholzer. Europäische
Hochschulschriften. New York: Peter Lang, 2007. Pp. 363.
$86.95.
This exceptional volume is Hochholzer’s dissertation
(completed in 2005 under Otto Schwankl at the University of
Passau—where Hochholzer now teaches). Hochholzer’s
project is to investigate the synoptic tradition of love for
enemy (Matt 5:38-48; Luke 6:27-36) and the Johannine tra-
dition of brotherly love (John 13:34; 15:9-17; 1 John 2:7-11;
3:10-24). He pursues his project in three stages. First, he
examines love in Greco-Roman and ancient Jewish texts,
emphasizing the OT theme of love for neighbor as the origin
of both the synoptic and Johannine traditions. Second, he
carefully compares the synoptic and Johannine instructions.
Although he argues that the synoptic call for love of enemy
originated with the historical Jesus, he also suggests that
both the Johannine and synoptic instructions took their
present form in dialogue with the specific situation of the
respective evangelist’s community (he accepts that the syn-
optic call entered the gospels through the Q document).
Finally, he considers the significance of his findings for
Christian ethics. This volume represents the best in disser-
tation writing and should be required reading for scholars in
the many fields with which it interacts (particularly gospel
studies, historical Jesus, and Christian ethics).
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
THE THREE GOSPELS: NEW TESTAMENT
HISTORY INTRODUCED BY THE SYNOPTIC
PROBLEM. By Martin Mosse. Paternoster Biblical Mono-
graphs. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2007. Pp. 364. $50.00.
In this ambitious volume, Mosse seeks to reestablish the
traditional dates and authorship of nearly all NT writings.
The book’s agenda is therefore better revealed by the subtitle
293
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
than by the main title. Mosse, who has a background in both
science and mathematics, wishes to engage in a “scientific
investigation of the past,” by which he primarily means
applying Occam’s razor to the study of early Christianity. He
insists that scholarly theories must “not be multiplied
beyond what is necessary.” According to Mosse, the theories
of Q and of the pseudonymous authorship of various NT
letters are unnecessary theoretical constructs. Mosse
accepts the traditional authorship of Mark and Markan pri-
ority, but he dates Mark Gospel in 45 CE. According to Mosse,
Matthew then wrote his gospel in the late 40s or early 50s,
using Mark and an Aramaic source; Luke wrote his gospel in
61 CE, using Mark and Matthew as sources (Acts followed in
62 CE). Many readers will dismiss this work as uncritical or
fundamentalist, but that assessment would be inaccurate
(e.g., Mosse regards 2 Corinthians as a composite document).
This volume is a thorough and well-conceived summary of
conservative scholarship (although admittedly mostly
older—and often seriously dated—scholarship). More serious
critics of the work will wonder if Mosse has employed
Occam’s razor as consistently as he believes he has. On the
one hand, even a quick perusal of any one of his ubiquitous
charts will leave many readers wondering what ever became
of the simplicity of explanation that Mosse demands from
other scholars. On the other hand, Occam’s razor does allow
for theories which were necessary to explain the evidence
(e.g., just because Pauline authorship of 1 Timothy is simpler
does not mean that it is correct). In any case, a sustained
reexamination of widely held assumptions is usually a good
thing—and by that criterion, this is a worthwhile book, even if
most readers will remain unconvinced.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
THE TESTING OF JESUS IN Q. By C. Michael Robbins.
Studies in Biblical Literature, 108. New York: Peter Lang,
2007. Pp. 203. $68.95.
This volume, Robbins’s revised dissertation (completed
in 2000 at Claremont Graduate University under the direc-
tion of J. M. Robinson), argues that the first temptation in the
Q narrative is typological and is modeled after the wandering
of Israel and the Exodus themes of wilderness, hunger, and
bread. According to Robbins, the first temptation in Q is
more closely related to the temptation narrative in Mark
than are the second and third temptations, temptation
stories which Robbins characterizes as more mythological
and christologically charged. Robbins suggests the second
and third temptations quite possibly are post-Easter
theological cogitations about Jesus’ death, resurrection and
victorious enthronement. Robbins suspects that the tempta-
tions in Q were concentric and had their original theological
center in the second temptation. Luke, therefore, probably
preserves the original order of Q more accurately than does
Matthew. As with most dissertations, the appeal of this
volume will be largely limited to experts in the particular
subfields directly addressed in the volume (Q studies, his-
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
torical Jesus, pre-canonical Christology). The historical judg-
ments that are prerequisites to the explorations in this book
will appear speculative to many readers.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
PSALM 22 UND DIE PASSIONSGESCHICHTEN DER
EVANGELIEN. Edited by Dieter Sänger. Biblisch-
theologische Studien, 88. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener,
2007. Pp. 159. $45.00.
This volume provides a disciplined attempt to explore
the issue of Biblical intertextuality through the careful analy-
sis of a single psalm and its afterlife in other texts. Psalm 22,
the text under consideration, is one of the most frequently
cited OT texts in the NT. This investigation into the psalm is
divided into five chapters: one on the Hebrew text on the
psalm (by H. Strauß), one on the Greek LXX version of the
psalm (by E. Bons), one of the reception of the psalm in
Second Temple Judaism (by H. Omerzu), one on the use of the
psalm in Luke’s Gospel (by D. Rusam), and one on the psalm’s
influence on John’s Gospel (by M. Labahn). The volume’s use
of multiple authors ensures that each essay reflects the latest
scholarship in each author’s subdiscipline, but this concern
for individual expertise comes at the price of both some
redundancy and unresolved loose ends. In spite of the weak-
nesses inherent to any multiple-authored volume, this work
is stimulating and provocative. It will prove useful for those
working on a broad range of issues, including intertextuality,
reception of the biblical texts, formation of the gospels, and
the theology of the passion narratives.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
FELLOWSHIP AND FOOD IN THE KINGDOM. By
Peter-Ben Smit. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum
Neuen Testament, 234. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008.
Pp. 496. €79.00.
This revised dissertation (completed at the University of
Bern under the direction of U. von Arx and U. Luz) examines
the themes of eschatological meals and utopian abundance
in the NT, particularly the gospels and Revelation. Smit com-
plains that most treatments of these themes presume an
overly simplified development moving directly from Isaiah
25 to the NT writers. In this volume, he proposes to remedy
that situation by looking at the relevant texts in detail. He
certainly makes good on his intention to provide detailed
analysis (he invests over 140 pages to defend his negative
conclusion that John’s Gospel does not, and Mark’s probably
does not, contain these themes). His most important conclu-
sions are that these themes had a rich and diverse historical
development in both biblical and non-biblical texts; that the
themes probably made their way into Luke (where they are
more common than in any other NT book) and Matthew
through the influence of Q; and that these themes are also
important in Revelation where the revelator added a twist to
294
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
the interpretive tradition by including images of a destruc-
tive eschatological meal. According to Smit, the overall effect
of these themes in the NT is to reaffirm the image of the just
world to come. This book offers many original observations
and useful analyses, but more than a few readers will
suspect that Smit could benefit from a skilled editor with a
gift for the mechanics and economy of language. The book
will reward patient scholarly readers.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
DID JESUS TEACH SALVATION BY WORKS? THE
ROLE OF WORKS IN SALVATION IN THE SYNOP-
TIC GOSPELS. By Alan P. Stanley. Evangelical Theological
Society Monograph Series. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2006.
Pp. 415. $42.00.
The primary foci of this study are Matthew 5:20-26,
45-48; 7:21-23; 10:22; 18:21-35; 19:17-21; 24:13; 25:34-46;
and, Luke 10:27-28, and the relevant parallels. In its exami-
nation of these passages, this volume, a revised Ph.D. dis-
sertation completed under D. Bock at Dallas Theological
Seminary, answers the question of its title with a decisive
“no” and an equally decisive “yes.” According to Stanley,
Jesus (whose voice is indistinguishable from the voice of
the Synoptic Gospels in this book) taught that one enters
the Christian life entirely by faith apart from works but that
one maintains one’s salvation by works. According to
Stanley, salvation is contingent upon works but not upon
sinlessness. The volume is coherently argued and aware of
most of the scholarship that directly addresses the question
under consideration. Still, many readers will doubt whether
Stanley has correctly formulated the question or adequately
interpreted some of his sources, particularly E. P. Sanders’s
classic Paul and Palestinian Judaism. Many readers will also
suspect that the volume is a thinly veiled piece of system-
atic theology masquerading as biblical studies—although
Stanley would probably reject any major dichotomy
between the two disciplines. The appeal of this volume will
largely be confined to those who share Stanley’s Dallas
Theological Seminary-derived hermeneutics and theological
interests.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
MATTHEW’S GOSPEL AND JUDAISM IN THE LATE
FIRST CENTURY C.E.: THE EVIDENCE FROM MAT-
THEW’S CHAPTER ON PARABLES (MATTHEW
13:1-52). By Anthony O. Ewherido. Studies in Biblical Lit-
erature, 91. New York: Peter Lang, 2006. Pp. xv + 277.
$74.95.
This revised dissertation (Fordham University, guided
by R. J. Dillon and D. Béchard) deals with the general issue
of the social location and identity of the post-70 CE
Matthean community. Ewherido primarily uses redaction-
criticism on Matthew 13:1-52 as the entrée by which to
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
draw sociological conclusions about Matthew’s community.
He finds that throughout the Matthean narrative, and par-
ticularly in Matt 13, there is a growing alienation between
Jesus and “Israel,” which represents for Ewherido the
growing alienation of the Matthean community from the
larger Jewish community. For Ewherido, the alienation has
reached the stage of an irreconcilable rift with Judaism as
Matthew’s community continues to allow the influx of Gen-
tiles. Matthew 13, as well as the larger themes of the
Matthean narrative, “represents a separation that already
existed in the time of the evangelist between disciples and
outsiders (i.e., between the Matthean community and the
synagogue or parent group).” This is a model redaction-
critical study that amplifies both the literary and sociologi-
cal aspects of the method. It is a welcome addition to
Matthean scholarship.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
THE TORN VEIL: MATTHEW’S EXPOSITION OF
THE DEATH OF JESUS. By Daniel M. Gurtner. Society for
NT Studies Monograph Series, 139. New York: Cambridge
University Press, 2007. Pp. xxii + 297; diagram; 3 appendi-
ces. $90.00.
This revised Ph.D. dissertation (directed by Professor R.
J. Bauckham, the University of St. Andrews) examines the
Matthean meaning of the torn veil in relationship to Jesus’
death. Gurtner first conducts a tradition-historical study of
sacred veils and their counterparts in the Hebrew Bible, the
Second Temple, and in rabbinic Judaism. He then has a
composition-critical study of Matt 20:50, 51a, and 51b-53
that places these verses within the whole Matthean narra-
tive, and particularly the Passion Narrative. Gurtner has an
impressive and detailed overview of the diversity of mean-
ings for the symbol of the veil and its counterparts, and of the
history of interpretation of the velum scissum. Even in Mat-
thew’s time, there were diverse interpretations of the torn
veil in relation to Jesus’ death, but Gurtner argues that
Matthew introduces apocalyptic themes into the torn veil
in order to clarify that Jesus’ death provided direct access to
the divine by removing the veil—and any other cultic
impediment—to God. Using primarily Ezekiel 37 and the
dwelling of the returned exiles in God’s presence, Matthew
understands the torn veil as the fulfillment of eschatological
hopes when God’s presence will dwell among the people.
This salvific theme is foreshadowed in Matthew’s narrative
in several places, most notably in what Matthew presents as
the “opening” (avnoígw) of the heavens at Jesus’ baptism as
the eschatological revelatory time (Matt 3:16 cf. scízw in
Mark 1:10). Overall, the life and death of Jesus is the
fulfillment of the Emmanuel theme that Jesus is somehow
God’s presence with the people (Matt 1:23). Highly recom-
mended for Matthean scholars and students of the passion
narratives.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
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• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
BUILT UPON THE ROCK: STUDIES IN THE GOSPEL
OF MATTHEW. Edited by Daniel M. Gurtner and John
Nolland. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008. Pp. 347. $34.00.
This collection of 13 essays from the 2005 Tyndale Fel-
lowship NT Study Group (Cambridge) is both a scholarly
assessment of major issues in the Gospel of Matthew and a
confessional effort. As the editors say, “. . . to each of us a
personal commitment to Jesus Christ remains the foundation
of our scholarly endeavors,” but equally, “. . . the papers here
presented should also make a contribution to scholarship in
its broadest sense.” Indeed they do. Topics cover these issues:
Matthew’s sources, both oral and written (A. D. Baum); a
linguistic analysis of how Matthew’s story is presented (S. L.
Black); the relationship of Law and righteousness in Matthew
(R. Deines); Matthew’s understanding of salvation-history
(M. Eloff); the literary and theological function of “Jerusalem”
in Matthew (R. T. France); the relation of the Matthean com-
munity to Judaism (Gurtner); “Matthew and Anti-Semitism”
(Nolland); holiness and Matthew’s community (D. A. Hagner);
Pauline ideas and the Sermon on the Mount (D. Wenham);
quotations of the OT in Matt 2 (D. Instone-Brewer); “‘The
Virgin Will Conceive’: Typological Fulfillment in Matthew
1:18-23” (J. M. Hamilton Jr.); “The Use of the Isaianic Hearing
Motif in Matthew 11:2-16:20” (J. K. Brown); and “Reflections
on the Writing of a Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew”
(France and Nolland). This is a strong and welcome collection
of essays by a good mixture of senior and younger evangelical
scholars from a diversity of international locations.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
ISRAEL, KIRCHE UND DIE VÖLKER IM MAT-
THÄUSEVANGELIUM. By Matthias Konradt. Wissen-
schaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 215.
Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2007. Pp. xi + 493. €99.00.
According to Konradt, the central theological problem in
Matthew’s gospel is that the Matthean community is trying
to make the transition from the pre-Easter ministry of Jesus,
which was restricted to Israel, to its post-Easter identity as a
community that now has a universal mission. Matthew’s
gospel tries to educate its readers on how they as the
“church” should now behave in their role as the followers of
the Messiah and as the “people of God.” In order to show this,
Konradt has a meticulous yet sweeping study of Matthew’s
narrative: the ministry of Jesus and his disciples to Israel
(ch. 1); Israel’s reaction to the Jesus’ ministry (ch. 2), espe-
cially the reaction that culminated in the Passion (ch. 3);
Matthew’s view of the consequences of Israel’s negative
reaction to Jesus (ch. 4); Matthew’s presentation of Israel’s
general relation to the “nations” in comparison with the
particular understanding about the universal mission, or the
“Great Commission” (Matt 28:18-20), by Matthew’s group
(ch. 5); and the Matthean community’s understanding of the
relationship between Israel and the church (ch. 6). Konradt
does not believe that a decisive break has occurred between
the Matthean community and Judaism, and that the commu-
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
nity does not see itself as the “new” or the “true” Israel.
Instead, Matthew’s gospel presents Jesus’ identity, even in
his own ministry, as both the obedient son of God and the
son of David. This twin Christological concept provides the
bridge and the theological unity between Matthew’s commu-
nity and Israel, as well as between Jesus’ pre-Easter ministry
and messianic understanding to the Matthean community’s
post-Easter identity as the people of God. A very important
book for Matthean scholars to engage.
Fred W. Burnett
Anderson University
DIE FRÜHESTE ÜBERLIEFERUNG DES MAT-
THÄUSEVANGELIUMS (BIS ZUM 3./4. JH.):
EDITION UND UNTERSUCHUNG. By Kyoung Shik Min.
Arbeiten zur neutestamentlichen Textforschung, 34. Berlin
and New York: De Gruyter, 2005. Pp. x + 357. $127.00.
This slightly revised dissertation presents the text
(which nearly always follows the editio princeps) of fourteen
early papyri of Matthew (1, 35, 37, 45, 53, 64 + 67, 70, 77,
101, 102, 103, 104 and 110) and one majuscule, 0171. Each
is accompanied by an apparatus and analysis of the frag-
ment’s scribal character (7 are “frei,” 1 “sehr frei,” 3
“normal,” and 4 “fest”) and textual quality (3 are “normal”
and 11 “fest,” in comparison with the Ausgangstext [which
here = NA27]). An introduction (focusing on “text types” and
methodological questions) and a summary assessment of
implications (for the transmission of the NT text in general
and Matthew in particular) round out the volume (which
includes a bibliography and indices). As the use of the “frei”/
“normal”/“fest” terminology suggests, the influence of the
Alands’ Der Text des Neuen Testaments is evident throughout
the dissertation. Min argues that the text of Matthew as
preserved in these early fragments is very close to that found
in the major uncials (=Aleph and B) of the mid-fourth c. Thus,
these fragmentary papyri do for Matthew what P66 and P75 do
for Luke and John: they push back the documentary evidence
for the existence of this textual tradition to the late second/
early third c. This is a significant result. But the really inter-
esting question remains: to what extent do these witnesses
reflect the text as it existed at the close of the first century (a
century earlier, i.e., rather than a century and a half later)?
Michael W. Holmes
Bethel University
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW. By R. T. France. The New
International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand
Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007. Pp. lxiv + 1169. $60.00.
MATTHEW. By Ben Witherington III. Smyth and Helwys
Bible Commentary. Macon, GA: Smyth and Helwys, 2006.
Pp. xxii + 568. $60.00.
MATTHEW. By David L. Turner. Baker Exegetical Com-
mentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker,
2008. Pp. xix + 828. $49.99.
The last three years have seen the publication of three
full-scale exegetical commentaries on Matthew’s Gospel. All
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• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
three commentaries are written from a broadly evangelical
perspective. They are reviewed here according to the order
in which they appeared. The first commentary is R. T.
France’s volume in the NICNT series. France is a well-known
Matthean scholar who has already written a shorter, less
technical commentary on the First Gospel (Matthew [TNTC 1;
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1987]) and a volume on
Matthean issues (Matthew: Evangelist and Interpreter
[Exeter: Paternoster, 1989]). In his introductory remarks, he
states that this commentary is not a rehashed version of his
previous work on Matthew. Rather, he provides fresh exege-
sis and offers his “mature reflections” on Matthew’s narra-
tive. The commentary begins with a brief overview of
traditional introductory concerns. France refers readers to
his previous two publications on Matthew for a fuller treat-
ment. In keeping with the aims of the series, this volume
provides technical analysis in a traditional verse-by-verse
format that attempts to relate the smaller units to the larger
whole. France does not outline a specific methodology, but it
is clear that his approach is stridently historical-critical
throughout. His exegesis consistently references the Greek
text and he interacts with a broad range of scholarship in
English as well as the modern research languages. France’s
exegesis does a helpful job of locating Jesus in his first-
century Jewish setting and shows a concern for intertextual
issues and OT themes. This volume is sure to become one of
the standard authorities among those focusing on Matthean
studies. B. Witherington’s commentary in the Smyth and
Helwys series aims to reach a wide array of Bible readers by
providing features that are intended to facilitate ease of
interpretation. Witherington attempts a “sapiential reading”
of the First Gospel, that is, he sees Matthew standing in the
tradition of Hebrew wisdom literature. Rejecting the
common idea that one of Matthew’s dominant themes is
Jesus as the “new Moses,” Witherington argues that the
evangelist has crafted his material “to produce a compelling
portrait of Jesus as both sage and Wisdom, as both the
revealer of God and as Immanuel, as well as drawing on
other major images of Christ as Son of God, Son of Man, and
Christ.” Witherington’s scholarship is of the high quality one
would expect from him, but this commentary is somewhat
frustrating. There are interruptions (maps, artwork,
explanatory notes, etc.) on nearly every page. For those
accustomed to using traditional commentaries, these extra
features make using the commentary quite distracting.
However, Bible readers outside of academia will likely
appreciate these features. The book also comes with a fully
searchable CD-ROM containing the entire text of the com-
mentary. Given the aims of the series, this commentary will
likely be successful in helping many different Bible readers
understand and appreciate the text. In his commentary,
Turner outlines his intended contributions under five head-
ings: 1) his approach is narrative-critical, showing a concern
for both the final form of the text and the theological contri-
butions Matthew makes as an autonomous gospel; 2) he
reads Matthew against the backdrop of Second Temple for-
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
mative Judaism(s); 3) he seeks to provide a combination of
analysis and synthesis; 4) he examines the text through the
theological grid of progressive dispensationalism (a category
that will likely be unfamiliar to many non-evangelical
readers); and, 5) his translation philosophy throughout the
commentary is dynamic equivalence. Of the three commen-
taries reviewed here, the BECNT is the most overtly evan-
gelical and the volumes in this series that focus on biblical
narrative have a tendency to get mired in establishing and
defending the historical minutiae of the text. However,
Turner is not overly concerned to demonstrate the historicity
of every jot and tittle. Instead, he shows concern for the
literary and theological coherence of the narrative. While he
affirms the historical accuracy of the text, he is more con-
cerned to trace the logic of the narrative. This approach
makes his work unique among many evangelical commen-
taries on the First Gospel and it allows a unified reading of
the text to emerge. Each of these commentaries will serve
the needs of different readers. All three volumes provide
some benefit to those with advanced knowledge, but
France’s commentary in particular will serve scholars, semi-
narians, and other students looking for in-depth analysis of
the text. Witherington’s commentary will help lay readers,
clergy, and students, especially where background issues
are concerned. Turner’s commentary seems ideal for the
pastor or teacher looking for an informed and accessible
treatment of Matthew’s Gospel. Keeping these consider-
ations in mind, all three commentaries will find a niche
among readers and interpreters of the First Gospel.
Christopher W. Skinner
St. Mary’s Seminary and University
THE SINNER IN LUKE. By Dwayne H. Adams. Evangeli-
cal Theological Society Monograph Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf
and Stock, 2008. Pp. 204. $25.00.
Although this study never identifies itself as such, it
reads very much like an unpublished dissertation. It con-
tains a brief history of scholarship, a discourse on the pro-
posed methodology, a survey of how the topic is discussed in
Greco-Roman literature, and a reading of the relevant Lukan
texts. Regardless of its origin, the volume employs a form of
“canonical literary criticism” largely derived from the work
on NT scholars who wrote in the late 80s and early 90s (the
bibliography ends in 1998 and no secular theorists are con-
sidered). Adams relies almost exclusively upon English lan-
guage scholarship and shows no awareness of contemporary
German, French, or Spanish scholarship (those versed in
contemporary Lukan scholarship will find nothing new here
and, indeed, will often find serious omissions). Adams
argues that “sinner” is primarily a moral and legal category
in Luke. According to Adams, the sinners in Luke are people
with moral failings and who fall under the wrath of God on
account of those failings. Although the volume appears in
the monograph series of the Evangelical Theological Society,
the volume does not represent the best of Evangelical schol-
297
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
arship. Those seeking to engage either Luke’s Gospel or
Evangelical scholarship will be better served by other
volumes.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
GOD AS FATHER IN LUKE-ACTS. By Diane G. Chen.
Studies in Biblical Literature, 92. New York: Peter Lang,
2006. Pp. 294. $73.95.
This revised dissertation (completed at Fuller Theologi-
cal Seminary under the direction of M. M. Thompson) pushes
back against what is becoming a dominant concern within
contemporary NT studies, that is, the concern to regard early
Christianity as an anti-imperial movement. Although Chen’s
basic project is to examine how the concept of father func-
tions in Luke-Acts, she is not satisfied to stop with merely
achieving that limited goal. Chen extends her inquiry to the
implications of Luke’s view of the fatherhood of God. Chen
rejects both the facile stereotype of Greco-Roman fathers as
strict disciplinarians and disinterested parents and also the
uncritical assumption that Christian depictions of father-
hood were based upon a supposedly more compassionate
Hebrew and Jewish conception of fatherhood. According to
Chen, Luke-Acts adopts aspects of both Jewish and Greco-
Roman understandings of fatherhood—particularly the
Jewish conception of God as a faithful Father to Israel and the
Greco-Roman conception of the Roman emperor as the gen-
erous and merciful pater patriae. This crisply written inves-
tigation has broad ranging implications for both Lukan
studies and studies of the Christian relations to the Roman
Empire; it is highly recommended for theological libraries.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
SIGHT AND BLINDNESS IN LUKE-ACTS: THE USE
OF PHYSICAL FEATURES IN CHARACTERIZA-
TION. By Chad Hartsock. Biblical Interpretation Series, 94.
Leiden: Brill, 2008. Pp. 226. $148.00.
This volume is an audience-oriented reading of the
theme of blindness in Luke-Acts. Because Hartsock has
Luke’s ancient audience in mind, he begins by investigating
cultural assumptions about physiognomy (the relationship
between external physical characteristics and internal
moral character), as exhibited in Greco-Roman and Hebrew
Bible sources. The work is heavily indebted to M. Parsons’s
recent work (Body and Character in Luke and Acts, 2006) but
seeks to move beyond it by focusing more narrowly upon the
theme of blindness. Hartsock notes both that Luke’s Gospel
emphasizes Jesus’ mission of restoring sight to the blind in
the programmatic opening sermon at Nazareth (4:16-30; cf.
Isaiah 61) and also that Acts closes with Paul returning to
the same theme in his final discourse (Acts 28:25-28). Hart-
sock suggests that the opening of eyes is therefore a major
recurring theme in Luke-Acts and is worthy of more atten-
tion from scholars. This volume is a helpful introduction to
the study of physiognomy and provides some provocative
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
insights into Luke-Acts, but many readers will be left
wanting more interpretation of Luke-Acts than the forty
pages or so that Hartsock provides. Research libraries will
want a copy of this volume.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
UMSTRITTENER MONOTHEISMUS: WAHRE UND
FALSCHE APOTHEOSE IM LUKANISCHEN DOP-
PELWERK. By Ilze Kezbere. Novum Testamentum et Orbis
Antiquus/Studien zur Umwelt des Neuen Testaments, 60.
Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 2007. Pp. 229.
€39.90.
This revised Ph.D. dissertation (written under the direc-
tion of G. Theissen) argues that the theme of deification plays
a central role in the theology of Luke-Acts. After a brief
introduction to the theme of deification in the first century
and among the Christian apologists, Kezbere argues that
Luke-Acts reflects the interaction of two cultures with differ-
ent traditions. On the one hand, Luke-Acts assumes the valid-
ity of the Jewish commitment to monotheism. On the other
hand, Luke-Acts draws upon Roman imperial traditions of
human deification in order to explain the person of Christ.
According to Kezbere, Luke-Acts contains several stories
where God originates and testifies to Jesus’ deification. These
narratives of true deification (Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:21;
Jesus’ transfiguration in 9:28-35; and Jesus’ ascension in
24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11) are central to Lukan Christology.
However, Luke-Acts also contains several stories where dei-
fication finds its origin and testimony in human sources.
These narratives of false deification (Satan in Luke 4:5-8;
Herod Agrippa in Acts 12:21-23; Paul and Barnabas in Acts
14:8-20; Peter in Acts 10:25f; Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25-34;
and Paul in Acts 28:1-6) serve as rebukes of the claims of the
imperial cult. The work is significant, and deserves the direct
attention of those working in Lukan studies or in early Chris-
tian interactions with the empire.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
LUKE: STORYTELLER, INTERPRETER, EVANGE-
LIST. By Mikeal C. Parsons. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson
Publishers, 2007. Pp. xxii + 230. $19.95.
A companion to three other volumes on the canonical
gospels, Parsons’s book combines previously published work
with new material, centered on Luke as storyteller, inter-
preter, and evangelist. He argues that because Luke’s story-
telling reflects the progymnasmata, knowledge of ancient
rhetoric yields insight into Luke and Acts. For example,
rhetorical ideals related to narrative (diēgēsis) illuminate the
Gospel’s prologue. As interpreter, Luke adapted ancient cul-
tural values, exhorting his readers (through the topos of
friendship) and challenging conventional beliefs (about
physiognomy). Interpreting Jewish tradition, Luke modified
the traditional view of Jerusalem’s eschatological role, and he
depicted scripture (Isaiah 53 in Acts 8) as signifying the
298
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
reversal of social status achieved by Jesus’ death and exalta-
tion. Interpreting Christian tradition, Luke transformed a
collection of “L” parables and incorporated Paul’s epistolary
self-description and theology. Luke the evangelist depicted
conversion as reconstituting the people of God vis-à-vis the
Abrahamic covenant. Inconsistent integration of the author’s
previous work has resulted in an uneven volume. Neverthe-
less, by bringing together many examples of Luke’s narrative
strategies, setting these consistently within broader critical
frameworks, and providing useful bibliography, Parsons
offers the seminary student or advanced undergraduate a
detailed introduction to Luke as author within three ancient
contexts: pagan, Jewish, and emerging Christian.
Kindalee P. De Long
Pepperdine University
LUKE THE PRIEST: THE AUTHORITY OF THE
AUTHOR OF THE THIRD GOSPEL. By Rick Strelan.
Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2008. Pp. 194. $99.95.
Strelan’s thesis in this book is clear, coherent, and
almost certainly wrong. Strelan argues that contemporary
scholars “cannot, and probably never will, know what status
Luke actually had, but this book has argued that to construct
him as a priest fits the bill better than most other viable
options.” Strelan reaches this conclusion in a rather straight-
forward manner. He argues that priests were the owners,
controllers, and guardians of tradition in Judaism and that
Luke’s self-appointed task of writing a history of early Chris-
tianity placed him within this priestly tradition. From there,
Strelan speculates (with all the appropriate qualifications
and modesty) that Luke probably drew upon his status as a
priest to take up the task of writing his gospel and Acts. This
argument seems strained in light of the priests’ consistently
negative characterization in Luke, the only gospel explicitly
to lay responsibility for Jesus’ death at the feet of the priests
(24:20). Additionally, assuming the unity of Luke-Acts, as
Strelan does, the “we” sections of Acts give no hint of Luke’s
priestly status. In spite of these serious problems with
Strelan’s thesis, this volume is worthy of a careful reading by
Lukan specialists.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
DAS LUKAS-EVANGELIUM. By Michael Wolter. Hand-
buch zum Neuen Testament, 5. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck,
2008. Pp. 798. Paper, €49.00.
At most points, this commentary reflects the consensus
of contemporary critical scholarship on Luke’s Gospel.
Wolter briefly discusses and accepts the unity of Luke-Acts,
a late first-century date for Luke, and Luke’s dependence
upon Mark, Q and a unique written source. He remains
uncommitted on the identification of the author of the third
gospel with either the person referred to as “Luke” else-
where in the NT or with the person who originally composed
the “we” sections of Acts. Although Wolter interacts with the
(largely American) literary criticism of the gospels from the
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
1990s, his comments consistently engage the text primarily
with the standard tools of the historical critical method. The
considerable value of this commentary lies more in its able
handling of recent scholarship than in originality or sweep-
ing new proposals. Wolter offers a comprehensive assess-
ment of current European—particularly German—scholarship
on Luke; it will serve as a standard reference for several
years. Scholars of the gospels and of Luke-Acts will want to
consult this volume regularly.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
A FEMINIST COMPANION TO THE ACTS OF THE
APOSTLES. Edited by Amy-Jill Levine with Marianne
Blickenstaff. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 2006. Pp. xii +
242. $21.00.
These excellent essays extend the series of feminist
interpretations to the complex and contested material in
Acts. Typical of essay collections, there is no uniformity of
perspective, which happily illustrates the vibrant, pluriform
state of feminist scholarship. Thus, while M. Kanyoro
upholds Acts as a charter for Christians, especially women,
to reconfigure indigenous African missions, T. Penner and C.
Vander Stichele highlight the Lukan ideologies of violence,
patriarchy, and colonization, cautioning against reinscribing
these oppressive practices today. Contributions by J. C.
Anderson and B. R. Gaventa insightfully evaluate earlier
interpretations of women in Acts. B. E. Reid’s sociohistorical
analysis criticizes Luke’s attempt to diminish the power of
women, especially widows, in ministry, while the articles by
F. S. Spencer, J. M. Arlandson, and V. Burrus and K. Torjesen
explore the complex ways in which Luke affirms (and con-
strains) women providing material support and leadership
for the community. R. M. Price, D. R. MacDonald, K. Cham-
bers, and S. Matthews (as well as Gaventa) interpret Acts via
comparison to Homer, Euripides, Greco-Roman comedies
and cultic traditions (respectively), with differing assess-
ments of the Lukan portraits of women. J. L. Staley weaves
postcolonial and autobiographical insights together in an
engaging analysis of the “border women” in Acts 16. A.
Levine’s introductory essay is also a masterful synthesis and
contribution, giving structure to a volume essential for
scholars of Acts and feminism.
Jason J. Ripley
St. Olaf College
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES: WHAT REALLY
HAPPENED IN THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE
CHURCH. By Gerd Lüdemann. Amherst, NY: Prometheus
Books, 2005. Pp. 419. $32.00.
In this revision of his earlier monograph, Early Christian-
ity According to the Traditions in Acts (1989), Lüdemann
assesses the historicity of the events narrated in Acts. In
doing so, he offers a careful historical-critical reading of
Luke’s second volume. Lüdemann argues that because Luke
was not an eyewitness, the evangelist relied on traditions in
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• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
writing Acts, traditions that Lüdemann defines broadly as
“written sources, orally transmitted material, and general
knowledge that was part of Luke’s cultural environment.” It
is these traditions that in Lüdemann’s view contain most of
the historical information in the book. Indeed, he judges the
historical value of Luke’s final product quite harshly. The
underlying traditions, however, include both history and
legend. Lüdemann’s analysis of Acts involves four steps.
First, he attempts to separate tradition from Lukan redac-
tion. Second, he explores Luke’s purpose for shaping tradi-
tions as he did by analyzing the linguistic features and
narrative context of each passage. Third, he seeks to identify
the historical elements in the traditions by comparing
them with Paul’s letters—which he argues were not used by
Luke and so can corroborate matters of content and
chronology—other independent sources, and Lüdemann’s
own reconstruction of primitive Christianity. Finally, he
evaluates the historicity of each account as it stands. This
study offers a careful historical-critical interpretation of
Acts, providing a reasoned judgment about traditions that
may underlie the narrative and proposing a conceivable
reconstruction of Christianity in the period during which the
traditions were formed (30-70 CE).
William Sanger Campbell
The College of St. Scholastica
DATING ACTS: BETWEEN THE EVANGELISTS
AND THE APOLOGISTS. By Richard I. Pervo. Santa Rosa,
CA: Polebridge, 2006. Pp. xiv + 513. $47.50.
Convinced that determining when Acts was written is
essential for a correct understanding of it and for recon-
structing Christian origins, Pervo takes up the issue afresh.
He argues for ca. 115 CE, substantially later than the 75-85
CE estimate that many scholars accept. According to Pervo,
one of Luke’s sources was a collection of Paul’s letters, some-
thing that was not available before the end of the first
century. In addition, Luke used Josephus’s Antiquities,
written in 93/94 CE. These sources are not obvious because
Luke recast the material to his purpose and in his language
and style and incorporated it into the narrative without
acknowledging sources, a common practice in antiquity.
Pervo also argues that Acts reflects an emerging church
order similar to early second-century writings such as 1
Clement and the Pastoral Epistles, and contains terminologi-
cal and conceptual affinities with these and other texts from
that period. Finally, Pervo appeals to phrases and sentences
in early Christian literature that allude to Acts or demon-
strate a common literary milieu, and anachronisms and theo-
logical concepts that postdate 75-85 CE. Pervo’s carefully
researched and thorough study will be useful primarily for
Acts specialists, although he has attempted to make the book
accessible to general readers. He includes in his analysis
copious tables and several appendices, all of which are quite
helpful.
William Sanger Campbell
The College of St. Scholastica
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
THE SAMARITAN MISSION IN ACTS. By V. J.
Samkutty. Library of NT Studies, 328. New York, NY: T&T
Clark, 2006. Pp. xiv + 259. $150.00.
Samkutty’s work, his Ph.D. thesis at the University
of Sheffield under L. Alexander, examines the historical,
literary, and theological significance of the Samaritan
mission in Acts 8:4-25. Part I delineates his historical and
literary approach and surveys the history of research,
while Part II contextualizes the portrait in Acts, surveying
the historically contested status of Samaritans and their
portrayals in Luke. Given the questionable legitimacy of
Samaritans among various Jews and Christians (cf. Matt
10:5), Samkutty highlights the favorable portraits of
Samaritans in Luke as providing anticipatory legitimization
for the Samaritan mission in Acts. The final section pro-
vides structural, textual, and apologetic analyses of Acts 8,
affirming Luke’s defense of the Samaritan mission in Acts
as the actualized incorporation of the marginalized into the
kingdom of God foreshadowed in the Third Gospel.
Samkutty thoroughly examines the narrative dynamics and
contextual distinctiveness of the Samaritan mission. While
his approach allows him to posit both the historicity and
narrative unity of Luke-Acts, the particular combination of
interpretive approaches potentially works at cross-
purposes. Many will question how traditio-historical criti-
cism’s dependence upon perceived literary inconsistencies
coheres with the presumption of literary unity in narrative
analyses, and how structural criticism’s abstract, ahistori-
cal tendencies permit a rich appreciation of the historical
and rhetorical particularities of Luke-Acts. Nonetheless,
Samkutty’s research makes important contributions to
Lukan studies.
Jason J. Ripley
St. Olaf College
WORKS OF THE LAW AT QUMRAN AND IN PAUL.
By Jacqueline C. R. de Roo. NT Monographs, 13. Sheffield:
Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2007. $95.00.
This monograph is an expansion of de Roo’s doctoral
thesis (written under S. E. Porter). Any reader in Pauline
theology is well acquainted with debates on Paul’s view of
“works of law” and judicial versus participationist models
of soteriology. De Roo approaches the question by analysis of
“works of law” (found in Galatians and Romans) in other
Second Temple Jewish literature. There are only ten (pos-
sible) occurrences; all are found in Paul and the writings
from Qumran. De Roo finds the phrase in 4Q174 col. 3, l. 7
and 4Qmmt C 27 (she rejects 1 QS 5.21 and 6.18). For
Qumran, “works of law” expresses general obedience to
God’s law (ethical and liturgical/cultic). All works of law are
divine (God enables goodness via law). Qumran writings
suggest that a truly righteous person (particularly Abraham)
can, by superior works of law, atone for others’ transgres-
sions. Paul seems to agree that perfect law-keeping could
atone for others. He rejects, however, that anyone could be
perfect apart from Jesus. What Abraham (or Qumran) could
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• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
not do, Jesus could. This book is of interest to specialists in
Pauline theology, Galatians, Romans, and late Second
Temple Judaism.
Robert Paul Seesengood
University of North Carolina, Pembroke
THE NEW PERSPECTIVE ON PAUL. By James D. G.
Dunn. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008. Pp. xi + 539.
$36.00.
Originally published in 2005 by Mohr Siebeck, this
paperback edition is welcome for its affordable price. Of all
scholars writing about the “new perspective on Paul,” Dunn
most deserves to use the phrase in his title, given that he
coined it. The book is a collection of twenty of his essays
written between 1983, when he first referred to the new
perspective on Paul in a public university lecture, and 2004.
Two other chapters were written for this publication, includ-
ing the opening lengthy piece, which is an overall evaluation
on the new perspective, including a personal account of how
Dunn came to his particular position, and a thorough engage-
ment with other scholars who have criticized his work, often
without fully understanding it. This chapter is required
reading for anyone working in this area. The final chapter,
an examination of Phil 3:2-14 with regard to the new per-
spective, was also produced for the book. Issues related to
Paul, Judaism, the Torah, and justification are far from
resolved, and we are now seeing the emergence of a “post
new-perspective” on Paul. If scholars want a clear and
detailed sense of what the new perspective on Paul is about,
they must begin with this book.
Alicia Batten
University of Sudbury
NEW CHAPTERS IN THE LIFE OF PAUL: THE
RELATIVE CHRONOLOGY OF HIS CAREER. By
Gregory Tatum. O.P. Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph
Series, 41. Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association of
America, 2006. Pp. ix + 145. N.p.
The title of this book, an obvious play on J. Knox’s
famous book on Pauline chronology, gives a strong clue
about its basic direction. As with Knox, Tatum only accepts
Paul’s uncontested letters (excluding Philemon) as the basis
for the letter chronology, Acts being derivative and second-
ary. Also factoring into consideration is research on Paul’s
opponents and an awareness of J. C. Beker’s insistence on
historical contingency. Although for some this may seem to
be a counsel of despair, Tatum views it as an opportunity for
clearing away faulty methodology. In contrast to older
approaches centered on tracing a linear theological develop-
ment in Paul’s letters and culminating in Romans, Tatum
proposes a system for locating and tracing the development
of key issues in several letters. He claims that this allows
him to determine historical sequence. Tatum demonstrates
clearly a number of instances of the historical contingency of
Paul’s argumentation. Yet, in a short work of little over a
hundred pages, there are a number of arbitrary assumptions
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
(e.g., the composition of 2 Corinthians) and a failure to enter
into dialogue with other key works. Valuable for method-
ological issues of Pauline chronology, it is not a comprehen-
sive treatment.
Allan J. McNicol
Austin Graduate School of Theology
PAULUS. By Peter Wick. UTB Basics. Göttingen: Vanden-
hoeck & Ruprecht, 2006. Pp. 219. Paper, €12.90.
Wick offers an introduction to Paul for the general
reader with little background in NT or Religious Studies.
He presents his material in four major sections (Der
Berufene, Der Wortgewaltige, Der Theologie, and Der Missio-
nar). Each section includes “text boxes” highlighting main
points, key terms, section summaries, and discussion ques-
tions. Each major section concludes with “for further
reading” bibliographies (largely, although not exclusively,
citing German monographs). Wick focuses on the seven
undisputed letters. He accepts a fairly standard construc-
tion of Pauline “historical context.” His presentation of the
Greco-Roman context, fairly typically, reveals a Paul at
home with Greco-Roman rhetoric and philosophy. His treat-
ment of Diaspora Judaism is brief (and a bit dated). His
comparison of Pauline biography in Acts and the “Paul”
who emerges from the letters belies a very experienced
hand in sorting out the key issues and illustrating the prob-
lems. On the whole, Wick provides very little original argu-
ment (to my mind, a desiderata for an introductory text)
but restrains his own input to organization, clarity, and
summary of scholarly views. This volume would be a won-
derful selection for introductory courses on Paul (provided
the students read German).
Robert Paul Seesengood
University of North Carolina, Pembroke
MISSION IN THE WAY OF PAUL: BIBLICAL
MISSION FOR THE CHURCH IN THE TWENTY-
FIRST CENTURY. By Christopher R. Little. Studies in
Biblical Literature, 80. New York: Peter Lang, 2005.
Pp. xii + 345. $76.95.
The author, who received a Ph.D. in intercultural studies
from Fuller, has a bone to pick with present missiological
practices among evangelicals. Little claims that the current
process of channeling large amounts of money from wealthy
Western churches to developing countries not only creates a
culture of dependence but is also not effective in creating
healthy churches in mission fields. As an alternative, Little
commends Pauline mission practices that, he argues, were
inherently cross-cultural and did not depend upon the trans-
fer of resources from other places. Procedurally, the book
falls into two parts. The bulk (170 pages) is a comprehensive
study of Paul’s strategy for mission. It is surprisingly com-
prehensive and far reaching. Studies range from the social
history of early Christian centers to how mission fits into the
wider framework of Paul’s theology. The second part of the
book, less interesting to RSR readers, discusses current
301
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
evangelical missiology. Little reasons that Paul’s theology
(orthodoxy) cannot be separated from his practice (ortho-
praxy). Therefore, his missiological methods (orthopraxy)
are as normative for believers as his theology. The book has
endless quotes and is more valuable for the comprehensive
analysis of the secondary sources than the particular conclu-
sions reached.
Allan J. McNicol
Austin Graduate School of Theology
THE CORRUPTION AND REDEMPTION OF CRE-
ATION: NATURE IN ROMANS 8.19-22 AND JEWISH
APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE. By Harry Alan Hahne.
Library of NT Studies, 336. London: T & T Clark, 2007.
Pp. xvi + 265. £85.00.
Hahn’s book (a revised dissertation) contributes to the
consensus that Romans 8:19-22 reflects Jewish apocalypti-
cism by examining in detail how that passage and apocalyptic
literature portray the natural world. After reviewing second-
ary literature, Hahne analyzes major turn of the era Jewish
apocalyptic writings to consider how they describe the cor-
ruption, redemption, and personification of creation—themes
isolated from within the Romans 8 passage. Writings ana-
lyzed include Jubilees, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, Apocalypse of Moses,
Life of Adam and Eve, 2 Enoch, and sundry works subsumed in
1 Enoch. Hahne next exegetes Rom 8:19-22 and demonstrates
the perspectives it shares with those writings. Since Hahne
identifies common apocalyptic understandings of the natural
world while respecting the source documents’ diversity, he
can situate Rom 8:19-22 specifically among its Jewish coun-
terparts, which view the natural world as corrupted by human
(not angelic) sin and as being eschatologically transformed
(not replaced by a new creation). These writings also per-
sonify nature to dramatize the consequences of corruption
and hope of redemption. Hahne’s analysis is concise, suffi-
ciently documented, and accessible to scholars, with several
charts summarizing his findings.
Ronald Cox
Pepperdine University
MAL, SOUFFRANCE ET JUSTICE DE DIEU SELON
ROMAINS 1-3: ÉTUDE EXÉGÉTIQUE ET
THÉOLOGIQUE. By Erwin Ochsenmeier. Beihefte zur
Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die
Kunde der älteren Kirche, 155. Berlin/New York: Walter de
Gruyter, 2007. Pp. xii + 392. $178.82.
Ochsenmeier’s scholarly book provides an extensive,
well-structured investigation into the themes of evil, suffer-
ing, and justice in Romans 1-3. He effectively builds the case
that Paul addresses questions of theodicy right from the
beginning of Romans. The book’s great strengths include
Ochsenmeier’s scrutiny of Paul’s Hebrew Scripture cita-
tions, his examination of Paul’s grammar, and his compel-
ling interaction with Pauline and relevant interdisciplinary
scholarship. He concludes with a brief Moltmann-inspired
reflection on a post-Holocaust understanding of suffering.
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
Ochsenmeier proposes that Paul intentionally cites passages
from Hebrew Scripture whose original contexts show that
God deals justly with humanity in his own divine time. This
suggests a biblically knowledgeable Roman audience. Suf-
fering befalls not only those who sin but also inevitably their
(just) victims. Fortunately, those who believe in God’s ability
to fulfill his promises, as exemplified by Christ, may hope for
eventual salvation. Ochsenmeier’s reliance on the entire
Pauline corpus rather than simply the undisputed letters
may generate debate. Also, his reflection on a post-Holocaust
understanding of suffering would benefit from further con-
sideration of what it offers Jewish victims, in light of his
traditional interpretation of justification by faith. Overall,
this carefully argued and well-written book should generate
important further discussion.
Catherine Cavanagh
Queen’s Theological College
GALATIANS THROUGH THE CENTURIES. By John
Riches. Blackwell Bible Commentaries. Oxford: Blackwell
Publishing, 2008. Pp. xvi + 336. $99.95.
This addition to the wonderful Blackwell Bible Commen-
tary series focuses, like the others in the set, on the reception
history of Galatians through the centuries. Riches con-
centrates on principal commentators such as Marcion,
Augustine, J. Chrysostom, T. Aquinas, M. Luther, J. Calvin, W.
Perkins, F. C. Baur, and J. B. Lightfoot, among others. After a
lengthy introduction that surveys some of the main issues as
they have been received through the years, the book pro-
ceeds with ten chapters that follow consecutive sections of
Galatians. Each chapter has a different structure depending
upon the specific questions and issues that the portion of the
letter raises. For example, the chapter on Gal 1:10-24 con-
tains an account of perceptions of Paul’s “conversion”
through the centuries, while the chapter on Gal 2:11-21
includes some discussion of Gal 2:20 in the mystical tradi-
tion. The book focuses throughout on the theme of Galatians
as a “world building” text, and there is a helpful glossary of
commentators and terms at the end. Riches “richly” and
engagingly documents the reception history of the letter, and
his book is a reminder that the reception history of such texts
is no less important than the quest for its original meaning.
Alicia Batten
University of Sudbury
FROM SLAVES TO SONS: A NEW RHETORIC
ANALYSIS ON PAUL’S SLAVE METAPHORS IN HIS
LETTER TO THE GALATIANS. By Sam Tsang. Studies
in Biblical Literature, 81. New York: Peter Lang, 2005.
Pp. x + 235. $66.95.
This volume is an adaptation of Tsang’s dissertation
from the University of Sheffield (written under B. Matlock).
Glancey (Slavery in the New Testament, 2002) has demon-
strated the moral and ethical limits of slave metaphors in the
NT. Tsang approaches Pauline slave metaphors and imagery
through the lens of “New Rhetoric.” Championed by Perel-
302
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
man and Olbrechts-Tyteca (The New Rhetoric, 1971), New
Rhetoric differs from conventional “Rhetorical criticism.”
While both pay attention to subtle elements of language and
stress original “context” (knowing the “background” of a
given writing), New Rhetoric does not focus on set forms but
on how rhetoric “works.” Rhetoric is about persuasion and,
therefore, power. New Rhetoric focuses on how images,
vocabulary, and structure construct (or reflect) systems of
coercion and power. Tsang’s work concentrates on Paul’s
letter to the Galatians. Tsang finds Paul’s use of slavery
rhetoric is rooted in Paul’s own self-defense against charges
(perhaps of Paul acting in self-interest or his lack of status)
made by the “agitators.” From Slaves to Sons will be of inter-
est to scholars of Galatians, Paul’s views on slavery, “New
Rhetoric,” and feminist readings of Pauline literature.
Robert Paul Seesengood
University of North Carolina, Pembroke
THE COLOSSIAN AND EPHESIAN HAUSTAFELN IN
THEOLOGICAL CONTEXT: AN ANALYSIS OF
THEIR ORIGINS, RELATIONSHIP, AND MESSAGE.
By James P. Hering. American University Studies, 260. New
York: Peter Lang, 2007. Pp. 285. $74.95.
Hering maintains that the focus on the literary and
sociological provenance of the Haustafel in previous
research presupposes that this form is a foreign element
within the larger context of the respective letters and
ignores the specifically theological reasoning in NT usage.
He attempts to supply this missing dimension with an analy-
sis of the Haustafeln in Colossians and Ephesians. After a
study of the history of research (ch. 1), he demonstrates that
the Haustafeln are dependent on the christological and
ecclesiological arguments of the respective letters (chs. 2-4).
An analysis of ancient texts on household relations (ch. 5)
provides the basis for a comparison to NT Haustafeln. Hering
advances the discussion of this literary form by examining
not only the forms but also the ideas supporting the instruc-
tions. He concludes that, while NT authors exhibit familiar-
ity with contemporary household texts, the emphasis on
sacrificial love rather than ontology distinguishes NT pas-
sages. Hering has made a persuasive case and an important
contribution to the study of the household codes.
James W. Thompson
Abilene Christian University
ST. PAUL’S EPHESUS: TEXTS AND ARCHAEOL-
OGY. By Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. Collegeville, MN: Litur-
gical Press, 2008. Pp. xxi + 289. $29.95.
Part one of the book provides English translations of
passages from Greco-Roman writers in which Ephesus is
mentioned. These texts are briefly introduced and compli-
mented by commentary on their historic and literary con-
texts. A lengthy collection from “Historians” is followed by a
shorter section from “Poets and Novelists,” both organized
alphabetically. Unfortunately, inscriptional evidence is
almost completely ignored. In part two, Murphy-O’Connor
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
narrates his creative, if not rather too speculative, construc-
tion of the life and times of Paul in and around Ephesus,
drawing not only on the undisputed letters but also on
Pauline authorship of Colossians, the core of Ephesians, and
at least some aspects of the Pastoral Epistles. Acts is also
relied on for some historical detail. Despite the book’s sub-
title, the emphasis throughout is on the textual evidence,
although Murphy-O’Connor does draw on archeological
resources as background. The volume is more likely to be
“dipped into” rather than read cover to cover, except by those
working directly on Ephesus. A topical rather than authorial
organization would better serve the navigation of the data,
although a fairly extensive subject index is provided. Overall,
Murphy-O’Connor is to be thanked for the work of drawing
together the literary texts relevant to this important site.
Richard S. Ascough
Queen’s University
ENGAGING BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: PERSPEC-
TIVES ON THE BIBLE AS SCRIPTURE. Edited by
William P. Brown. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press,
2007. Pp. xvi + 158. $19.95.
Sixteen contributors treat the multifaceted question of
biblical authority from a variety of perspectives. Included
among the better known essayists are L. T. Johnson, F. J.
Matera, and S. D. McBride, Jr. The contributors provide a full
panoply of scholarly insights, which are not inhibited by
their confessional backgrounds. Johnson and Matera illus-
trate the freedom with which Catholic scholars, from the
mid-twentieth century, if not before, have interpreted the
Bible. McBride speaks from a Presbyterian stance. The dis-
array that can exist in the Jewish community of scholars on
fundamental questions of authority and interpretation is
described by P. Ochs. Both the biblical expert and the person
in the pew continue beholden to the power of Scripture. That
is the good news. The bad news is that the conundrums of
biblical authority are never-ending (round and round it goes,
and where it stops, nobody knows). Individual perceptions
even within the same tradition can be dispiriting for those
who are looking for absolutist solutions, whether on the part
of modernists or fundamentalists. Better not to look for such
solutions but to be satisfied with the fact that both syna-
gogue and church have always been content with the great
“main themes” of Scripture. As these essays ably demon-
strate, historical scholarship, properly understood, has
fleshed out these themes, all to the benefit of those for whom
the Bible was written, expert and simple believers alike.
Casimir Bernas
Holy Trinity Abbey
WEALTH AND POVERTY IN EARLY CHRUCH AND
SOCIETY. Edited by Susan R. Holman. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Academic, 2008. Pp. 320. $32.99.
The eighteen contributions in this volume examine
wealth and poverty in the NT and various other early Chris-
tian writings through the early Byzantine period. The focus
303
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
of the individual chapters varies widely, but the quality is
uniformly high. All but the last two chapters (which reflect
upon contemporary considerations) are focused on a single
issue or thinker. This approach has the considerable merit of
allowing the authors to engage in original and penetrating
analyses which make genuine contributions to scholarship.
However, this approach also means that coverage of issues of
wealth and poverty is unavoidably spotty in this volume; the
volume offers no comprehensive overview of the issues. The
approach taken consistently throughout the volume is tradi-
tional historical criticism; socioeconomic models and theo-
ries, when they appear, are largely borrowed and not
original. Still, the volume is very successful as a collection of
essays on this important theme; it is well indexed to facili-
tate ease of reference. This book is highly recommended for
all libraries and individuals with an interest in economic
issues within early Christianity.
Thomas E. Phillips
Point Loma Nazarene University
AND I TURNED TO SEE THE VOICE: THE RHETO-
RIC OF VISION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. By Edith
M. Humphrey. Studies in Theological Interpretation. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007. Pp. 238. $22.99.
The subtitle accurately indicates the scope of this trea-
tise: the importance, and at times superiority, of visions in
the NT compared with revelation through speech (the
“word”) alone. At times, a vision serves to settle the argu-
ment made by a verbal revelation (with examples from 2
Corinthians and Acts). At other times, the vision repeats the
meaning of the words (Acts). Sometimes, visions come with
objective propositions already enclosed within them (Book of
Revelation). Visions can likewise serve as crucial revelations
that are as yet in an early stage of development (Luke,
Matthew, Mark). Any visual element contained within verbal
disclosures tends to make revelations more open to explica-
tion, less pinned down to a single interpretation, since the
multifaceted imagination enters into play. Humphrey pro-
vides the reader (who will have to be a scholar or other
religious professional) with any number of fine insights. We
are treated to the use of the (real but little-used) word
“theurgy.” The Preface is dated to the “Feast of Saints Peter
and Paul, 2006” (easily recognized as June 29th for liturgi-
cally minded Catholics). In short, the treatise, which gives
due place to the neglected aspect of emotion versus mind in
interpretation, provides an excellent antidote to a purely
verbal approach to the Bible.
Casimir Bernas
Holy Trinity Abbey
THE BIBLE AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE. By
Gerd Theissen. Translated by David E. Green. Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 2007. Pp. xx + 163. $16.
To discuss the subject of this book’s title within the
space of barely 150 pages might seem an act of hubris or
folly, but Theissen manages to put forth coherent argu-
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
ments in language suitable for the nonspecialist. The
matrix for the treatment is, of course, Theissen’s own: why
should the Bible interest anyone outside a confessional
stance? While answering the question, Theissen manages
to expound any number of well-phrased insights. Thus,
reading the Bible is not a self-evident obligation for the
unchurched. Great scientists such as Kepler and Newton
saw no dichotomy between physical science and biblical
faith. In fact, the contingency of the universe as expounded
in the Bible has proven to be a great stimulus for empirical
research. We learn the language of symbols found in the
Bible as we learn our native language—by hearing and
using it, long before we become aware of the formal rules
of grammar and syntax. Studying the past, including that
of the Bible, helps us in the present by acknowledging the
many ways in which human beings have struggled to
become human. Contrary to Theissen, however, Catholi-
cism does not really make human authority or works abso-
lute; just as Protestantism does not make the letter
absolute. Such statements cry out for nuance. All things
considered, however, this treatise by a veteran scholar
deserves to find an audience among religiously committed
and noncommitted alike.
Casimir Bernas
Holy Trinity Abbey
THE “MITHRAS LITURGY”. Edited by Hans Dieter Betz.
Studien und Texte zu Antike und Christentum. Tübingen:
Mohr Siebeck, 2005. Pp. xxiii + 274; plates. $69.50.
Betz has made an ET and commentary of the late antique
papyrus called the “Mithras Liturgy.” It contains a critical
edition of the Greek manuscript including high quality
photos of the papyrus. Although indebted to it, Betz’s work
replaces A. Dieterich’s edition, Eine Mithrasliturgie (1903),
and is a welcome addition to other more recent study edi-
tions including M. Meyer’s The “Mithras Liturgy” (1976) and
Reinhold Merkelbach’s third volume of Abrasax (1992). Betz
begins with a full introduction to the history of scholarship
on this papyrus, its discovery, origin, provenance, date,
authorship, and previous editions. He covers its genre and
composition. Betz makes a complete line-by-line literary
analysis of the text, followed by a full commentary and bib-
liography. In contrast to previous scholars, particularly from
the old Religionsgeschichtliche Schule, he finds that it is
neither a Mithras liturgy, nor a Neoplatonic theurgical cer-
emony, nor an initiation ritual into a Greek mystery-cult. He
convincingly concludes that it originated in a milieu prior to
Neoplatonism, skeptical of traditional Egyptian religion,
likely reflecting nascent first and second century CE Herme-
tism. Its magical instructions and philosophical musings
have not yet reached the stage of Gnosticism, and thus
predate the Corpus Hermeticum. This is an amazing
resource for the study of ancient magic, Gnosis, Hermetism,
and other esoteric currents in antiquity.
April D. DeConick
Rice University
304
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
THE VISIO PAULI AND THE GNOSTIC APOCALYSE
OF PAUL. Edited by Jan N. Bremmer and István Czachesz.
Studies on Early Christian Apocrypha, 9. Leuven: Peeters,
2007. Pp. xiii + 249. Paper, $60.00.
This volume contains the proceedings of the seventh
conference of the Dutch-Hungarian research group, which
was dedicated to Paul’s visions. The conference took place at
Károli Gáspár Reformed University in Budapest, 2001. Con-
tributions are made by Hilhorst, Piovanelli, van Ruiten,
Copeland, Hogeterp, Czachesz, Adamik, Lanzillotta, Pesthy,
and Bremmer. The volume opens with a helpful chapter
introducing the manuscript and narrative traditions of the
Apocalypse of Paul, and covering intertextual issues. The
following chapters address the Prologue and four main
themes: four rivers of Eden; the geography of the River
Ocean; the relation of body and soul; and the tour of Hell.
Another chapter explores the Apocalypse of Paul as a piece
of “fantastic” literature. There is a useful textual and codico-
logical analysis of the Coptic version, and a short study of the
gatekeepers tradition found in the Nag Hammadi Gnostic
version. A complete bibliography rounds out this edition.
This book is a very good way to introduce the Apocalypse of
Paul to scholars unfamiliar with its difficult manuscript tra-
dition and content. The bibliography is extremely valuable
as it includes all the different language editions as well as
general studies.
April D. DeConick
Rice University
THE SECRET HISTORY OF HERMES TRISMEGIS-
TUS: HERMETICISM FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN
TIMES. By Florian Ebeling. Translated by David Lorton.
Foreword by Jan Assmann. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University,
2007. Pp. xiii + 158; illustrations. $29.95.
This is an ET of Ebeling’s Das Geheimnis des Hermes
Trismegistos (München, 2005). As an introductory book, it
familiarizes one with literature associated with Hermes
Trismegistos. Coverage includes ancient Hermeticism, Her-
meticism’s encounter with Christianity in the Middle Ages,
the impact of Ficino’s translation of Corpus Hermeticum,
Paracelsism, decline of Hermeticism in the seventeenth
century, and its retooling in the eighteenth through twen-
tieth centuries. Content (especially ancient) lacks detailed
analysis. Although space is devoted to ideology and com-
munity, most is given to rehearsing the Hermetica’s recep-
tion history. Ebeling argues for the existence of a northern
Hermetic tradition independent of Ficino’s Italian theologi-
cal “revival.” The Germanic tradition was alchemical, based
on Ars Hermetica, was passed on from Arabic sources, and
influenced Rosicrucianism and the Freemasonary. The phy-
sician Paracelsus was understood to be the new Hermes,
figurehead of “alchemo-Paraclesism.” Sometimes Ebeling
thinks that the Hermetic literature should be properly
separated into magical-technical aspects and theological-
philosophical. At other times, he advocates their unity. The
same fluctuation was noted in regard to whether or not
 Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 34
Hermeticism is “a” system or “many.” Ebeling is aware of
the questions of Hermeticism’s origins and Sitz im Leben,
but he does not develop satisfying discussions to either
question. Although I wished for more engagement with
Hermetic ideology and community, the book offers a fast-
paced overview of the historical trajectory of Hermetic lit-
erature, with stronger analysis of Renaissance materials
than any other.
April D. DeConick
Rice University
THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS. SECOND EDITION. Edited
by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst, in
collaboration with François Gaudard. Washington, DC:
National Geographic Society, 2008. Pp. 224. $12.95.
In this much-improved second edition of the Gospel of
Judas, first published in 2006 (see the review in RSR 32: 197),
the translation is that of the Critical Edition published in 2007
but with a number of new and improved readings. The trans-
lation is accompanied by copious notes to the text and trans-
lation. Kasser’s essay on the story of the Codex Tchacos is
virtually unchanged. B. Ehrman’s essay on the “alternative
vision of the Gospel of Judas” has been revised, but he retains
his earlier interpretation of the figure of Judas as Jesus’
“closest friend.” In contrast, Meyer has dropped in his Intro-
duction such references to Judas as a “hero” and “paradigm of
discipleship,” obviously taking into account objections to this
interpretation raised by “revisionist” scholars. Wurst’s essay
is updated, and two new essays have been included in the new
edition, “The Gospel of Judas and Other Gospels” by C. Evans
and “Judas, a Hero or a Villain?” by G. S. Robinson. Robinson,
a “revisionist,” presents what I consider to be a thoroughly
persuasive interpretation of the figure of Judas in the Gospel
of Judas. With this new edition, the National Geographic
Society can be said to have redeemed itself.
Birger A. Pearson
University of California, Santa Barbara
“THERE IS A REBIRTH AND AN IMAGE OF
REBIRTH”: A COGNITIVE POETIC ANALYSIS OF
CONCEPTUAL AND INTERTEXTUAL BLENDING IN
THE EXEGESIS ON THE SOUL (NHC II,6) AND THE
GOSPEL OF PHILIP (NHC II,3). By Hugo Lundhaug.
Dissertation for the degree of doctor atrium (dr. art.). Bergen:
Faculty of Arts, University of Bergen, 2007. Pp. 323. N.p.
The quotation in the title of this book is taken from the
Gospel of Philip (67,12-14). With this quotation, Lundhaug
begins his analysis of the concept of “rebirth” as found in the
two Coptic tractates treated, and poses the question: is this
concept the same in both tractates? After an introductory
chapter, Lundhaug discusses in Chapter 2 the theoretical
and methodological issues involved in his reading of the two
texts. Lundhaug uses what he calls “cognitive poetics,”
deriving from research on metaphor and related subjects
within the cognitive sciences. He discusses at some length
305
• NUMBER 4 • DECEMBER 2008
“conceptual and intertextual blending,” contrasting “blend-
ing theory,” and “conceptual metaphor theory.” Chapter 3 is
entitled “‘In Her Nature She is a Woman’: The Feminisation
of the Soul in the Exegesis on the Soul.” Chapter 4 is entitled
“‘No Longer a Christian, But a Christ’: Deification and Chris-
tology in the Gospel of Philip.” In the concluding chapter,
Lundhaug compares the two tractates in terms of their
understanding of rebirth. In two appendices, Lundhaug pro-
vides his own transcriptions and translations of the texts
treated. Lundhaug has thoroughly immersed himself in the
two texts, and comes up with some interesting new interpre-
tations of key passages. But his discussions, in my view, are
overburdened by the dense “cognitive poetic” jargon he
employs. Even so, readers of the two tractates will find much
of value in this book.
Birger A. Pearson
University of California, Santa Barbara
History of Christianity (Early)
FROM THE LOST TEACHINGS OF POLYCARP:
IDENTIFYING IRENAEUS’ APOSTOLIC PRESBY-
TER AND THE AUTHOR OF AD DIOGNETUM. By
Charles E. Hill. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum
Neuen Testament, 186. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2006.
Pp. x + 207. $69.00.
Hill offers two essays united by a shared claim: that
Polycarp of Smyrna was the author/source of the anonymous
material in question. The first essay makes a reasonably
persuasive case (previously proposed by Gilliard and Beat-
rice) for identifying Polycarp as the unnamed presbyter
whom Irenaeus cites in Against Heresies 4.27-32. That
person was an anti-Marcionite elder, a disciple of apostles,
and a teacher/mentor of Irenaeus. Of the presbyters Ire-
naeus names (e.g., Linus, Anacletus, Clement, and Polycarp),
only Polycarp was personally known to him. Most of the
essay offers a useful discussion of the presbyter’s state-
ments and the implications of their attribution to Polycarp
for our understanding of Polycarp, Irenaeus, and Marcion.
The second essay proposes (as Beatrice did independently)
that Polycarp is the author of the Letter to Diognetus. Hill
labors valiantly to build as good a case as can be envisioned
for the proposal. It is, however, a case constructed almost
entirely of possibilities (sometimes possibilities arising out
of possibilities), circumstantial considerations, and generic
(rather than unique, or even distinctive) linguistic parallels;
there does not appear to be any hard evidence upon which to
build. Hill succeeds in demonstrating the possibility that
Polycarp is the author, thus adding his name to the list of
fifteen or so other possible authors, but it is a slim possibility
at best. Of more value is Hill’s discussion of the integrity of
Diognetus 1-10 and 11-12, which demonstrates that dogma-
tism on this vexing question is unjustified.
Michael W. Holmes
Bethel University