IVP’s Book Bulletin for Professors WINTER 2001V O L . 1 0 , N O . 1

I N S I D E

The NSBT SeriesSummarizedCheck out who’s con-tributing to this excit-ing new series of bookson biblical theology ...2

Brand New from IVPOur list of winter 2001releases is full of booksdesigned to help youthink in new ways................................... 4

Celebrating theCompletion of the NewTestament DictionarySeriesWe recap the party atthis year’s AAR/SBLconference in Nashville................... 5

What’s Going on withthe ACCS?Manlio Simonetti’s twovolumes on Matthew,the first Old Testamentvolume (Genesis 1-11) andmore ......................... 8

IVP is pleased to begin 2001 with a fresh and reinvigo-rated release of the New Studies in Biblical Theologyseries, which was initiated by IVP-UK in 1995 and up

until now has been published in North America byEerdmans. Under the editorship of D. A. Carson the NSBTseries has already produced some distinguished volumes,and in addition to the eight volumes published during 1995-1999 (see listing below), we are delighted to be offering thethree most recent volumes: Five Festal Garments by Barry G.Webb, Christ, Our Righteousness by Mark A. Seifrid andSalvation to the Ends of the Earth by Andreas J. Köstenbergerand Peter T. O’Brien. To mark this event, we engaged DonCarson in a conversation about the series.REID: Many a reader of this Academic Alert will have a fewvolumes from the old Studies in Biblical Theology on theirshelves. A quick run through my own shelves turns up G. E. Wright’s God Who Acts, James M. Robinson’s A NewQuest of the Historical Jesus, J. A. T. Robinson’s The Body andClinton D. Morrison’s The Powers That Be from thatseries—which actually had a first and second series. Theseand other distinguished titles in a series numbering over

fifty volumes evoke the spirit of post-World War II biblicalscholarship and the somewhat amorphous biblical-theology

movement. Against this backdrop,help us understand the new in theseries title New Studies in BiblicalTheology. Or to put it another way,if someone had the idea that we havehere a fresh start of an abandonedproject, what would you tell them?CARSON: I would happily tell themthat in some respects that is correct:the old twin series of SBT volumes

published by SCM were invaluable to students and teachersalike, and the best of them were ground breaking. ButNSBT has a couple of characteristics that mark it out assomething other than simply more of the same. First, theNSBT volumes are written within a transparent confes-sional framework. For all the rich diversity that one finds inthe Bible, there is, finally, one Mind behind it, and so it isimportant to ask what kinds of unified thought and visionrightly emerge from this canonical constraint. Second, vol-

New Studies in Biblical Theology

IVP has recently published James Callahan’s ground-breaking book on biblical perspicuity entitled The Clarityof Scripture. (We obviously

thought that would be clearer thanThe Perspicuity of Scripture!) Jimreceived his Ph.D. in theology fromMarquette and has taught mostrecently at Wheaton and ElmhurstColleges. He also serves as a pas-toral worker at Bethany Chapel inWheaton. One of our senior editorsfor academic and reference books,Jim Hoover, recently interviewedhim concerning this new release.HOOVER: One of the first things that strikes me is thesize of your book, 272 pages, on a topic that is often coveredonly in passing, if at all, in most theology texts. Whatprompted your research into the clarity of Scripture? Whyis this an important topic? CALLAHAN: You’re right. We rarely read more than a fewparagraphs on the topic of Scripture’s clarity in theology

and hermeneutics texts. Interestingly, introductory works,how-to booklets or basic helps for younger Christians tendto mention the idea more than the involved theologicalworks on the subject of interpreting Scripture. It seemed tome—and this was confirmed by many conversations withpastors, theologians and biblical scholars—that we all tendto neglect the notion of Scripture’s clarity when we get seri-ous about how we handle Scripture, especially when we getinto conflicts about the best way or ways to understandtexts which tend to resist easy readings.

This troubled me. It seemed as if the idea of clarity wasindefensible in serious situations. So I began to study howand under what conditions and in what situationsChristians dealt with the subjects of Scripture’s clarity andobscurity. And I learned several important things. First, thesubject of Scripture’s clarity has always been a part ofChristianity’s interpretation of Scripture, and the discussionhas usually been accompanied by the corresponding notionof its obscurity, even to the most learned. Second, I came torealize that the affirmation of clarity has never been a sim-plistic idea—never disconnected, that is, from how

The Clarity of Scripture: A Privileged Reading

ACADEMIC ALERT

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umes in NSBT may adopt one of three approaches.They may work inductively with the themes of aparticular book or corpus, such as justification inPaul or the themes of the Five Scrolls. Or they maytrace themes across the canon, or across large partsof the canon, working inductively with the biblicaltexts and using the categories of the biblical texts.For instance, Craig Blomberg has contributed anexcellent volume under the title Neither Poverty norRiches, which is a biblical theology of possessionsthat takes account of the developments within thehistory of redemption. Finally, they may wrestlewith the nature of the discipline of biblical theol-ogy itself. Kevin Vanhoozer and I are jointly writing a book on the relations between biblicaltheology and systematic theology. REID: Do you see renewed interest in andprospects for biblical theology within evangelical

scholarship and the church?CARSON: In some ways NSBT is both behind thetimes and ahead of the times. It is behind the timesin the sense that it is picking up on what the oldStudies in Biblical Theology series attempted half acentury ago. It is ahead of the times in that, notleast among confessional believers, there is arenewed interest in using the Bible to think world-viewishly, to move beyond mere exegesis to holisticreflection.

Perhaps I could put it this way. There is a scoreof dominant themes that form the sinews holdingthe Bible’s rich diversity of history and forms to-gether—temple, people of God, sacrifice, sonshipand many more—and a host of minor ones. Thinkof temple. In the Garden, God himself is the de-light of his people. With the introduction of sin,people are increasingly estranged from each otherand from God. The Sinai covenant introduces the

tabernacle as the primary meeting place betweenGod and his people, and its evocative symbolism istied to covenant, sacrifice, priesthood, cleansing,glory. In due course the tabernacle is replaced bythe temple as the people of God become tied toland and nation; there are few passages more mov-ing than Solomon’s dedication of the temple.When the people persist in rebellion, the glory ofGod abandons the temple, and in Ezekiel, Goddeclares that he himself will be a sanctuary for hispeople in exile. The return to the land issues in anew temple, but in his day Jesus declares, accordingto John’s Gospel, that he himself is the temple, thetrue meeting point between God and his people.Temple terminology is taken up in the NewTestament and applied in various ways to Jesus, tothe church and to the individual Christian. The lasttwo chapters of the Bible envisage the newJerusalem, and here there is no more temple, forthe Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its tem-ple. That is, there is no longer any need for media-tion or for ongoing sacrifice. God’s people are for-ever in the unshielded glory of his presence. Thecity itself, the new Jerusalem, is depicted as a cube.The language is evocative of the Most Holy Place,because the entire city, the new heaven and thenew earth, is the abode of God Almighty. And thatis where God’s people enjoy him forever.

This sketchiest of outlines shows the kind ofcohesiveness that biblical theology can trace out ina central biblical theme and tie to the Bible’s devel-oping story line. Inevitably, some scholars call intoquestion the legitimacy of this sort of approach,because they do not think that the biblical booksare united at any deep level. But confessional schol-ars must not mire themselves in responding to thiscriticism (however important it is to respond).They must also show how such biblical theologymakes sense of the Bible. If they wait until every-one bestows begrudging approval on the enterprise,it will never be undertaken. Meanwhile, evangeli-calism increasingly and rightly shows an interest instudy that puts the whole Bible together. I thinkthat the NSBT series has potential not only fordeveloping biblical theology as a discipline but forproviding bridges between exegesis of the sort onefinds in most commentaries and the broader struc-tures of systematic theology and ethics.REID: You were also a consulting editor for IVP’srecently released New Dictionary of Biblical Theology,edited by Desmond Alexander and Brian Rosner[see article elsewhere in this Alert]. As publishers,we like the synergy between the NSBT and NDBT.In fact, looking over the approach of both theNSBT series and the NDBT, I am struck by anaspect of synergy that I had not noticed before.The articles in the NDBT are grouped in three sec-tions focused on fundamental issues of biblical the-ology, biblical corpora and books, and biblicalthemes. These are the same areas you outline inthe NSBT series preface.

NSBT: continued from page 1

2 WINTER 2001

Salvation to the Ends of the Earth

Mission is inextricably linked to humanity’ssinfulness and need for redemption, and toGod’s provision of salvation in the personand work of Jesus Christ. This good news ofsalvation must, however, be made known.Thus, the saving mission of Jesus constitutesthe foundation for Christian mission, and theChristian gospel is its message.

For Andreas Köstenberger and PeterO’Brien this significant theme has rarelybeen given its due attention in biblicaltheology. Hence, they offer a comprehensiveexploration of the theme through the entiresweep of biblical history, including the OldTestament, the Second Temple Period andthe New Testament. Their motivationsprings from a passion to see God’s missioncarried out in today’s world.

“Together [Andreas Köstenberger and PeterO’Brien] have written a biblical theology ofmission that listens carefully to the biblical texts,and follows the Bible’s ‘story-line’ without flat-tening the diverse emphases of the various biblicalbooks. Here is scholarship that matters: carefuland even-handed, yet of transforming significancefor all Christians serious about the mission of thechurch of Jesus Christ.”

D. A. Carson

Five Festal Garments

The Old Testament books of Song of Songs,Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther,traditionally known simply as the Scrolls, areamong the most neglected parts of theChristian Bible. Each raises particular diffi-

culties with regard to how it relates to therest of Scripture and the manner in which itshould be understood and used as the Wordof God for us today.

In Judaism these books were adopted aslectionary readings for five of the majorfestivals—but no comparable solution hasemerged in Christianity.

Barry Webb explores Christian interpre-tation of these problematic writings. Eachbook is allowed to set its own agenda and isthen examined in relation to the wider OldTestament context and to the New Tes-tament gospel with its basic structure ofpromise and fulfilment.

In this way, Webb offers fresh and illu-minating perspectives on these “festivalgarments” of love, kindness, suffering,vexation and deliverance.

Christ, Our Righteousness

Since the time of the Reformation, consider-able attention has been given to the theme ofjustification in the thought of the apostlePaul. The groundbreaking work of E. P. Sanders in Paul and Palestinian Judaism(1977) introduced the “new perspective onPaul,” provoking an ongoing debate which isnow dominated by major protagonists.Foundational theological issues are at stake,and in this new study, Mark Seifrid offers acomprehensive analysis of Paul’s under-standing of justification in the light ofimportant themes, including the righteous-ness of God, the Old Testament law, faith

Other Volumes

in the NSBT Series

Other NSBT: continued on page 7

Scripture is read and by whom it is read. Andthird, I was surprised that most recent discussionof the subject takes place in the literary, philosoph-ical, and linguistic study of Scripture and its inter-pretation. I thought that an intense study of thesefields might actually yield a good apology forScripture’s clarity. HOOVER: How would you characterize the typi-cal evangelical approach to this subject? Is this asubject that evangelicals have thought much about? CALLAHAN: Evangelicals typically practice a very

enthusiastic regard for the notion that whenScripture is read in a straightforward manner itsmessage is clear enough to accomplish its goals: todisplay the redemptive story of salvation to sinnersand to provide guidance to the perplexed, encour-agement to the weak, and much more. We believethat God has spoken in a way that can be under-stood. But in articulating how it is we believe this,evangelicals have tended to treat the subject sim-plistically and uncritically. Or to the other extreme,we have tried to explain how Scripture is clear inone particular fashion or another—through histor-ical reference or the perspicuous expression of theauthor’s intent. That is, in our effort to show howScripture is clear we have actually tended to dis-miss the subject of clarity itself. HOOVER: Why is it wrong, or at least unhelpful,to think of clarity as being a property of Scriptureitself? CALLAHAN: When we think of clarity as some-thing that is just there, in Scripture (or just in cer-tain parts of Scripture like the Gospels, or certaindoctrines, or certain types of texts), we tend tominimize what is so important about the assertionof Scripture’s clarity. Let me explain. In one of myfavorite Three Stooges episodes Moe asks Curly,“What time does your watch say?” to which Curlyresponds, with his chuckle, “Nothin’, you got toread it!” When we read the Bible and ask what itsays, we really mean to say, “How does it read toyou?” When we say that Scripture is clear, what wemean is that when we read Scripture in a certainway it is clear. That is why we confess thatScripture is clear; this expresses a practice and away of reading—a very common practice—thatexpresses confidence in the union of text, readerand reading. HOOVER: In short, you argue that the doctrine ofperspicuity is a confessional statement rather thana descriptive statement regarding Scripture. Or in aslightly more expanded form, you argue thatScripture is clear when it is read as “a privilegedtext, within a privileged community, understood bya privileged mode of reading.” Would you unpack

that a bit? CALLAHAN: I like to put it this way: Scriptureitself is clear, but Scripture is never by itself, neverisolated from groups of readers and the differentways those groups read and regard Scripture’s mes-sage. Who we are in relation to Scripture and howwe read Scripture as a group of Christian peoplecome together in every effort to understand whatScripture is about. The idea of privilege helpsexplain our preferences and convictions—thisgroup of texts instead of another, this way of read-ing the text instead of that, in the way this commu-nity regards the text instead of the way anothercommunity regards the text. Clarity is the wayChristians describe the relationship between thesethree when they converge. HOOVER: Your book delves into the history ofthis confession. Are there particular lessons orthings we learn from different periods like the earlychurch fathers, the Reformation, contemporarytheology? CALLAHAN: In the first five chapters of the bookI offer a historical-theological evaluation of howthe subject of clarity has been treated in the widevariety of Christian circles, from the earliest forma-tion of Christian interpretative practices in the firstcentury to modern discussions of how any writingis to be understood. In part this involved historical-theological study is necessary because so manyassume that Scripture’s clarity was never seriouslyconsidered by Christians of consequence, or thatthe idea was popular to only simple Christians, orthat the notion of clarity is impossible to maintainin light of modern historical criticism. To the con-trary, Scripture’s clarity has been an integral, if notexplicit, part of how Christians have read Scriptureand utilized it in forming their identities and theol-ogy from the day of Jesus’ resurrection to today.

While primitive Christians tended to assumerather than argue Scripture’s clarity, the subjectwas always involved in explanations of whyChristianity arose from Judaism, why JewishScripture can be read as a Christian text, and howChristian writings like the Gospels form christo-logical affirmations and ways of being Christian. Inlate medieval and early Protestant circles the sub-ject of clarity actually became an explicit part ofhow Christians justified their differing ways ofreading Scripture, and the subject also became thesource of sharp disagreement and division. HOOVER: In the latter part of the book youexplore the issue of clarity in relation to contempo-rary literary approaches to hermeneutics. Howdoes your understanding of the Bible’s clarity affectyour approach to hermeneutics? CALLAHAN: When we say the obvious—thatScripture is a text—we are also saying one of themost important things about Scripture: God’sword comes to us as text and not in some otherform. What we are after is to understand Scriptureas text, not to get behind, beyond, above or belowthe text. For the last three centuries Christianshave tried to understand what Scripture is really

about by primarily studying where Scripture comesfrom (its context) often at the expense of attendingto the actual form and texture of Scripture itself.Interestingly, it is the study of Scripture as litera-ture that has kept alive the idea of clarity in acade-mic circles, with great consequences for our sub-ject. My goal is to show what it looks like to payattention to Scripture’s texture while exhibiting aself-critical awareness that readers and ways ofreading the text are vital influences in what we sayScripture says. Along the way, I offer a very directaffirmation of a modest, textual model of theologi-cal hermeneutics. HOOVER: How might your book help a studentwrestling with theological disagreements amongChristians who all affirm that Scripture is clear? CALLAHAN: First, in each chapter I offer severalexamples of how biblical texts and theological sub-jects are influenced by discussions of Scripture’sclarity (why certain readings are regarded as clearand others rejected, by whom and why). Second,throughout the work I offer an ongoing critique ofthe great variety of historic and contemporaryapproaches to biblical hermeneutics, offering bothencouragement and suspicions about the usefulnessof certain approaches. One central concern is to

model a self-critical spirit in the course of makingmy arguments, comments and affirmations. Andthird, I attempt to explain why Scripture is soimportant for Christians, why it is worth the effortto study with great attention, and why Scripture’sclarity should teach us both caution as well as con-fidence. HOOVER: Through these interviews we alwayslike to let our authors suggest where in the curricu-lum they see their books fitting. For what classesmight you use or recommend your book as a text? CALLAHAN: This book is best suited for coursesin biblical and theological hermeneutics; it wouldserve as a broad historical introduction to thedevelopment of biblical interpretation in that itoffers an overview of the actual practice of biblicalinterpretation. It is a serious text, addressing bothhistoric and contemporary challenges to a Christianunderstanding of Scripture. It would also be a goodaddition to courses in Christian theology in a lib-eral arts setting in that the volume tackles histori-cal, cultural, philosophical, literary and linguisticmatters directly. And finally, The Clarity of Scripturewould complement courses primarily concernedwith the doctrine of Scripture itself, courses in bibliology and courses in theological method in biblical and theological studies courses. �

IVP’s Book Bulletin for Professors 3

Privileged Reading: continued from page 1

The subject of Scripture’s

clarity has always been

a part of Christianity’s

interpretation of Scripture.

Scripture itself is clear,

but Scripture is never by itself,

never isolated from groups of

readers and the different ways

those groups read and regard

Scripture’s message.

4 WINTER 2001

N e w & N o t e w o r t h yne of the great urban missionary-scholars of our day has left a legacyin his work and in this book. This, Harvey Conn’s last effort beforehis death in 1999, coauthored with Manuel Ortiz,is a monument to his passions and his skills as a

teacher and practitioner. As Ortiz writes in the preface,“Harvie Conn spoke of his desire to provide a textbook forstudents moving into urban ministry, for those wrestlingwith the complexities of the city as pastors, for evangelists,for missionaries who are planting urban churches in theUnited States and throughout the world, and for faculty who have taken thelonely road of teaching urban mission studies in Christian institutions.” Thismagnum opus covers the history, sociology, theology, missiology and ecclesiol-ogy of urban ministry in a clear, comprehensive and definitive work that will bethe standard in its field for many years.

With the demise of objective truth in theology has come less need to takeseriously the task of persuading others to believe. Unwilling to accept this newstatus quo, William A. Dembski and Jay Wesley Richardsand friends firmly hold that apologetics once again deservesa chair at the theological debating table. They meet head-onsome of the most vexing issues in theological studies—thepervasiveness of contextualism, the question of error inScripture, feminist challenges to our concept of God, thenature and coherence of the incarnation, the presumptionof universalism, and the incursions of science into theology.J. P. Moreland has urged, “Every evangelical who attends seminary must readthis book before he or she graduates.” Why? The contributors, all one-timestudents at Princeton Theological Seminary, expose the permeating influenceof naturalism in theological studies as well as other philosophical tenets thatare neither critiqued nor defended but merely assumed in much mainlinetheology.

For many years Ray Anderson has been training seminary students for min-istry. He has spent as much or more time and effort on thecontinuing education and renewal of those who have goneon to serve in ministry. Out of that engagement, he calls forthe reformation and renewal of theological education aswell as Christian ministry itself. This book is perhapsAnderson’s most prophetic work to date. His burden is toilluminate for us how theory (theology) can no more beseparated from practice (ministry) than the person andwork of Jesus Christ can be separated from the present ministry of the HolySpirit. Rarely has the union of theological insight with a passion for ministrybeen so vitally conceived. If you’re wondering if there isn’t a better, morefaithful way to prepare for and engage in Christian ministry, Ray Anderson’sbook is a must-read. It will invite and challenge you and the institutions inwhich you serve to take the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of his Spiritmore seriously than you ever have before.

Recent conflict between Israelis and Palestinians once againunderscores the fact that land matters—particularly when itcomes to the strategic patch of land wrapped up in thepromise to the patriarch Abraham! The Land of Promise in thePurposes of God is edited by Peter Walker and PhilipJohnston, and is the product of the Biblical Theology StudyGroup of Tyndale House, Cambridge. It explores the issue

from several perspectives—the land in Israel’s story, in the prophets, in theNew Testament and in Christian theology. Then a Palestinian Christian anda Jewish Christian, both residents of this contested land, offer their perspec-tives from ground zero. Finally, two scholars address the question of the landand Christian responsibility. A collection of essays that was worth publishinganyway, its appearance now is particularly timely.

Every society, even ours, has stories that distort both science and history tomake their political points. How often have we heard thestory, for example, of plucky Galileo, armed merely with a telescope and reason, doing battle with a super-stitious church only to be condemned as a heretic andharshly imprisoned? Even though most of the “facts” we commonly assume to be true about this story are just notso, the romanticized myth boldly marches forward.

Philip Sampson dispels this myth and five others—about the ecological crisis, missionaries, evolution and more—all at the bor-ders of Christianity and Western civilization. To do so he tells new and fas-cinating stories, rich in historical detail and surprising turns. As Mark Nolltold us, “Philip Sampson’s altogether helpful book gently deflates many ofthe important myths of modern Western culture. . . . For the sharpening ofthinking, especially among those who suspect that Christianity has neverbeen as repressive as often claimed, this is illuminating reading at its best.”

Under the editorship of Derek Tidball (principal ofLondon Bible College), the first volumes in The BibleSpeaks Today–Bible Themes Series are now making theirdebut. Peter Lewis gives us The Message of the Living Godand Paul Beasley-Murray presents us with The Message ofthe Resurrection. Both writers draw on a deep familiaritywith Scripture and Christian theology, as well as theirrich pastoral experience. We believe this series will soon

establish itself is a valued resource for preaching, teaching and spiritualgrowth. Look for future volumes by Derek Tidball on The Message of the Crossand Philip G. Ryken on The Message of Salvation.

This collection of essays, edited by Alvin Kimel, has beena long time in coming. But it is a worthy sequel to Kimel’sfirst collection published by Eerdmans, Speaking theChristian God. This volume is somewhat more focused onthe particular problems of language about God bothbiblical and contemporary. It does continue the dialogueand critique of those of a more radical feminist persuasionwho might seek to minimize or eliminate masculine

reference to God. The essays advance on three lines: the first four essaysexplore biblical roots. Christopher Seitz and Paul Mankowski offer finecontributions here. The next two essays, one by Francis Martin and theother by William P. Alston, delve into the philosophical issues. The finalfour chapters, which include essays by Stanley Grenz, R. R. Reno and PaulR. Hinlicky, trace out theological considerations of gender for Christianconceptions of God. All in all the essays explore and relocate the problem asnecessarily being one of proper versus improper usage of masculine referenceto the triune God rather than assuming that such reference is intrinsicallyproblematic. �

O

IVP’s Book Bulletin for Professors 5

As always, we are grateful to the ETSand the AAR/SBL for concocting anexcuse for us to enjoy the company of

many of you, our authors, readers and friends.This past November in Nashville was noexception. In addition to seeing many at ourbooths where we were able to introduce ourstrong fall list of academic and reference titles,we were also able to host over one hundred ofyou in a packed-out room to celebrate thecompletion of the IVP New Testament dictio-nary series.

With the November release of the Dictionary of New TestamentBackground, the four-volume set, with its over four thousand pages andover four million words, was complete. Dan Reid, the IVP referenceeditor most responsible for the conception and development of theseries, led the festivities at an AAR/SBL reception honoring the vol-ume editors and the hundreds of contributors to these award-winningbooks. He also spiced the event with a host of good-humored awardsincluding:

Longest Faxed Article (and from greatest distance): SeyoonKim, “Sayings of Jesus” (no less than sixty pages from Korea).

Fastest Submission of an Article: Jacob Neusner. His article

on Mishnah and Tosefta arrived one day earlier than his letter accept-ing the assignment!

Most References to Extrabiblical Literature: the winner,far and away, Craig Keener!

Briefest Article—as Well as the Most Exotic Topic:

Pieter van der Horst on “Maria the Jewish Alchemist” (503 words).Multus in Parvo (Much in Little) Award: Howard Marshall

on “Lamb of God” (DJG, 1,348 words) Multus de Parvo (Much About Little) Award: Dan initially

thought he had earned this honor for his article “Pella, Flight to”(1,926 words on only one paragraph in Eusebius). But he ultimatelyconceded it to Craig Evans for his DNTB article “Cave 7 Fragments.”Craig managed to write 860 words on a group of Dead Sea ScrollGreek fragments that are so tiny that there is only one full Greekword—kai—to be found on them! (Of course, it’s not Craig whothinks these fragments are much to be made of; for that we owe thehonor to others for making much over little!)

Dan himself was also honored for his stellar editorial efforts inbirthing, nurturing and producing the over one hundred thousandcopies of the series that are in print. When Andy Le Peau presentedDan with a plaque and gift certificate as a token of thanks, the eveningwas topped off as the room erupted in a standing ovation.

Celebrating the completion of

the New Testament dictionary series!

Sometimes a publisher’s best intentionsare misread–or miscommunicated! Take,for example, our recently released the

book The IVP Bible Background Commentary:Old Testament. Some of you already have TheIVP Bible Background Commentary:Genesis–Deuteronomy (now available for $14.99in paperback), which we published way backin the twentieth century (1997). And now youhave purchased or perhaps are consideringpurchasing The IVP Bible BackgroundCommentary: Old Testament. Of course, thisnew volume (as the title implies) also includesthe Pentateuch. Apparently, some folksrecently bought the Genesis–Deuteronomyvolume and then—voila!—found that the fullvolume had appeared. Some thought wewould continue to publish this Old Testamentcommentary in sectional volumes, perhapsthree or four of them. But our intention was

only to publish thePentateuch volume sep-arately and early—sep-arately for its usefulnessas a textbook(Pentateuch being astandard curricularunit), early to give read-ers access to the won-derful commentary tocome.

Let us assure you that the press that con-sistently brings you excellent reference worksfor great prices really wasn’t trying to gougeyou on this one. As a matter of fact (given theodd math entailed in publishing realities), ifwe had continued to publish the commentaryby sections, you would be paying $20 per vol-ume, or a total of $60 to $80 for a three- orfour-volume set. Instead, you now get the

entire Old Testament commentary for just$29.99!

For as long as there is sufficient demandto make print runs feasible, we will continueto offer the Genesis–Deuteronomy volume inpaperback, particularly for those who wish touse it as a textbook. But now that both vol-umes are available, you might want to presentstudents with the option of “buying up”(sorry, no trade-in discounts) to the full-scalevolume. The full Old Testament canon givesmore bang for the buck.

Some Background on

The IVP Bible Background Commentary

While we were beavering away onthe Dictionary of New TestamentBackground, our colleagues at

IVP-UK were simultaneously assemblingthe New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Justreleased in December, the NDBT is a proudachievement and once again makes us grate-ful for our longstanding trans-Atlantic asso-ciation with our British counterpart. Editedby T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S.

Rosner, along with consulting editors D. A. Carson (see inter-view elsewhere in this Alert) and Graeme Goldsworthy, thismajor reference work positions itself conceptually between theNew Bible Dictionary and the New Dictionary of Theology.

It’s worth noting that the NDBT is divided into three parts.Part one consists of twelve major introductory articles on foun-dational topics such as “Challenges to Biblical Theology,” “Unityand Diversity of Scripture” and “Systematic Theology andBiblical Theology.” Part two focuses on the theology of biblicalcorpora and books, with articles on seven major biblical corpora(Genesis to Kings, Wisdom, Prophets, Synoptics, Luke-Acts,Johannine writings and Paul) followed by articles on each of thebiblical books. And finally, part three presents a full range ofover 150 articles focused on biblical themes, from Abraham toworship. In many cases the contributors are noted experts whohave published on their topics, and their articles offer valuablesummaries of their commentaries or monographs.

This is a wonderful piece of collaborative scholarship, and itis difficult to imagine a finer and more accessible conspectus ofcontemporary evangelical biblical theology. The NDBT is surelya must-have for any personal, church or institutional theologicallibrary. We imagine a wide range of uses for this book:

� a core textbook for courses in biblical theology or evenBible survey

� a flexible resource for Bible teachers at a variety of levels

� a starting point for biblical researchers of diverse abilitiesand interests

� a mother lode of biblical insights for expository preachers

� a knowledgeable companion for personal Bible study

� a biblical browser’s bountiful delight.

6 WINTER 2001

New Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Gospel to the Nations

CT & ECPA Book Awards

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ hasalways been at the center of PeterO’Brien’s life and ministry. Indeed, his

love for the gospel is largely responsible for hiscommitment to missions and ministry over thepast fifty years. It is therefore appropriate that abook in honor of Peter’s sixty-fifth birthdayshould focus on the mission and message of theapostle Paul to the nations. This impressive col-lection of essays explores the facets of Pauline

mission and message under four broad headings: the Old Testamentbackground, New Testament studies, the wider context of the worldin which Paul’s message was proclaimed, and the use of that messagein history and contemporary thought. We hope you enjoy this signifi-cant contribution to biblical studies, and next time you see Peter,wish him a happy birthday. �

We are very happy to announce thatRoger Olson’s The Story of ChristianTheology was a multiple award win-

ner in the year 2000. Given both theEvangelical Christian Publishing Association’sGold Medallion and a Christianity Today Bookof the Year Award, this book is clearly destined

to be read widely and usedin theology courses foryears to come.

The recentlyannounced ChristianityToday Book of the YearAwards for 2001 went toEddie Gibbs’s ChurchNextin the Church/PastoralLeadership category, JimSire’s Habits of the Mind inthe Christianity andCulture category and to the Ancient ChristianCommentary on Scripture Colossians, 1-2Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, editedby Peter Gorday, in the Biblical Studies category.

Awards of Merit from Christianity Todaywent to The Wedge of Truth by Phillip Johnson inthe Christianity and Culture category, the

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John,Jude, edited by Gerald Bray, in the Biblical Studies category andGerald McDermott’s Can Evangelicals Learn from World Religions? inthe Missions/Global Affairs category. �

“The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology is a timelychallenge to contemporary scholarship to reconsider its prejudiceagainst coherence. It is a welcome sign that biblical theology continues to flourish and that reports of its demise have been greatlyexaggerated.”

Francis Watson, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland

IVP’s Book Bulletin for Professors 7

and the destiny of Israel. A detailed examinationof the theme in the epistle to the Romans isfollowed by a survey of the entire Paulinecorpus.

The analysis incorporates a critical assess-ment of the “new perspective,” challenging itsmost basic assumptions; an evaluation of thecontribution of recent German scholarship; anda reaffirmation of the Christ-centered theologyof the Reformers. In this wide-ranging exposi-tion of the biblical message of justification,Seifrid provides a fresh, balanced reworking ofPauline theology.

Slave of Christ

The New Testament finds many ways to depictChristians’ relationship to their Lord. They arehis disciples, sons, daughters, friends. But it isperhaps too little recognized that they are alsohis slaves. This study sets out to uncover what itmeans to be a slave of Christ. Murray J. Harrisbegins by assessing the nature of actual slaveryin the Greco-Roman world and the NewTestament’s attitude toward it. Drawinginsights from this, he goes on to unfold themetaphor of slavery to Christ. Among the topicsdiscussed are slavery and spiritual freedom,lordship, ownership and privilege.

Neither Poverty nor Riches

Craig L. Blomberg outlines a comprehensivebiblical theology of the Christian attitude topoverty, wealth and material possessions.

“On a subject as sensitive as this one, it is extra-ordinarily rare to find balance and prophetic voicerolled up in one. In my view, this is now the best bookon the entire subject.”

D. A. Carson

Now Choose Life

Deuteronomy contains profound theology andprofound ethics, each bound up with the other.It is a book which calls God’s covenant people,from ancient Israelites to modern-dayChristians, to hear God and do his will, and solive the good of the life he offers.

In this study Dr. J. Gary Millar provides acareful and perceptive analysis of Deuteronomy’sethical teaching set in the context of the book’stheology. After discussing how Deuteronomyhas been understood by other scholars, he setsout his own interpretation, dealing with itsethics in the light of key themes in the book:covenant, journey, law and the nations.

Original Sin

We live in a world shot through with evil. Thetwentieth century has witnessed human crueltyon a scale never before imagined. Yet, paradoxi-cally, the doctrine of original sin has sufferedneglect and ridicule in recent years.

In this philosophically sophisticatedtreatment of the biblical evidence for originalsin, Henri Blocher offers a robust response.Interacting with the best theological thinking onthe subject, he shows that while, on the onehand, the nature of original sin is a mystery—ariddle even—on the other hand, only belief in it

makes sense of evil and wrongdoing.After a general survey of the biblical

evidence, Blocher moves on to discuss the twokey texts. First, he considers the relation of theEden story of Genesis 2—3 to modern scientific,literary and theological thinking. Then he offersa new and groundbreaking interpretation ofRomans 5, where Paul discusses Christ andAdam. From this exegetical foundation, Blochergoes on to show how the doctrine of original sinmakes sense of the paradoxes of human exis-tence. In the final chapter he discusses theintellectual difficulties that some feel remainwith the doctrine itself.

Hear, My Son

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, andreject not your mother’s teaching; for they are afair garland for your head, and pendants for yourneck” (Proverbs 1:8-9 RSV).

Underlying Proverbs 1—9 is a rich traditionof instruction in how to live. Its primary value iswisdom. In this groundbreaking work, DanielEstes describes that tradition and explains howwisdom is founded in “the fear of the Lord.”Skillfully organizing what otherwise seem to berandom collections of sayings, he sets out in aclear and insightful way what Proverbs 1—9tells us about teaching and learning how to livewell.

This book not only opens a window intothe wisdom and writings of the Old Testamentbut also provides important material for reflec-tion on practical education and pedagogicaltheory today. It will be of interest to Biblereaders, parents and teachers alike.

Jesus and the Logic of History

At the heart of the Christian faith stands a man,Jesus of Nazareth. Few people seriously questionwhether he existed in history. But many, influ-enced by the more skeptical scholars, doubt thatthe Christ of orthodox Christianity is the sameas the Jesus of history.

In this important new book, historian PaulBarnett lays the doubts to rest. He uncovers themethodological weaknesses present in someforms of critical scholarship, demonstrating afailure to account for important early evidenceabout Jesus. Once the evidence is properlymarshaled, a picture of Jesus emerges that fitswell with orthodox belief in him.

Whoredom

Whoredom is an ugly, even offensive, word. But itstands in all its biblical bluntness for a deeplyoffensive sin—the unfaithfulness of God’scovenant people in departing from Yahweh,their husband, and going after false gods. In hisbook, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. begins byshowing how the Genesis vision of humanmarriage provides the logic and a coherentnetwork of meanings for the story of Israel’srelationship with Yahweh. He traces the themeof marital unfaithfulness, first through thehistorical books of the Old Testament and thenthrough the prophets, particularly Hosea,Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Turning to the NewTestament, he shows how the sad story of

Israel’s harlotry is transcended by the vision ofultimate reality in Christ and his church, theBridegroom and the bride. This beautifullywritten book is marked by careful exegesis anddeep sensitivity. It is that rare thing—a work ofscholarship which calls the reader to love Godwith an ardour that suffuses all of life.

Possessed by God

David Peterson challenges the common assump-tion that the New Testament views sanctifica-tion as primarily a process. He argues that itsemphasis falls on sanctification as a definitiveevent, “God’s way of taking possession of us inChrist, setting us apart to belong to him and tofulfill his purpose for us.” Simply to identifysanctification with growth in holiness, he contends, obscures the emphasis and balance of New Testament teaching and creates unreal-istic expectations.

Throughout Peterson builds his case on the careful exegesis of relevant passages, with a keen eye for the pastoral implications of his findings.

WHEATON THEOLOGY

CONFERENCE 2001The theme of the tenthannual Wheaton TheologyConference will be the evan-gelical doctrine of Scripture.It will be held on theWheaton College campusApril 5-7, 2001. Thekeynote speaker is Stanley Grenz ofRegent College, Vancouver. As notedin the official announcement, this yearmarks a quarter century since the pub-lication of Harold Lindsell’s The Battlefor the Bible. This conference isdesigned to explore the developmentsin evangelical thinking and practicesince then. This is an appropriate follow-up to last year’s conference onbiblical theology. It should prove anideal context for pastors, students andscholars interested in biblical studiesand theology to come together forsounding out evangelical thinking andpractice on this very important and attimes controversial subject. As in pre-vious years, IVP will be a cosponsor ofthe event featuring an outstanding dis-play of books. We look forward to see-ing many of you there. �

Other NSBT: continued from page 2

8 WINTER 2001

Are you run-

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space? Then it’stime to buy TheEssential IVPReference Collection onCD-ROM.

On one CD you’llhave access to IVP’s

entire award-winning New Testament dic-tionary series—the Dictionary of Jesus & theGospels, the Dictionary of Paul & His Letters,the Dictionary of the Later New Testament &Its Developments and the Dictionary of NewTestament Background. You’ll also get TheIVP Bible Background Commentary: OldTestament and The IVP Bible BackgroundCommentary: New Testament; the New BibleAtlas, New Bible Dictionary and New BibleCommentary; the New Dictionary of Theology,

New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, HardSayings of the Bible and the Dictionary ofBiblical Imagery.Other features include

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So whether you want to conserve shelfspace or just get the best reference booksavailable in the most convenient formatavailable, then you’ll want to get a copy ofthis CD-ROM from IVP. �

We continue to make progress in theoutput of volumes in the AncientChristian Commentary on

Scripture, adding to the six volumes alreadyin print. Our first Old Testament volume,Genesis 1-11, edited by Andrew Louth at theUniversity of Durham in collaboration withMarco Conti, has just recently been released,to be followed this summer by Exodus,Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, edited byJoseph T. Lienhard of Fordham University in

collaboration with Ronnie J. Rombs. Louth is a distinguishedpatristics scholar from the Orthodox tradition while Lienhard is adistinguished Roman Catholic patristics scholar. In the fall we willrelease Matthew 1-13 and Matthew 14-28, edited by ManlioSimonetti of the University of Rome and the Augustinian PatristicInstitute. Originally, we had intended to produce only one volumeon Matthew but found at the point of copyediting that we hadmore than enough material for two large volumes. Rather than tryto condense the wealth of insight to be found here, we decided thattwo volumes would better reflect the fathers interest in the FirstGospel.

Also well worth noting is that Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2Timothy, Titus, Philemon, edited by Peter Gorday, was recognized asa 2001 Christianity Today Book Award winner, and James, 1-2 Peter,1-3 John, Jude, edited by Gerald Bray, was named to the ChristianityToday Award of Merit list. Congratulations to Peter Gorday,Gerald Bray and everyone who worked on these excellent volumes.

Next Avai lab le :GENESIS 1-11 Edited by Andrew Louth. (available April 2001)

EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS,DEUTERONOMY Edited by Joseph T.Lienhard. (available August 2001)

C u r r e n t l y A v a i l a b l e :MARK Edited by Thomas C. Oden andChristopher A. Hall.

ROMANS Edited by Gerald Bray.

1-2 CORINTHIANS Edited by Gerald Bray.

GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, PHILIPPIANS Edited by Mark J. Edwards.

COLOSSIANS, 1-2 THESSALONI-ANS, 1-2 TIMOTHY, TITUS, PHILEMON Edited by Peter Gorday.

JAMES, 1-2 PETER, 1-3 JOHN, JUDEEdited by Gerald Bray.

F o r t h c o m i n g :GENESIS 12-50 Edited by J. MarkSheridan. (available March 2002)

JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, 1-2 SAMUEL Edited by John R. Franke.

1-2 KINGS, 1-2 CHRONICLES,EZRA, NEHEMIAH, ESTHER Edited by J. Ligon Duncan III.

JOB Edited by Anders Bergquist.

PSALMS 1-50 Edited by Craig Blaisingand Carmen Hardin.

PSALMS 51-150 Edited by Quentin Wesselschmidt.

PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, SONG OF SOLOMON Edited by J. Robert Wright.

ISAIAH 1-39 Edited by John Sailhamerand Steve McKinion.

ISAIAH 40-66 Edited by Mark Elliott.

JEREMIAH, LAMENTATIONSEdited by Dean O. Wenthe.

EZEKIEL, DANIEL Edited by KennethStevenson and Thomas McCollough.

THE TWELVE PROPHETS Edited byAlberto Ferreiro. (available March 2002)

MATTHEW 1-13 Edited by ManlioSimonetti. (available October 2001)

MATTHEW 14-28 Edited by ManlioSimonetti. (available December 2001)

LUKE Edited by Arthur Just.

JOHN Edited by George Dragas.

ACTS Edited by Francis Martin.

HEBREWS Edited byPhilip D. W. Krey and Eric Heen.

REVELATION Edited by William Weinrich.

The Essential IVP Reference Collection

THE ACCS UPDATE

IVP’s Book Bulletin for Professors

Andy Le PeauEditorial Director

James HooverAssociate Editorial Director and Senior Editor for Reference & Academic Books

Daniel G. ReidSenior Editor for Reference & Academic Books

Gary DeddoAssociate Editor for Academic Books

Matthew J. SmithAcademic Alert Editor & Seething Carpet of Wrens

Todd AugustineAcademic Sales Manager

The Academic Alert is published three times a year by InterVarsityPress. To order any books featured in this bulletin, return the accompanying reply card or contact:

InterVarsity PressP.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515(630) 734-4321academic@ivpress.com • www.ivpress.com

Manuscripts and book proposals should be sent to the appropri-ate academic editor. Questions, comments, change of addressnotification and all other correspondence may be sent to theAcademic Alert editor.

Vol. 10, No. 1

Copyright © 2001 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. All rights reserved.

Academic Alert

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