ADVANCES IN THE S TUDY OFGREEK: N EW INSIGHTS FORREADING THE NEW TESTAMENT,by Constantine R. Campbell. Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 2015. Pp. 256. $34.99 (paper).

As seminaries in the United States reinventtheir curricula, many biblical language pro-grams find themselves on the chopping block.As Greek and Hebrew requirements shrink,professors and students will not only need toargue for the continued existence of languageprograms, but those interested in furtherstudy must often turn to work outside of theclassroom. With his book Advances in theStudy of Greek, Constantine Campbell takes astab at providing a resource that functionsboth as a foundation piece and a launchingpoint for further study. Campbell’s book canbe divided into two sections, aimed at two dif-ferent audiences. The first section (ch. 1–3)presents the foundations of linguistics to in-terpreters unfamiliar with the discipline. Thesecond section (ch. 4–10) lays out case studiesof current issues in New Testament linguistics.

Campbell aims the first section of his bookat students and pastors. In chapter 1, he beginsby laying out a diachronic history of biblicallinguistics in a short, accessible format. Inworking through the history from GeorgWiner to the present time, he weaves togetherthe history of biblical linguistics with key fig-ures from the field of linguistics in general. Bythe end of chapter 1, Campbell’s readers will

have made the acquaintance of linguists as di-verse as Friedrich Blas and Ferdinand deSaussure, Eugene Nida and Noam Chomsky.In addition, the reader will also have learned ofeach figure’s contribution to the study of bibli-cal Greek. In fact, this first chapter accom-plishes Campbell’s goal of igniting furtherinterest in linguistics better than any other sec-tion. Each short subsection provides enoughinformation to give the reader a basic grasp ofthe figure’s contributions, while also leavingthe reader wanting to research further.

In chapter 2, Campbell turns from historyto a synchronic look at the modern field of lin-guistics. Helpful for the neophyte reader, hedoesn’t hesitate to evaluate the usefulness ofthe different approaches to biblical studies ashe describes the field. Campbell then turns toan in-depth analysis of the two dominantschools in modern linguistics. First, he nega-tively appraises the rise of Noam Chomsky’sgenerative school of linguistics. Then, he turnsto the school that he espouses, SystematicFunctional Linguistics. In treating his ownschool, he seeks to demonstrate the upside of alinguistically informed approach, and he suc-ceeds. In this section, readers will see the waythat linguistic terms such as “syntagmaticchains” and “paradigmatic choice” are not im-penetrable jargon, but point to useful ways toframe the questions of exegesis.

Chapter 3 serves to bridge the gap betweenthe introductory section of the book and the

390 Copyright © 2016 by Word & World, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota. All rights reserved.

case studies. In chapter 3, Campbell explainsthe linguistic underpinnings of Greek lexica.He takes his readers through Bauer-Danker-Arndt-Gingrich as well as the Louw-Nida lexi-con based on semantic domains. Campbellframes what a lexicon does and how transla-tors and exegetes can make responsible use ofthem. Even students entirely devoid of interestin further linguistic study will find this chapteruseful in their application of Greek.

Chapter 4 represents a change in focus andaudience. As a result, readers who foundthemselves intrigued by chapters 1–3 maysuddenly feel overwhelmed. Chapter 4 focuseson debates over whether some Greek verbs cantruly be classed as deponents. Campbell laysout the argument clearly and succinctly. How-ever, for skeptical readers chapter 4 confirmstheir worst fears. While deponency is certainlyinteresting from a historical and philologicalperspective, Campbell fails to explain theupshot for students and pastors.

Chapters 5 and 6 correct many of the issuesin chapter 4. In chapter 5, Campbell presents alengthy, technical discussion of verbal aspectand Aktionsart. In his discussion, he refersthroughout to specific examples of how the de-bate affects reading the New Testament. Un-like chapter 4, where a linguistic neophytemight rightly ask “Who cares?” anyone read-ing chapter 5 cannot fail to appreciate the needfor a linguistically vigorous exegesis. Chapter 6continues the positive trend. In discussinggenre, register, and idiolect, Campbell leadshis readers to understand the importance ofmoving beyond sentence-level analysis of NewTestament texts.

Unfortunately, in devoting chapters 7 and 8to discourse analysis, Campbell returns to theproblems of chapter 4. It is unclear why dis-course analysis warrants the two longest chap-ters in the book, and Campbell never quiteexplains what discourse analysis is. In fairnessto him, this lack of definition is not a new prob-

lem, as Moises Silva has pointed out on multi-ple occasions. However, once again, a readerwho is on the fence about studying linguisticswill not benefit from these chapters.

In the final two chapters, Campbell turns toquestions of Greek pedagogy. Chapter 9 pres-ents an analysis of pronunciation, while chap-ter 10 lays out Campbell’s program for teachingGreek. Unfortunately, this final chapter leavesthe reader in a conundrum, especially if thereader is a teacher of biblical languages. In theface of the shrinking budgets and course offer-ings, Campbell presents Greek immersion asthe solution to Greek pedagogy and doesn’t of-fer any alternatives for small-scale teaching.

In summary, Campbell has written a usefulbook, though it is a book that is sometimes atcross-purposes with itself. Some chapters, es-pecially chapter 3, will prove themselves indis-pensable in teaching New Testament Greek.Others serve to further muddy waters thatCampbell had hoped to clear.

Kristofer CoffmanLuther SeminarySaint Paul, Minnesota

INDICATIVE OF GRACE––IMPERA-TIVE OF FREEDOM: ESSAYS INHONOUR OF EBERHARD JÜNGELIN HIS 80TH YEAR, edited by R. DavidNelson. New York: Bloomsbury, 2014. Pp.xvii + 295. $39.95 (paper).

This lovely collection of essays is dedicatedto honoring Eberhard Jüngel, one of the mostsignificant and consequential Protestant theo-logians of the past several decades. Jüngel’slearned, substantial, demanding work ismarked by a broad sweep, including signifi-cant engagements with the history of ideas(especially continental philosophy), the theol-ogies of Karl Barth, Rudolf Bultmann, andMartin Luther, and lucid, timely contributions

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to Christian dogmatics. It is fitting, therefore,that this collection of essays be likewise broad,critical, and also deeply appreciative—both ofJüngel’s own work, as well as the rich theologi-cal tradition in which he is situated. These di-verse essays cover a wide variety of topics,some of which are exceedingly technical.Rather than provide unhelpfully brief gesturesat each essay, I will offer remarks on three es-says that stand out, to me at any rate, as of in-terest to readers of this journal.

The first such essay, by Paul R. Hinlicky, iscalled “Metaphorical Truth and the Languageof Christian Theology” (89–100). This contri-bution seeks to expand upon Jüngel’s impor-tant work on the metaphorical dimensions ofChristian speech about God, primarily by clar-ifying with precision the proper structure ofmetaphor. According to Hinlicky, Jüngel’swork manifests a preference for a strong ac-count of metaphor (catachresis), and thus met-aphor plays an important, but circumscribed,role in specifying literal speech about God byopening up new possibilities in that which isalready known. This is in notable contrast toother recent metaphorical theologians forwhom metaphor occasions new possibilitiesfor speech about God without a catachresticdelimitation for responsible theological speech—in short, all assertion of similitude is takenas equally legitimate, and thus unhinged fromthe particularity of God’s revelatory self-dis-closure in his word. Hinlicky takes this ashighly problematic, and deploys Jüngel’s in-sightful calibration of metaphorical speechwith reference to the Trinity and divine revela-tion. Even if his conclusions do not elicit agree-ment from every reader, this essay will be ofinterest especially to those concerned with thenormative status of the traditional naming ofGod as Father, Son, and Spirit.

A second notable essay is that of editor R.David Nelson, and deals in particular withJüngel’s theology of baptism and the Lord’s

Supper (167–185). The question of Jüngel’ssacramental theology remains underexplored,with the exception of Nelson’s recent disserta-tion on the topic, and this essay embodies anextension of that research. Any analysis ofJüngel’s sacramental theology is prob-lematized by the fact that Jüngel’s reflectionson the sacraments consist both of descriptionsof Karl Barth’s rejection of sacramentalism inChurch Dogmatics IV/4, as well as Jüngel’s ownconstructive contributions. While some inter-preters have chosen to locate Jüngel’s positionin close proximity to Barth’s, Nelson convinc-ingly adduces evidence that in developing hisown theology of baptism and Eucharist, Jüngelhas aligned himself more closely to the historicLutheran position than many commentatorshave thought.

The third essay that will be of interest tomany readers is that of Steven Paulson, whoprovides a compelling description of “Luther’sDangerous Account of Divine Hiddenness”(203–217). Paulson takes aim directly at theimpulse in much modern theology to refuseany account of divine hiddenness in whichGod operates outside of revelation, and which,consequently, collapses the immanent Trinityand the economic Trinity into one another(Rahner’s rule). Paulson suggests that such adescription is inescapably bound to the prob-lem of theodicy, and thus modern theology iscaught paradoxically between affirming thatGod is love and that there is suffering in theworld. Paulson, in notable contrast to Jüngel,proposes Luther’s own account of divinehiddenness, in which God operates apart fromthe word in order that reason itself be morti-fied and that sinners take refuge only in thepromise of the gospel. Any unity within God isto be sought not in a reduction of God’s iden-tity to the external features of his interactionwith the world in revelation, but only in thepromise that creates faith and to which faithclings––all this in spite of the present experi-

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ence that contradicts what the promise givesand declares. Paulson’s essay will be mostprofitable for those, especially pastors, whoare interested in the relevance of Luther’stheology for preaching and pastoral care.

These are certainly not the only interesting,helpful, or illuminating contributions in thevolume. Other interesting essays not to bemissed include Paul DeHart’s chapter on anal-ogy and Trinity from a Thomist perspective(51–69), Piotr Malysz’s “The Resurrection asDivine Openness” (143–153), Derek Nelson’sremarks on justice and the state (155–166),and Philip Ziegler’s reflections on Christianfreedom (255–266). Indeed, Indicative ofGrace—Imperative of Freedom represents atangible advance in anglophone scholarshipon Jüngel, and will prove a valuable resourcefor those seeking high-quality, accessible sec-ondary resources on his work. Moreover, thebook itself is an excellent collection of contri-butions to systematic theology more broadly.Finally, these diverse—and often diver-gent—essays are of commendable relevanceto the church not least because of their insis-tence, with Eberhard Jüngel, that we can speakof God only because God has first spoken to us.

John W. HoyumLuther SeminarySaint Paul, Minnesota

LUTHER AND LIBERATION: A LATINAMERICAN PERSPECTIVE, by Wal-ter Altmann, trans. Thia Cooper. 2nd ed.,rev/exp. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2016. Pp.336. $33.15 (paper).

“Jesus takes our place, so we can occupyhis” (#OccupyJesus)

Altmann’s classic, based on lectures he de-livered in Buenos Aires in 1983 commemorat-ing the 500th anniversary of Luther’s birth, hasnow been revised and expanded in prepara-

tion for 2017 and the 500th anniversary of theReformation. It could equally be subtitled,“Reading Luther with Clarity.” Whereasnon-liberation-oriented works on Martin Lu-ther will unfortunately serve as placeholders inintroductory courses on Luther and the Refor-mation, the real strength of Altmann’s ap-proach is to present Luther’s robust theologyless flattened by European and Western per-spectives. Let’s hope Altmann’s book becomesthe standard reference work for Luther inseminary and college classes.

The two longest sections of this book aredevoted, first, to doing theology in a new inter-pretive key, and then conducting exercises onLuther’s ethical positioning in light of this newinterpretive key. Altmann bookends these twolong chapters with an opening chapter offeringan overview of Luther’s theology and work anda concluding chapter on Luther’s legacy, with aspecial eye toward the reception of Luther inLatin American liberation theology.

Altmann earns his credibility throughoutthis book, with his close attention to Luther’swritings, and broad awareness of Luther’s his-torical context, coupled with a careful readingof his own Latin American context. He alsoearns credibility by asking excellent, poignantquestions, like Is thinking about Luther a wasteof time?

An enormous effort has been made, begin-ning in the 19th century with the publication ofthe Weimar edition of Luther’s works, thencontinuing with the Luther Renaissance led byKarl Holl, to know Luther well enough to an-swer the question, What did Luther reallywant? But Altmann, operating out of the her-meneutics of liberation, knows this means weneed to also ask an additional question, Andus, in the end, what do we want? (326).

In practice, this means Altmann will needto contend with the traditional loci of Lutherstudies—justification by faith, evangelicalfreedom, the cross, vocation, Scripture, church,

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sacraments, kingdoms theology. But Altmannat each locus does a two-step analysis, firstcarefully spelling out with remarkable claritywhy Luther’s theology was so radical in hisown day, then articulating how shifts in con-text mean we can approach that same locus inliberation perspective now in our day.

He writes, “Being Lutheran, therefore, isnot something that is acquired once and thenpreserved, but it is something that must be ob-tained each moment, in renewed faithfulnessto the gospel. It is a permanent task. Thereinlies the truly problematic aspect of the confes-sional fixation of Lutheranism, even in thesense of a particular church (Lutheran), be-cause there it is supposed to be possible to fixand thus preserve, with the person of Luther,the contingent and instrumental identity of theLutheran cause. In any case, a process so dubi-ous came, without doubt, to block to a large ex-tent the ‘free course of the gospel,’ preparing

the path for what Steck calls the ‘very problem-atic road from Luther to Lutheranism’” (336).

So, for example, there has been a transitionin what reform means, and the context for re-form, from Luther’s era to our own. Reform ofthe church, in our political, social, and eco-nomic systems, is a peripheral concern. Peopledo not hope for liberation from the church.Instead, people look for liberation from thepolitical, economic, and social system that dis-criminates, marginalizes, and deals death.Altmann homes in on what is liberative in Lu-ther’s theology: “Try this grace, live by thisfaith, and you also will find forms of lifenon-compliant with poverty, as well as modesof action that open the path to a dignified life insolidarity” (92).

Altmann repeatedly flips orthodox, confes-sional approaches to Luther that have reas-serted Lutheran theology as a tool of thehierarchy. He notes that we can “register what

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was revolutionary in Luther’s ecclesiology; init we find a communitarian emphasis, theliberation from institutional tutelage, theunderstanding of the ecclesial structure as re-formable and for service, the preference for theweak, the mark of the cross, and primacy of theword of God.…on the other hand, the neces-sary liberation from dominant political tute-lage only happened in assay” (141).

Playing the notes of traditional Lutheranstudies—promise, protest, gospel—Altmannturns them in the direction of liberative prac-tice, inspiring those who live by faith not tosubmit or be passive, but to get involved, pro-test, live new life. He believes involvement inthis critical moment is important especiallythrough popular organizations (think hereof #blacklivesmatter), joint action groups(worker justice centers), unions, and partiesorganized at the grassroots. Our current sys-tem of injustices will be overcome most ef-fectively when Christians of all kinds areencouraged to participate in these, and espe-cially when the voice of the poor is organized tospeak with its own voice, having first heardthe address of God’s love. This is because “theaddressees par excellence of God’s love are sin-ners, the needy, suffering people, the margin-alized, the weak, the sick, in sum, ‘the poor’”(35).

If we want to comprehend Luther’s conceptof vocation for today, in light of Latin Ameri-can liberation theology, we should place it inproximity to identification with the cross, un-derstanding justification by faith as the veryfreedom to take up the cross. “This means: toplace ‘vocation’ and the ‘holiness’ of the secu-lar profession into a broader context, where to-day history is made, that is, in the context ofthe social organizations and movements”(349). This kind of reading of Luther, alwayswith an eye both to what Luther wanted in hiscontext, and what we want in ours, is the way to

proceed on the path Luther started withoutrigidly attempting to repeat it.

Clint SchneklothGood Shepherd Lutheran ChurchFayetteville, Arkansas

THE REVELATORY BODY: THEOL-OGY AS INDUCTIVE ART, by LukeTi m ot hy Joh ns on . Gr a nd R api d s :Eerdmans, 2015. Pp. 246. $25.00 (cloth).

It is generally understood that deduction isthe process of reasoning that moves from gen-eral premises or observations to reach a logicalconclusion. It is a process, some say, that isgenerally favored by scientists and the world’sgreatest consulting detectives in solving crime.

Induction, on the other hand, is the practiceof making inferences based upon observedpatterns, making predictions and observa-tions about what might happen based uponwhat has happened. It is the process advocatedby Luke Timothy Johnson in The RevelatoryBody: Theology as Inductive Art. It is Johnson’scontention that too much theology is proposi-tional, striving to reach conclusions abstractly,deriving conclusions deductively from textsrather than inductively from experience.

He argues that theology must refrain fromadvancing abstract propositions and insteadspeak by beginning in language and ending inaction. The point of his book, he says, is “thattheology should move more toward being aninductive art than a deductive science” (5).Further, Johnson argues that theology shouldshift its attention to living bodies rather thanancient texts. By this he does not dismiss theplace or efficacy of Scripture and creeds.Rather he sees them as necessary but not suffi-cient for understanding how God works inhuman lives.

Johnson begins to unravel his conviction bydevoting a chapter to discussing and refuting

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the late (and now Saint) John Paul II’s bookTheology of the Body: Human Love in the Di-vine Plan. While he respects John Paul II’steaching on sexuality, Johnson declares thatthe pope’s teachings fall short of being a satis-factory theological approach to the subject ofthe human body as the arena of God’s self-disclosure. In short, the pope’s book, Johnsonavers, is inadequate. It fails to understand thehuman body and therefore human sexuality.(Johnson admits that his lengthy riposte inpart derives from a papal apologist taking ex-ception to his, Johnson’s, “harmful advocacyof the sexual counter-revolution” [22, 23]).

Having ruffled the feathers of theologians,papal apologists, and perhaps some readers,Johnson proceeds to make his case for the hu-man body’s being the preeminent arena forGod’s revelation in the world. He outlines andunderscores the importance of Scripture in hisapproach to the revelatory body. That is, Scrip-ture originally arose out of the experience ofGod in the body—something that can be ob-served especially in the Old Testament in gen-eral and the Psalms in particular. Johnsonnotes how personal God is as the psalmistspeaks truly about a God-intoxicated life.Johnson demonstrates this point by citingsome 90 references in the Psalms (on page 41)that illustrate the somatic experience of life be-fore God. In short, the word of God is not anidea or abstraction; it is present in the free playof bodies in the empirical world.

Johnson uses the rest of his book to unfoldthe somatic character of revelation. “Scripturedemands a consideration of the human bodyas the privileged place for the revelation ofGod’s Spirit in the world” (64). In six succes-sive chapters Johnson presents his inductiveunderstanding of the relation of God and thebody: the body at play, the body in pain, thepassionate body, the body at work, the excep-tional body, the aging body.

While the first part of the book is somewhat

abstract and takes some effort to understand,these latter chapters are thought-provoking,moving, almost lyrical, and worthy of groupdiscussion. In each chapter Johnson followsthe pattern of scriptural commentary, per-sonal and experiential observation, and theo-logical understanding. For example, in “ThePassionate Body,” Johnson cites scripture andthen talks about the place of sex in relations(including gay relations) as well as the com-modification of sex in our culture.

He is especially moving, sobering, and per-sonal in the chapter on the aging body. Hegives a detailed account of his own aging,stressing the losses that occur in later life.Without being maudlin, Johnson’s descriptionis a kind of metonymy; that is, his own experi-ence of the latter part of life and all its vicissi-tudes stands for the kind of process we all mustundergo. Hence, we are obliged to accept ourdependence on one another as well as our ownunderstanding of aging, dying, death, and thehope of resurrection (!).

As rich and thoughtful as the book is, thereare a few demurs. While Johnson emphasizestheology as an inductive art, he has little to sayabout art itself. A stroll through any art mu-seum will inductively reveal much about thebody in space, time, and imagination. John-son’s—and our—theological insights mightbe enriched by spending some time withsomeone like Rembrandt or Albrecht Dürer.

In his otherwise insightful discussion ofChristian worship, Johnson extols the RomanCatholic and Orthodox forms of worship asvehicles of transcendence. Yet he overlooksor ignores Lutheran, Anglican, and otherProtestant forms of worship where the tran-scendent can, on occasion, also be present andavailable.

The discussions about the body at play or inpassion are quite moving. Yet, as insightful asthey are by someone designated as an advocateof the “sexual counter-revolution,” there are

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other somatic areas where the body lives andhas its being besides sex: consider gluttony,greed, envy, and others. One is reminded inthis respect of Dorothy Sayers’s classic essayon “the other six deadly sins.”

The Revelatory Body is not an easy book toread, for the argument is complex and some-times wanders. Yet there are times when thenarrative crackles—as when Johnson takes achop at deductive theology or when he talksabout the joy of learning and education (exceptperhaps for the exhaustion of grading studentpapers).

Since Johnson has such a predilection forRoman Catholic worship patterns with respectto the body in worship, he might approve of theCatholic rite of the Catechumenate. At the cul-mination of that rite the sign of the cross ismade on the forehead (a reminder of the Trin-ity), then on the lips (to speak God’s word), theears (to hear God’s word), and so on until thewhole body is blessed and marked with thesign of the cross. That is about as inductive as itgets.

Robert BrusicLuther SeminarySaint Paul, Minnesota

AMERICA’S ORIGINAL SIN: RACISM,WHITE PRIVILEGE, AND THEBRIDGE TO A NEW AMERICA, byJim Wallis. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2016. Pp.238. $21.99 (cloth).

The biblical prophets’ job was to see thedanger and sound the alarm: “The house is onfire!” They did not necessarily have all the an-swers as to what to do next, but somebody hadto sound the alarm. Then it would be up to oth-ers who heeded that warning to use their skillsand talents to do something about it.

Jim Wallis’s book works at both levels. Hesounds the alarm about the presence of Amer-ica’s “original sin” of racism and responds

with constructive criticism and serious sug-gestions about where we might go from here.Spelling out that “sin” in more detail, Wallischallenges the reader with this observation:“The United States of America was establishedas a white society, founded on the near geno-cide of another race and then the enslavementof another” (39). Wallis rehearses the histori-cal background and the present reality of thatstatement in ways that make the reader pay at-tention, and then challenges us to respond inmeaningful ways. No cheap grace, to be sure, àla Bonhoeffer (63), but the difficult task of ac-tually turning things around, which requires,in biblical language, “repentance”—sub in theHebrew Bible (to turn around, to go in a newdirection) and metanoia in the Greek New Tes-tament (to change one’s mind, to be trans-formed). Here, Wallis quotes N. T. Wright,stating that repentance in the biblical sense is“a serious turning away from patterns of lifewhich deface and distort our genuine human-ness” (61). It takes little imagination to seehow that applies to the “original sin” of racism.

Near the beginning of the book, Wallis tellshis own story of his relationships with blacksin Detroit. Such storytelling is an effective de-vice, because it challenges readers (like me) toreflect on their own stories as well. In his story,Wallis tells about leaving the church becauseof its refusal to talk about racism. Indeed, asone elder told him, “Son, you’ve got to under-stand: Christianity has nothing to do with rac-ism; that’s political, and our faith is personal”(3). Coming back to the church, required, ashe says, a “conversion” experience, broughtabout by rediscovering Jesus’ claim in the gos-pel that “just as you did it to one of the least ofthese who are members of my family, you did itto me” (Matt 25:40). Wallis then dedicated hislife and his ministry to the “least of these.”

On page after page, Wallis documents thelegacy of America’s “original sin.” Included isa lengthy chapter on both the failures and suc-

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cesses of the Christian church on matters ofrace, “A Segregated Church or a Beloved Com-munity?” ( 97–126), this following a provoca-tive few pages on “What Color Are the Childrenof God?” (94–96). Especially given the descrip-tion of “The Biblical Narrative” (101–108),this material would provide an excellent basisfor a congregational study of its own culture.

Toward the end of the book, Wallis offersfourteen recommendations, described atsome length, for how what he calls “our brokensystem” can be transformed (147–153). Inother words, though a cautious and alarmingpresentation, Wallis’s book is not withouthope, which is why his final chapter is titled“Crossing the Bridge to a New America.”

The “bridge” metaphor is based on theEdmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama,named after a Confederate general who be-came a Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan(190). It was the site of the bloody confronta-tion in 1965 of a group of African Americansseeking the right to vote and the forces of Sher-iff Jim Clark, a notorious foe of integration,who followed in the train of Sheriff BullConnor, whose use of attack dogs and firehoses two years earlier served as one of the cat-alysts for major social and legal change in thesouthern United States and contributed topassage by the United States Congress of theCivil Rights Act of 1964.

But this book is not primarily a recital ofpast issues. It is thoroughly up to date, discuss-ing in objective detail the events surroundingthe death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mis-souri, and Freddie Gray in Baltimore as well asthe Black Lives Matter movement. In that re-gard, while a member and supporter of theBlack Lives Matter movement, Wallis agreesthe “blue” lives matter as well (134–136), es-pecially given the danger police officers face intheir jobs every day. Still, statistics support theclaim that policing and incarceration are notequally exercised. This is what produces the

tragic necessity of parents having “The Talk”with their children—telling them how to actand not to act in order to survive on the streetand especially in confrontations with police of-ficers (5–7), a conversation rarely necessary inwhite families.

Finally, Wallis asks how a new and produc-tive bridge might be constructed. Some of itwill be inevitable because of the demographicchanges that by 2045 will make those peoplewe now term “minorities” the majority popu-lation in the United States. However, prior tothis, the “new bridge” can begin to be con-structed by such things as truly hearing thestories of marginalized people, deliberatelycrossing boundaries to meet and interact withothers, ensuring a good and equal educationfor all citizens, and listening to the testimonyof sports participants who routinely say thatplaying alongside people of color had madethem see such folks in an entirely new light.

So, the book brings us back to where itstarted, namely, listening to and learning fromthe stories of others, which can, Wallis says,help us cross that bridge to a new America.

Frederick J. GaiserLuther SeminarySaint Paul, Minnesota

SHE: FIVE KEYS TO UNLOCK THEPOWER OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY,by Karoline Lewis. Nashville: Abingdon,2016. Pp. 224. $19.99 (paper).

Why this book matters: She could not havebeen written at a more timely point in history.As Americans watch a woman break yet an-other glass ceiling by being the first femalenominee for president of a major politicalparty, books and articles about what it meansto be a woman in leadership, of any sort,abound. Absolutely pertinent to this discus-sion, She, by Karoline Lewis, offers a thought-

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ful, theologically relevant, and experientiallybased examination of several truths aboutwhat it means to be a woman in ministry in thechurch today. She calls readers to journey withthe author as she examines five keys that willhelp women unlock their power as leaders inministry.

What truth? What power? Writing directlyto women who work in ministry settings,Karoline Lewis’s book invites readers to en-gage honestly and reflectively on their own ex-periences in ministry by providing theoreticaland practical frameworks that address inher-ent truths about the challenges that women inministry face. Lewis overlays these truths withdeep and thoughtful theological reflection aswell as wise biblical interpretation. From coverto cover this book asks its readers to do hardwork, to be open to thinking honestly and criti-cally about their own experiences and wheretheir personal truth intersects with who theyare as theologians and leaders in a historicallymale-dominated profession.

Drawing on modern feminist theory, bibli-cal interpretation, and personal experience,She explores the realities that women in minis-try face through telling the truth about fivespecific keys meant to help readers unlocktheir power as a woman in ministry. The powerthat She calls readers to embrace is not a powerspecific to women, but the power that comesfrom claiming ourselves as the beloved of Godand living genuinely into the people we arecalled to be. In She, this power becomes spe-cific to women through self-examination andhonest reflection on their unique experiencesas leaders in the church. Lewis, however, doesnot ask her readers to journey alone. Perhapsthe greatest gift contained in the pages of She isthe truth of experience, both the personal ex-perience of the author and that of women shehas known. Women in ministry, whethernewly ordained or longtime veterans, will putdown this book knowing that they are not

alone. There is freedom and hope found in theknowledge that experiences and truths areshared. To put it bluntly, this book invitesreaders to take a deep breath, exhale, and feelweight lifted off their shoulders as they realize“It’s not just me.”

The work that each chapter of She invitesreaders to do is applicable to anyone in minis-try. We all must consider how we interpret bib-lical texts and how we apply (or don’t) thatinterpretation to our practice as church pro-fessionals. We must all consider what it meansto be vulnerable and to serve the most vulnera-ble amongst us. We must all confront our as-sumptions, fears, and deeply held beliefsabout sexuality, identity, and authenticity. Ifwe are to be good, faithful, and thoughtfulleaders we must have considered what we be-lieve about leadership and how we live intothose beliefs. Acknowledging the truth inher-ent in both individual and shared experiencesof women in ministry, each chapter of thisbook pushes readers to think more intention-ally about who they are, what has shaped whatthey believe about themselves, and how theyembrace their power in light of these revela-tions. This book calls each of its readers to em-brace their inherent value and giftedness andoffers hope that by recognizing their powerthey will be able to live more fully into their callto be leaders in the church.

As a woman in ministry, how would I usethis book? It would be well used as a study textfor small groups in congregations, clergygroups, or for seminary students. The under-standing gained by working through the inher-ent truths about what women experience in thechurch and then looking forward to howwomen can fully embrace their power and po-tential as leaders would be valuable to congre-gations and synods, who not only desire tohave gender diversity among their clergy butare committed to valuing the differences thatcome with such diversity. If I facilitated a book

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study or clergy reading group this book wouldbe on the top of my list. The truths discussed inits pages are written specifically to and aboutthe experience of women in ministry—how-ever, much of the theological, spiritual, andpractical work that She calls readers to explorewould well serve anyone who works in thechurch. The practice of examining why we dowhat we do is a valuable tool for anyone whoclaims to want to be a good and improvingleader.

So, why, really, does She matter? Becausewomen in leadership, across the board, havefor too long been subject to undue criticismand systemic abuse. Because women have

been called horrible names for acting the sameway as men and for stepping outside of tradi-tional gender roles. Because the daughters ofour generation deserve a church and a worldthat has been taught how to accept and affirmwomen for who they are. The truth and powerthat Lewis invites readers to explore in She isnot brash, aggressive, or self-serving, butrooted in well-considered and thoughtfullydiscerned theological claims about what itmeans to hold power carefully and be a healthyleader in any capacity.

Amelia ArthurLuther SeminarySaint Paul, Minnesota

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