Preaching Mark in Two Voices – Brian K. Blount and Gary W. Charles

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ern cemetery. This volume will be of particularinterest to scholars interested in the develop-ment of vernacular and monumental architec-ture in Mesopotamia.

Michael DanteUniversity of Pennsylvania

Christian OriginsCHRISTIAN ORIGINS. Edited by RichardHorsley. A People’s History of Christianity, 1.Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2005. Pp. v+ 318. $35.00, ISBN 0-8006-3411-X.

The first of seven volumes devoted to anexamination of Christianity “from below,”Christian Origins rethinks the beginnings ofthe Christian movement from the perspectiveof the non-elites. Eschewing well-worn discus-sions of ecclesiology, doctrine, and the achieve-ments of “great men,” this text considers theresponses of “average” Christians to the social,economic, and political realities of Greco-Roman life. The result is an incisive collectionof twelve articles that contribute to recentattempts at reframing the debate on Christianorigins. Horsley’s introductory essay outlinesthe agenda and perspective of the volume: apeople’s history evaluates all of the availabledata to uncover how the cultural patterns of themasses (the “little tradition”) interacted withthose of the elites (the “great tradition”). Thisstrategy involves reading “against the grain”and taking seriously the “hidden transcripts” ofthe powerless that are often embedded withinand obscured by the discourses of the elites.The volume’s three sections—1) Early JesusMovements; 2) Cities and Texts; and 3) SocialPatterns and Practices—contain articles writtenby prominent scholars in a style amenable toadvanced undergraduates and graduate stu-dents. Yet instructors will also benefit from theauthors’ application of literary and social-scientific methodologies.

David M. ReisCollege of Santa Fe

THEOLOGICAL HERMENEUTICS AND1 THESSALONIANS. By Angus Paddison.Society for New Testament Studies MonographSeries, 133. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress, 2005. Pp. xvi + 230. $80.00, ISBN0-521-84983.

Paddison’s study is emphatically a theolog-ical interpretation of 1 Thessalonians. He openswith a passionate critique of historical exegesisof the text, noting that while some gains aremade through the method, the commitment toexcavating the text often overlooks (deliber-ately or otherwise) further meanings mediatedby the text. The central chapters look at twopremodern commentators on 1 Thessalonians,Aquinas and Calvin, as exemplars of specificinstances of interpreting the text within an

ecclesial context. This sets the stage for Paddi-son’s own theological reading, which explores“in their infinite depth” the images of redemp-tion in 1 Thessalonians, showing that in the textitself “there resides an ultimate reference ofinexhaustible depth.” This abstraction, it turnsout, is reflected in 1 Thessalonians through thepromise of resurrection to those who believe inthe death and resurrection of Jesus. While Pad-dison provides some exegetical insight into thetext along the way, the focus of the book is howa particular theological theme can be mediatedthrough a particular configuration of premoderncommentators. It will be of most interest tothose concerned with hermeneutics and biblicaltheology and, particularly, those who sharePaddison’s concern with the “ultimate refer-ence.”

Richard S. AscoughQueen’s University

THE POWER OF SAVING WISDOM:AN INVESTIGATION OF SPIRIT ANDWISDOM IN RELATION TO THE SOTE-RIOLOGY OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL.By Cornelis Bennema. Tübingen: MohrSiebeck, 2002. Pp. xi + 318. $97.50, ISBN3-16-147746-4.

Bennema studies the interrelationshipbetween Spirit, salvation, and wisdom in orderto explicate what he calls “John’s PneumaticWisdom Soteriology.” After rehearsing the his-tory of scholarship on salvation, faith, knowl-edge, wisdom, and spirit in John, Bennematreats texts from sapiential Judaism (includingsome Qumran texts) because he assumes this tobe John’s primary conceptual background. Heargues that Johannine soteriology is related to“degrees of intensity and quality of Spirit andW/wisdom.” He provides a model of Johanninesoteriology and then breaks the soteriologicalanalysis into two sections: salvation duringJesus’ ministry (John 1-12) and after his depar-ture (John 13-17). Ultimately, Bennema con-cludes that the Spirit is a “life-giving cognitive(and affective) agent who creates and sustainsa life-giving relationship between the believerand the Father and Son (salvation).” Whether ornot one finally agrees with Bennema’s conclu-sions, he has done the guild a service by focus-ing so closely on a single aspect of the FourthGospel—pneumatology. Scholars will findthe book useful to consult when treating anyaspects of the Gospel that may intersect withspirit, wisdom, and salvation. Teachers couldassign a particular section, such as that devotedto the Wisdom traditions in the Hebrew Scrip-tures, LXX, and Philo or that which providesan overview of Johannine soteriology, to pro-vide a relatively brief overview of a particu-lar aspect of the Gospel. Advanced studentsresearching Johannine pneumatology might usethe book as a dialogue partner more than anauthoritative voice.

Jaime Clark-SolesPerkins School of Theology

EARLY CHRISTIAN MISSION. VOLUMEONE: JESUS AND THE TWELVE. ByEckhard J. Schnabel. Downers Grove andLeicester: InterVarsity Press and Apollos, 2004.Pp. xliii + 913. $45.00, ISBN 0-8308-2791-9.

The overarching question for Schnabel is:How did the missionary impulse arise amongearly Christians, and how was its mission car-ried out? He first surveys the HB, the Prophets,and groups in Second Temple Judaism formissionary emphases. His conclusion is thatChristianity did not inherit a rich missionarytradition from Judaism. Jesus’ particular geniuswas his own messianic self-awareness that hewas sent by God to gather “the lost sheep of thehouse of Israel” (Matt 15:24). Jesus’ mission-ary impulse, therefore, is inextricably linked tohis messianic self-understanding, and his mis-sionary activity is also “the beginning of themissionary activity of the early church.” Thereis an unbroken historical chain from Jesus toThe Twelve, a historical group, who continueJesus’ missionary activity to Israel, and to Pauland the early church’s mission to the Gentiles.Schnabel virtually equates the history of earlyChristianity with the history of missions.Schnabel’s is a fairly traditional and conserva-tive picture of the rise and development of earlyChristianity, a development that is secessionistwhen juxtaposed with Judaism. The impressiveamount of historical and political detail makethis primarily a research book rather than atextbook.

Fred W. BurnettAnderson University

EARLY CHRISTIAN MISSION. VOLUMETWO: PAUL AND THE EARLY CHURCH.By Eckhard J. Schnabel. Downers Grove andLeicester: InterVarsity Press and Apollos, 2004.Pp. 1010. $45.00, ISBN 0-8308-2792-7.

The bulk of this hefty tome is devoted toPaul and his mission, beginning with Paul’straining and conversion and following throughhis early contacts and conflicts with the Jeru-salem Christians, his mission work in the East,his work in Asia Minor, Greece, and Spain, anda discussion of his missionary tactics and com-munication. Schnabel provides comprehensivedescriptions of people, events, and, especially,places that intersect with Paul’s work, supple-mented by forty-two maps and figures. In theend, however, we have a fairly traditional pic-ture that accepts Acts as the plumb line forunderstanding Paul and his letters: “The textsof the New Testament are primary sources forthe reconstruction of the early Christian mis-sion, and they are genuine witnesses of the real-ity of the early Christians [sic] churches andtheir missionary activities in the second halfof the first century” (my emphasis). Schnabelintelligently engages numerous and diverseconversation partners, although one wishes formore interaction with the sociocultural codes ofthe people rather than primarily historical andpolitical background. Too daunting for students

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to be a useful textbook, it is an importantresource for the discussion of Paul’s conversionand mission.


PAUL OF TARSUS: A VISIONARY LIFE.By Edward Stourton. Mahwah, NJ: HiddenSpring, 2005. Pp. vii + 215. $24.00, ISBN1-58768-032-7.

Based on research and interviews conductedfor a BBC documentary series, this volume isa popular survey of Paul’s career and legacy.Stourton traces the apostle’s footsteps aroundthe Mediterranean—generally following theitinerary of Acts even as he acknowledges itsshortcomings—and presents a vivid portrait ofPaul under such rubrics as “the Jew,” “the Con-vert,” and “the Divider.” His prose is quiteengaging, if at times given to overstatement(e.g., “the idea that religion lies in your headand in your heart and not in a set of regulations. . . was perhaps Paul’s greatest contribution tothe history of thought”). Stourton, a journalist,relies on an odd assortment of authorities andis not always able to distinguish good scholar-ship from bad. (In this context, footnotes wouldhave enabled the reader to follow up on theauthor’s sources.) For general readers whoknow little about Paul or his historical signifi-cance, this is nevertheless a good place to start.Biblical scholars, too, may benefit from theperspective of a nonspecialist who makes sev-eral provocative connections between currentevents and Paul’s own life and times.

Patrick GrayRhodes College

CHRISTIANITY AT CORINTH: THEQUEST FOR THE PAULINE CHURCH.Edited by Edward Adams and David G. Horrell.Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press,2004. Pp. xx + 332. $39.95, ISBN 0-664-22478-4.

Paul’s correspondence with the church atCorinth constitutes a source of informationabout nascent Christianity without parallelamong extant writings. The focus of this vol-ume is upon the various attempts to describe theCorinthian community and the circumstancesprompting Paul to write, with special attentionto issues raised by 1 Corinthians. Includedin this collection are extracts from eighteenseminal essays—some of which have beenabridged more so than others—by Baur,Munck, Schmithals, Barrett, Dahl, Theissen,Thiselton, Horsley, Murphy-O’Connor, Wel-born, Schüssler Fiorenza, Goulder, Barclay, andothers. In addition to an excellent essay survey-ing the history of scholarship, the editors haveadded a brief introduction for each essay delin-eating the critical questions it addresses and thesignal contribution it makes. The volumeconcludes with four new essays (by Meggitt,Holmberg, MacDonald, and Dunn) that reflecton key methodological issues in reconstructing

Corinthian Christianity. A very useful resourcefor all students of Paul and his social-culturalcontexts.

Patrick GrayRhodes College

SUBVERSIVE ORTHODOXY: OUTLAWS,REVOLUTIONARIES, AND OTHERCHRISTIANS IN DISGUISE. By RobertInchausti. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press,2005. Pp. 219. $19.99, ISBN 1-58743-087-8.

The miscreants (too many to list) and theirworks (too vast to summarize) explored inInchausti’s text prick your conscience andcuriosity. They range from the usual list ofChristian rabble rousers plastered acrossmany a “status-quo” keeper’s wanted posters,S. Kierkegaard and D. Day, to the somewhatshadowed fringes and figures of Christiansocial critique, J. Kerouac and R. Girard. Amotley crew, Inchausti effectively and elo-quently bands them together around what heidentifies as their shared wellspring of inspira-tion: prophetic vision. As developed byInchausti, this prophetic, necessarily eschato-logical vision appears less revolutionary over-throw than radical reorientation, less Christianapologetics than Christian optics. For theeschatological perspective critically examinescontemporary thought and culture through thelens of God’s redemptive grace and comingkingdom. Though “the dogmas of modernism”embody too easy and repeated a target ofInchausti’s well-crafted conclusions, the workoffers readers expert analysis of a diverse cor-pus of material. Two chapters in Inchausti’swork warrant particular attention: The Novel asCountermythology and Macrohistorical Criti-cism. Their content provides a tantalizing peekinto the world of language theory and literarycriticism. A unique hybrid of the academic andpopular, Inchausti’s book makes a valuablecontribution to the libraries of college students,pastors, and Christian educators alike.

Dhawn B. MartinAustin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

MATTHEW’S BIBLE: THE OLD TESTA-MENT TEXT OF THE EVANGELIST. ByMaarten J. J. Menken. Bibliotheca Ephemeri-dum Theologicarum Lovaniensium, 173. Leu-ven: Leuven University Press and Peeters,2004. Pp. xii + 336. €60.00, ISBN 90-429-1419-X.

This sophisticated diachronic investigation(several chapters of which were previouslypublished) of all OT quotations in the first gos-pel concludes that 1) the “fulfillment citations”were taken from a continuous biblical text (nota “testimony collection,” unless it was one cre-ated by the evangelist from a continuous text);2) the textual form of the continuous text uti-lized by the evangelist was a revised LXX(altered in the direction of greater conformitywith the Hebrew and/or improved Greek style),except in the case of citations of Deuteronomy,

which came from an unrevised LXX scroll; and3) OT quotations from the evangelist’s sourcesreflect the biblical text of the source, the evan-gelist having made (as was the case with hisbiblical text) at most only minor editorialchanges. Thus, this generally persuasive studyinforms us not only about the evangelist and hismethods of work, but also about the history ofthe LXX and its revisions and successors.

Michael W. HolmesBethel University

THE MESSAGE OF ACTS IN CODEXBEZAE: A COMPARISON WITH THEALEXANDRIAN TRADITION. VOLUME1: ACTS 1.1-5.42: JERUSALEM. By JosepRius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger.Journal for the Study of the NT SupplementSeries, 257. London and New York: T & TClark International, 2004. Pp. xii + 377.$170.00, ISBN 0-8264-7000-9.

This volume (the first of four) compares andexplicates in fine detail the text of Codex Bezae(D/05, ca. 400) with the better-known “Alexan-drian” version of Acts that lies behind nearlyall modern translations. The authors believethat Bezae preserves a form of Acts that notonly predates the Alexandrian text and standscloser to Lucan thought and language, but alsorepresents a significantly different story of thechurch’s earliest days, one that is primarilytheological rather than historical in focus: “thesuccessive events and the divine interventionsare a framework that the narrator uses to presentthe inner journey of the apostles as they leavebehind their traditional Jewish teachings andexpectations and, with considerable difficulty,finally come to understand and accept the mes-sage of Jesus” (only after mistakes, false starts,and disobedience along the way). On this read-ing of Bezae, familiar incidents look quite dif-ferent: for example, the replacement of Judas isa mistaken attempt to restrict the gospel mes-sage to Israel, an error corrected only when theseven Hellenists of Acts 6 replace the originalJewish disciples as leaders of the Christianmovement. The authors present their stimu-lating and provocative case with undeniablelearning, erudition, skill, insight, and patience.Nonetheless, in the end, this reader, at least,(admittedly perhaps too under the thrall of tra-ditional views to appreciate their case, or per-haps merely still convinced that the textualhistory implied by this view of Bezae isso extraordinarily improbable), remainsunpersuaded.


EPOCHS AND STYLES. SELECTEDWRITINGS ON THE NEW TESTAMENT,GREEK LANGUAGE AND GREEK CUL-TURE IN THE POST-CLASSICAL ERA.By Albert Wifstrand. Edited by Lars Rydbeckand Stanley E. Porter. Translated by DenisSearby. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen


zum Neuen Testament, 179. Tübingen: MohrSiebeck, 2005. Pp. viii + 241. €74.00, ISBN3-16-148627-7.

This collection of fourteen selected essaysby Wifstrand, professor of Greek, University ofLund, 1935-64, all but three of which appear inEnglish for the first time, comprise a collectionof enduring worth. His social location out-side the cultural hegemony of England andGermany and their debates over classicismgave him an independent perspective evidentthroughout the collection. Moreover, Wifstrandignored the classicist dictum Christiana nolegunter, and these wide-ranging essays dem-onstrate the great value of that judgment. Sec-tion 1, New Testament, selections include“Luke and Greek Classicism,” “Luke and theSeptuagint,” “Stylistic Problems in the Epistlesof James and Peter,” “A Problem ConcerningWord Order in the New Testament,” and “Lan-guage and Style of the New Testament.” In sec-tion 2, Greek language are chapters entitled“Greek Prose Style: An Historical Survey,”“Greek and Modern Prose Style,” and “TheHomily of Melito on the Passion.” Essays insection 3, Greek Culture in the Post-ClassicalEra, are “Classical and Post-Classical Greeks,”“The Roman Empire from the Greek Perspec-tive,” “Focus on the Child,” “Son of Fortune,Son of Affliction,” “The Centre,” and “Side-lights on Greek Culture from a Greek MedicalWriter.” In all, a valuable collection that repayscareful attention.

Michael HolmesBethel University

THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AND THENEW TESTAMENT. By George J. Brooke.Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2005.Pp. xxii + 314. $25.00, ISBN 0-8006-3724-0.

The sixteen chapters of this collection firstappeared as separate articles in various publi-cations, most of them difficult to access evenfor scholars, from 1989 to 2003. Together, theyform a coherent whole that aptly fulfills theintention of the title. Brooke makes any numberof points that may have escaped the casualreader. The Jewish world represented by Qum-ran and elsewhere was already influenced bythe inroads of wide-ranging Hellenistic culture,including support for the Roman practice ofcrucifixion. Jesus was no Qumranite, but ele-ments of his life, as well as that of the Baptist,can be understood through an enlightenedknowledge of the contents of the scrolls. TheNT appears to have used Scripture in a mannersimilar to the Qumran collection. Thus, selec-tions from Genesis, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, theBook of the Twelve, and the Psalms occur withfrequency in both Qumran and the NT. Thereare also differences. As Brooke puts it, Qumranmade far more use of a “cherry-picking” of OTtexts than did the NT, which preferred a morehomogeneous attitude to the texts. In a par-ticularly striking phrase, while illustratingsimilarities between the Temple Scroll and the

Fourth Gospel, Brooke avers that for John,“Jesus Christ is the means of making explicitthe character of God which was the content ofthe Law revealed to Moses.” In sum, this splen-did technical work, a compendium of a vastamount of scholarship, both that of Brooke andothers, should be in the libraries of all NTscholars.

Casimir BernasHoly Trinity Abbey

CONTOURS OF CHRISTOLOGY IN THENEW TESTAMENT. Edited by Richard N.Longenecker. McMaster New Testament Stud-ies. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005. Pp. xiv+ 345. $28.00, ISBN 0-8028-1014-4.

Four sections comprise this collection ofthirteen essays on recent christologicalresearch: The Setting; Gospels and Acts;Pauline Letters; Hebrews, Catholic Epistles,and Apocalypse. Among the better-knowncontributors are Witherington III, Hooker,Marshall, Bauckham, Martin, and Aune. Hor-bury, in his essay “Jewish Messianism andEarly Christology,” provides a penetrating com-pendium of recent studies on “spirit Christol-ogy,” including the notion that the Messiah wasconsidered in some Jewish circles as a preexis-tent spiritual figure, a god-like messianic king.Donaldson, in “The Vindicated Son: A Narra-tive Approach to Matthean Christology,” usesone definition of story (a sequence of occur-rences that operate together in a unified way toproduce a conclusion that is both suitable andgratifying) to illustrate the Gospel of Matthew.Towner, in “Christology in the Letters toTimothy and Titus,” observes that the Pauline“in Christ” is simply shorthand for “in theChristian community.” All in all, these essaysare replete with insights that casual readers ofthe NT may easily miss. The treatise is recom-mended for scholars and those who aspire tobe such.


TEXTUAL CRITICISM AND THE SYN-OPTIC PROBLEM IN HISTORICALJESUS RESEARCH: THE SEARCH FORVALID CRITERIA. By Hyeon Woo Shin.Contributions to Biblical Exegesis & Theology,36. Leuven: Peeters, 2004. Pp. xviii + 411.€35.00, ISBN 90-429-1470-X.

The author of this revised dissertationbelieves that certain key criteria—of originality,priority of one reading or tradition over another,and authenticity—as used in the three disci-plines of textual criticism, the Synoptic prob-lem, and historical Jesus research all share abasic similarity: all were developed to help dis-tinguish a prior tradition from later develop-ments. Observing the analogies and similaritiesbetween the various sets of criteria, the authorseeks to adapt the criteria in one area for use inthe other two areas, and then to generalize intoa “mother set” of criteria as a means of achiev-

ing “methodological unification” of these dis-ciplines. His goal seeks to deal with a commonproblem: researchers in one area often workwithout sufficient attention to questions orimplications arising out of one of the others; forexample, synoptic researchers taking a particu-lar printed text as a starting point and ignoringvariations, or textual critics dealing with a vari-ant in one of the Synoptic gospels withoutgiving attention to the variants in the parallelpassages. The creation alone of a “master list,”which is essentially an amalgamation of thevarious criteria, may not solve the problem, ashe recognizes not all apply to a particular area.But if his list brings to researchers in one areagreater awareness of the other areas and theirsimilar problems, his work will have served auseful purpose.

Michael HolmesBethel University

JOHN MARCO ALLEGRO: THE MAVE-RICK OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS.By Judith Anne Brown. Grand Rapids, MI:Eerdmans, 2005. Pp. xvi + 288. $25.00, ISBN0-8028-2849-3.

Allegro’s daughter composes this biographyof the controversial scholar in order to restorebalance to the story of a wasted genius (in herown words) who began his career doing imag-inative basic scholarship and who ended it withpublic ridicule for his disputatious theoriesabout the origins of Christianity. Brown nar-rates the story of the scrolls, early controversiesin their regard, growing public interest, theteam of scroll workers, exploration expeditions,more controversies, Allegro’s attempt to createa great integrating theory of religion, Christian-ity as a myth, Gnosticism, a return to philology.The promise of Allegro’s early career, his pro-ductive years of work on the scrolls and hiseventual demise, are described not only bymeans of sources in the public domain, but alsowith the insights that come from inside infor-mation such as letters and other documentationto which only Brown, understandably, hasaccess. Brown’s narrative is more objectivethan one would expect under the circumstances.She is not loath to point out Allegro’s failingsas well as his virtues. Brown tends to agree withmany of the points found in Allegro’s cause ofscholarly ruin—his assertions in The SacredMushroom and the Cross (and elsewhere) thatChristianity is based on a lie, being a form ofmushroom cult known from elsewhere in theancient world—a theory that brought only guf-faws from his peers. Qumran scholars and seri-ous students of the scrolls should find Brown’sbiography of her father valuable both as a his-tory of scroll research and as an interestingstudy of a brilliant man whose judgment did notkeep pace with the breadth of his intelligence—a not uncommon occurrence in matters schol-arly as well as human.



SHAKING HEAVEN AND EARTH:ESSAYS IN HONOR OF WALTER BRUEG-GEMANN AND CHARLES B. COUSAR.Edited by Christine Roy Yoder, Kathleen M.O’Connor, Elizabeth Johnson, Stanley P. Saun-ders. Louisville, KY: Westminster John KnoxPress, 2005. Pp. xi + 170. $29.95, ISBN 0-664-22777-5.

Thirteen essays, including an article byCousar and concluding reflections by Bruegge-mann, are assembled under the rubric “shakingheaven and earth,” a fabricated but apt title,since both the honored scholars have through-out their careers sought to make the Bible rel-evant to the lives of their readers, not merely bycomfortable cliches but also by demandingchallenges. Included here are compositions thattreat the books of Genesis, Jeremiah, Proverbs,Acts, Romans, Apocalypse, and others. Keckmuses whether Paul was right, or whether weare wrong. For Martyn, Paul’s apocalyptic lan-guage, which is indebted to his Jewish back-ground, makes free use of poetic images. Thepromises of God are real; their manner of pre-sentation can be imaginary. Miller connects theFirst Commandment with those that follow;all of them teach us to take God seriously andourselves lightly. Brueggemann concludes byurging us to tread the narrow line between con-servatives, liberals, and fundamentalists; all aresubject to the Word that addresses us and isconfided to us. In conclusion, this is an out-standing collection that treats important matterswith the deft touch of master craftsmen.


THE BACKGROUND AND CONTENT OFPAUL’S CULTIC ATONEMENT META-PHORS. By Stephen Finlan. Academia Bib-lica, 19. Atlanta, GA: Society of BiblicalLiterature, 2004. Pp. x + 264. Cloth, $120.00,ISBN 90-04-13763-7; paper, $39.95, ISBN1-589-83152-7.

For at least the last decade, a burst of freshinterest in how Paul connects the death ofChrist with ancient views of sacrifice has occu-pied the interests of a diverse number of schol-ars. If for no other reason, this turgid book is ahandy primer on massive scholarly develop-ments in this area. But it is more as Finlandevelops an elaborate typology. He distin-guishes between cultic and some redemptionmetaphors, which, he claims, describe Jesus’death as a saving event, and social metaphorsfor atonement that function as its beneficialaftereffects. He claims the cultic metaphors ofsacrifice, scapegoat, and some redemption met-aphors emerge in Paul in various places such as1 Cor 4:13; 2 Cor 5:21; and Gal 3:13. Finlanthus expands the number of texts on sacrificialimagery scholars usually link to Paul. On theother hand, the beneficial aftereffects emergewith the metaphors of reconciliation, justifica-tion, adoption, and other texts on redemption.A whole chapter is given over to Rom 3:25

although, in the end, he equivocates on manyof the classical exegetical issues of this text.This monograph will give pause to those whohave distanced Paul from imagery connectedwith sacrificial rituals.

Allan J. McNicolAustin Graduate School of Theology

1-2 THESSALONIANS. By G. K. Beale.Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003.Pp. 279. $20.00, ISBN 0-8308-1813-8.

This commentary, in keeping with the seriesin which it appears, is aimed at providing solidbiblical scholarship for “faithful interpreta-tion.” The commentary always alerts the readerto a scholarly issue, though generally only inthe briefest of terms. On the other hand, some-times it takes positions that are so cursorilydefended they will only persuade those whoalready hold such an opinion. Such an exampleis the position that 2 Thessalonians is anauthentic Pauline letter. On this note, morealarming than the assumption of authenticityis the suggestion that “scholars agree” on thispoint with only a few dissenting voices. Like-wise, Beale works very hard to ensure Acts andthe Pauline letters can be reconciled, which isanother element that reflects the interests of hisaudience. On the whole, however, the commen-tary argues that the letters need to be interpretedfrom the perspective of an “already not yet”eschatology. Such a perspective illuminatestopics in the letters such as faith, hope, love,suffering, Christian existence, and false teach-ings. In these respects, then, the commentarywill offer readers with a wide range of interestsand abilities a way into the Thessalonian letters.

Zeba A. CrookCarleton University

THE GOSPEL HOAX: MORTONSMITH’S INVENTION OF SECRETMARK. By Stephen C. Carlson. Waco, TX:Baylor University Press. Pp. xx + 151. $19.95,ISBN 1-932792-48-1.

Ever since M. Smith’s 1958 announcementof what he claimed was a previously unknownletter of Clement of Alexandria (seeminglyinscribed in an eighteenth-century hand insidethe back cover of a seventeenth-century printedtext), containing quotations from a “secret ver-sion” of the Gospel of Mark, there has been aspirited and persistent debate regarding the let-ter’s authenticity and origin. Many have beensuspicious of it from the first, while others havemade the letter’s comments about different ver-sions of the Gospel of Mark the foundation ofa three-stage transmission history of that gos-pel. Now Carlson—by vocation a lawyer andavocation a biblical scholar who has publishedin New Testament Studies—has written the mostcomprehensive examination of this matter todate. Fruitfully combining the methods, exper-tise (especially the legal system’s experience indealing with frauds and forgeries), and perspec-tives of two disciplines, this book reads like a

Detective story as the author systematically andcarefully works through the evidence and con-siderations. Carlson concludes that the letter isa hoax, perpetrated by Smith (who had, as theysay, means, motive, and opportunity). Eventhose disinclined to accept the second conclu-sion will find it difficult not to accept Carlson’scompelling case for the first. For many readersthis book will stand as the last word on afascinating chapter in the history of biblicalscholarship.


EARLY SYRIAC TRANSLATION TECH-NIQUE AND THE TEXTUAL CRITICISMOF THE GREEK GOSPELS. By P. J. Will-iams. Texts and Studies (Third Series), 2.Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2004. Pp. xvi +339. $65.00, ISBN 1-59333-096-0.

The early versions have long been used inthe textual criticism of the Greek New Testa-ment, particularly with respect to the questionof the “Western text.” Typically, agreementsbetween an early version and a Greek witness,such as D, have been taken as pointing to acommon ancestor. What has not been system-atically analyzed, however, is the extent towhich other factors, such as translational tech-nique or linguistic features of the version, maybe responsible for the apparent agreementbetween versional and Greek witnesses. Will-iams’s well-executed study goes a long waytoward filling this lacuna, with important con-sequences for the use of the Syriac version inNT textual criticism. Among other conclusions,he demonstrates that for “a number of striking‘agreements’ between Syriac witnesses and D,the Syriac rendering would also be expectedif the Syriac were translated from a Vorlagequite different from D.” That is, consistent andrepeatable features of Syriac translation tech-nique (not a common Vorlage) are responsiblefor many of the apparent agreements. Conse-quently, perhaps twenty-five percent or more ofthe citations of Syriac witnesses in the NA27apparatus may need to be withdrawn. Will-iams’s work is not merely negative; he alsoformulates twenty-one guidelines for the use ofSyriac evidence in NT textual criticism. This isan impressive study, consultation of which is amust for anyone utilizing the Syriac versionsfor text-critical purposes. The comprehensiveScripture index provides a handy point of entryfor those working on specific texts.


RECONSTRUCTING HONOR IN ROMANPHILIPPI: CARMEN CHRISTI AS CUR-SUS PUDORUM. By Joseph H. Hellerman.Society for NT Studies Monograph Series, 132.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.Pp. xii + 239. $80.00, ISBN 0-521-84909-8.

Hellerman situates Paul’s Christ hymn inPhilippians 2 within the formalized sequence of


public offices pursued by aspiring politiciansinside and outside of Rome—the cursus hon-orum. Chapters 1 and 2 survey the verticalsocial stratification within the Roman elite andthe “insatiable desire for public esteem and rec-ognition,” liberally seasoning the presentationwith quotes from ancient authors. Chapters 3and 4 focus specifically on Philippi, drawing onepigraphic texts to show that honor and statuswas played out in elite and the non-elite circlesat this Roman colony (he gives particular atten-tion here to the voluntary cult groups). Chapters5 and 6 turn their attention to Acts 16 and Phil-ippians 2, respectively. Hellerman argues thatPaul deliberately reverses the ideology ofthe cursus honorum by presenting Christ asdescending through a succession of ignomin-ies—a cursus pudorum. Paul’s message: thosewith honor and status in the community mustutilize it in the service of others, as did Jesus.A stimulating read in its own right, the bookrepresents another positive addition in the trendtoward the lokalgeschichtlichen approach toPaul’s letters.


JEWS, GENTILES AND ETHNIC RECON-CILIATION: PAUL’S JEWISH IDENTITYAND EPHESIANS. By Tet-Lim N. Yee. Soci-ety for New Testament Studies MonographSeries, 130. Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress. Pp. xx + 302. $80.00, ISBN 0-521-83831-2.

Yee argues that Ephesians expresses a dis-tinctively Jewish solution to the problem ofestrangement between Jews and Gentiles in theEphesian community: the work of the Messiahcan reconcile the two groups. Yee locates thework within the “new perspective” and claimsto offer a corrective to previous scholarship,which “has seriously undermined the degree ofcontinuity between Israel and the church.” Thefirst chapter provides a survey of the literatureand a statement of the study’s five aims; thenext four present a methodical exegesis of Eph-esians 2; and a final chapter offers summary.Scholars of Ephesians will wish to considerYee’s proposal, while others may conclude thatthis “slightly revised version” of the author’s1999 doctoral thesis would have benefited fromfurther revision, to include, for example, sus-tained reflection on the implications for thestudy of early Christianity beyond Ephesians.More significant, this book seems to be onlyone side of a conversation, because it does notinteract with essential work in the field, includ-ing articles and books by D. Boyarin, D. K.Buell, and J. M. Lieu (many since 1999, butsome prior to).

Chris FrilingosMichigan State University

EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND CLASSI-CAL CULTURE: COMPARATIVE STUD-IES IN HONOR OF ABRAHAM J.

MALHERBE. Edited by John T. Fitzgerald,Thomas H. Olbricht, and L. Michael White.Novum Testamentum Supplements, 110.Leiden and Atlanta: Brill and The Society ofBiblical Literature, 2003. Pp. xx + 740. Cloth,$149.00, ISBN 9-004-13022-5; paper, $49.95,ISBN 1-5898-3191-0.

A stellar cast of contributors from Europe,Africa, and North America offers essays inhonor of a significant and influential voice inthe study of the NT. A. Malherbe, emeritusprofessor at Yale (and former RSR area editorfor Paul), is widely recognized for his contribu-tions to our understanding of the rhetoric andsocial context of Paul’s letters. This is acknowl-edged in the structuring of twenty-six essaysaround five Greek terms reflecting “key arenasof the cultural interaction of ancient Jews andChristians with their Greek and Roman neigh-bors:” graphos (semantics and writing), ethos(ethics and moral characterization), logos (rhet-oric and literary expression), ethnos (self-definition and acculturation), and nomos (lawand normative values). An introductory essayby White and Fitzgerald surveys the history ofthe use of Classical and Jewish “parallels” inNT scholarship and (rightly!) credits Malherbewith being one of the driving forces in the movetoward employing more nuance and thickerdescription with respect to the broad Greco-Roman context in which Christian texts wereproduced and read. The high-quality essays ona diverse range of textual and cultural topics area fitting tribute to a seminal scholar.


THE LANGUAGE OF BELONGING: ARHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF KINSHIPLANGUAGE IN FIRST CORINTHIANS.By Mary Katherine Birge. Contributions toBiblical Exegesis & Theology, 31. Leuven:Peeters, 2002. Pp. 223. $35.00, ISBN 90-429-1102-6.

Birge demonstrates that Paul uses similarkinship terms in different situations throughout1 Corinthians as part of his rhetorical strategyto correct divisiveness in the community and topromote unity befitting those who are related toone another in Christ. She begins by workingthrough 1 Cor 3-6, where Paul consistently usesfamilial and household kinship language to dealwith a variety of issues. Birge then provides asurvey of selected Jewish writings from theSecond Temple Period, along with examplesfrom Hellenistic rhetoricians and moralists.Noticeably absent are any references to the HBor early Jesus traditions. Finally, Birge tests herthesis about Paul’s kinship language by turningto 1 Cor 14, where Paul refers to the Corin-thians as family members as he dissuades themfrom divisive conduct. Birge’s analysis ishighly dependent upon secondary sources(particularly R. Collins’ commentary on 1Corinthians) and her conclusions are remark-ably modest: Paul draws upon resources from

his cultural setting to promote kinship “inChrist” and to persuade the Corinthians toreorder their relationships accordingly. A morecomprehensive study of kinship language inPaul is now available: Reidar Aasgaard, “MyBeloved Brothers and Sisters!”: Christian Sib-lingship in Paul (T. & T. Clark, 2004).

David Charles AuneAshland University

THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE CORIN-THIANS. By Murray J. Harris. The New Inter-national Greek Testament Commentary. GrandRapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2005. Pp. vii + 989.$75.00, ISBN 0-8028-2393-9.

In this commentary Harris defends theintegrity of the canonical 2 Corinthians, offersdetailed grammatical and exegetical work,demonstrates an awareness of how Englishtranslations and paraphrases may aid the reader,offers a useful “Chronology of the Relations ofPaul, Timothy, and Titus with the CorinthianChurch,” and gives a disproportionate amountof space to particular theological passages,including 1:18-11, 5:1-10, and 5:16-21. Aunique thing about this commentary is its cau-tious defense of the integrity of 2 Corinthiansas one letter, and its knack for interpreting thetheology of 2 Corinthians based on the theoryof a unified letter. The strengths of the commen-tary include: 1) the thorough textual issuesaddressed throughout, and 2) the vast second-ary literature (up to the time of publication).The bibliography alone makes this commentarya useful resource for anyone engaged in exeget-ical work. In terms of audience, Harris’ com-mentary will prove valuable and useful to allreaders, from interested laypersons and clergyto students of advanced Greek.

David A. ReedRegis College, University of Toronto

CITIES OF PAUL: IMAGES AND INTER-PRETATIONS FROM THE HARVARDNEW TESTAMENT ARCHAEOLOGYPROJECT. Edited by Helmut Koester. Minne-apolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2005. CD-ROM.$250.00, ISBN 0-8006-3673-2.

This CD-ROM contains nearly nine hun-dred images (maps, site plans, diagrams, pho-tographs) illustrating Athens, Corinth, Isthmia,Olympia, Delphi, Thessalonica, Philippi, Ephe-sus, and Pergamum. In an accompanyingcommentary, a variety of scholars provide thelocation, description, interpretation, and bibli-ography for each image. The medium qualityphotographs (3 megapixel, often washed out)cover a diverse range of material, includingbuilding remains, inscriptions, coins, and arti-facts. The slides and commentary can be inte-grated into the presentation software providedon the CD or exported into another program.Two computers well above the stated minimumrequirements encountered a number of minortechnical difficulties (e.g., the display wouldnot fill the screen) and some major problems


(e.g., the commentary texts would not alwaysproperly save in .rtf format, and attempting todo so crashed the program). The CD providesno explanation as to why the editors includedsome non-Pauline sites (Olympia, Pergamum)and omitted other sites based on Paul’s letters(Colossae; the area of Galatia, Rome) or Acts(Miletus; Antioch, Lystra). A well-conceivedidea, the CD-ROM is disappointing for its tech-nical awkwardness, low quality images, andchoice of sites. For the same price one canpurchase better quality and more comprehen-sive collections of images.


PREACHING MARK IN TWO VOICES. ByBrian K. Blount and Gary W. Charles. Louis-ville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.Pp. xiii + 273. N.p., ISBN 0-664-22393-1.

As its title suggests, the book is ideal forpreachers. The authors divide Mark into twelveunequal sections (1:1-3:6; 3:7-35; 4:1-41; 5:1-6:6; 6:7-56; 7:1-8:21; 8:22-9:13; 9:14-10:52;11:1-13:2; 13:3-14:72; 15:1-47; 16:1-8). Afterone author exegetes each passage with a ratherobvious homiletic focus, each author offers ahomily arising from the passage. Given theiraim, sermonic points are more important thancritical debates or historical exactitude, andthey press constantly toward a present, Chris-tian reader-response to Mark. Nonetheless,their work is conversant with the historical-critical commentaries, relying most heavilyupon the work of C. Myers. In their reading,Mark’s character disciples, both men andwomen, fail as Mark’s transformative Jesus diesalone, mocked by the centurion, and improp-erly buried. Mark’s author writes to call readersto finish what is consequently an unfinishedgospel through lives that imitate Jesus’ ownboundary-breaking rejection of exclusive puritycodes and violent nationalism. Whether in thecontext of 70 CE or in twenty-first centuryAmerica, this call is frightening, for it callsMarkan readers to reject the easy life of thestatus quo and to abandon the hope that theymay avoid suffering in this discipleship.

Richard WalshMethodist College

FROM FOLLOWERS TO LEADERS: THEAPOSTLES IN THE RITUAL OF STATUSTRANSFORMATION IN ACTS 1-2. ByNelson P. Estrada. Journal for the Study of theNew Testament Supplement Series, 255. NewYork: T & T Clark International, 2004. Pp. xiii+ 281. $130.00, ISBN 0-8264-6973-6.

Estrada interprets Acts 1-2 through the lensof social science criticism as a “ritual of statustransformation” (RST), applying the methodol-ogy in M. McVann’s study of Jesus’ statustransformation in Luke 3-4 to show the apos-tles’ “separation,” “transition,” and “aggrega-tion” stages of change. Dubious that theelection of Matthias enables “the Twelve” to

judge Israel (see Luke 22:30), the author claimsinstead that the election restored honor to this“elite” group after Judas’ betrayal of Jesus hadseverely damaged its reputation. On this read-ing, Peter’s speech “excommunicated” Judas;mention of certain women and Jesus’ familyelicits support for the apostles among latergroups related to them; casting lots ensures thatthe Judas debacle will not be repeated sinceGod chooses his replacement. One might rea-sonably ask why God would make a betterchoice than did Jesus after his night of prayerto God; what evidence there is for later influ-ential groups related to the women and Jesus’family (there may be such, but this point isasserted not argued); or why Peter, who wasalso, in Estrada’s words, “another ‘betrayer’,”was not excommunicated. Similarly, Estrada’sclaim that Jesus’ answer to the apostles in Acts1:7-8 “cleanses” them of all “their precon-ceived ideas” outruns the text. Estrada’s thesisis bold and suggestive. Unfortunately, his useof the RST model becomes a Procrustean bedthat fits the text to its own contours. The volumesuffers from lack of strong editing. Students ofLuke–Acts will nevertheless find this book pro-vocative, opening up fresh lines of inquiry.

Steven R. MatthiesIndianapolis, IN

CREATION AND CHRISTOLOGY: ASTUDY ON THE JOHANNINE PRO-LOGUE IN THE LIGHT OF EARLYJEWISH CREATION ACCOUNTS. ByMasanobu Endo. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck,2002. Pp. xx + 292. $95.00, ISBN 3-16-147789-8.

In this revised dissertation, Endo marshalsall of the Jewish creation accounts from secondcentury BCE to first century CE to argue that“the Johannine Christology in the prologue ofthe Fourth Gospel is developed on the basis ofthe biblical and early Jewish exegetical tradi-tions of the Genesis creation account” (thoughExodus and Isaiah also figure prominently). Hedevotes two-thirds of the monograph to theearly Jewish creation accounts, and one-third tothe prologue and its relationship to the largernarrative. After establishing the thematic struc-ture of the prologue, Endo brings the materialfrom the first part of his analysis to bear uponthe Johannine text; he concludes that God isdepicted as sole life-giving creator capable ofcreating ex nihilo with the divine word and wis-dom attesting to and participating in God’s cre-ative deeds and perfect plan, respectively. Inthe Fourth Gospel, the Logos is equated withthe Son, who accomplishes both creational andeschatological work. Endo’s ordered, richlydetailed exegetical presentation will appeal toanyone interested in Second Temple creationaccounts because he has adduced all of thematerials in one place, categorized them in var-ious ways, and highlighted major themes. Inaddition, his work has important implicationsfor treatments of inner-biblical exegesis, the

Johannine Prologue, Johannine Christology,intertextuality, and source criticism.

Jaime Clark-SolesPerkins School of Theology

History of Christianity (Early)RENDER TO CAESAR: JESUS, THECHURCH, AND THE ROMAN SUPER-POWER. By Christopher Bryan. Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2005. Pp. vii + 185.$25.00, ISBN 0-19-518334-7.

Drawing upon postcolonial theory to exam-ine Judeo-Christian responses to the dynamicsof domination and resistance represents anemerging scholarly sensitivity to the “hiddentranscripts” that exist underneath the discourseof the elites. Render to Caesar explores theusefulness and pitfalls of this methodologicalapproach through an analysis of the earlyChristian attitude toward Roman imperium.While recognizing the value of postcolonialperspectives, Bryan nevertheless seeks to tem-per the conclusions of those who believe thatthe early Christian attitude toward empires wasmarked by resistance and rejection. Rather,Bryan concludes that NT literature reveals acritique of political authority in line with theJewish prophetic tradition, which seeks not todismantle political structures, but to remindearthly leaders that they must “serve God’sglory by promoting God’s peace and God’sjustice.” This thesis is clearly developed andcogently argued, and, while the style is acces-sible for undergraduates, scholars will alsobenefit from Bryan’s insightful and judiciousargumentation.

David M. ReisCollege of Santa Fe

WHY THIS NEW RACE: ETHNIC REA-SONING IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY. ByDenise Kimber Buell. New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press, 2005. Pp. ix + 257. $45.00,ISBN 0-231-13334-0.

One of the commonplaces in the study ofearly Christianity is the assumption that iteschewed and transcended boundaries of raceand ethnicity. Embedded within this belief isthe troubling corollary, found in some modernstudies, that this universalism represents a dis-tinct advance over “ethnic” religions. Why ThisNew Race offers a provocative challenge toboth of these assertions by demonstrating that1) early Christians appropriated the full rangeof ethnoracial language in developing theiridentities, and 2) previous scholarship’s dis-missal of this fact has perpetuated a traditionthat privileges Christianity over Judaism. Theprimary claim of the book is that ancient writersdid not understand ethnoracial terms as stablecategories. Rather, genos and ethnos were

Preaching Mark in Two Voices – Brian K. Blount and Gary W. Charles

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