Edward W. Klink & Darian R. Lockett Understanding Biblical Theology: A Comparison of Theory and Practice Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012. Available at Amazon.com Many of us know that “biblical theology” (BibTh) is not monolithic. The term can be used quite polemically (I do “biblical theology” you do “dogmatic theology”) and there are some very different methodologies out there when it comes to doing biblical theology (just compare Bultmann and Stuhlmacher). This book meets a big need in giving a... Read more

Read here two very different assessments of Archbishop of Canterbury elect Justin Welby by Charles Moore (Justin Welby is the Alpha Male to Save the Church of England) and Peter Mullens (A New Archbishop, but no change at Canterbury) both in The Telegraph . Read more

“Memory, all alone on the podium. I can smile at Formgeschichte. Bultmann was funky back then. I remember the time when we had apophthegmata. Let memory studies, begin right now.” – New lyrics to “Memory” for Jesus studies, apologies to Tim Rice! Anthony Le Donne has a good survey of who is who in the zoo of memory studies and Jesus traditions. Good for heads up on the discipline. Read more

Word from the BBC is that Bp Justin Welby of Durham is set to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. CT is calling it before any official announcement. See commentary over at First Things as well. He comes from the evangelical wing of the Church of England with a previous career in “big oil.” God-speed to him, he has an enormous job, an impossible job I would say: Trying to keep the orthodox global south and the mostly heterodox west... Read more

Larry Hurtado has a very good blog post on The Cinderella Century in Early Christianity, where notes the incredibly significance of the second century for the emergence of later Christianity. I concur with his assessment. In fact, I now deliberately prod potential Ph.D students to consider working in the second century rather than in the first century, because (a) I am sick of reading Ph.D proposals about Paul’s use of Isaiah in Romans; and (b) The second century is where New... Read more

During this political season in the US, I’ve taken the opportunity to do some reading on American evangelicals and politics. I have four recent books that I would like to recommend to you that I thought were particularly interesting, in many cases thought provoking and at times practically useful. As a whole these resources reveal that there is a new approach to politics and the civic life that younger evangelicals particularly are taking, and this in many ways is a... Read more

I was sad to hear that my good friend and one time co-editor, Dr. Michael Pahl, has been dismissed from Cedarville University. Pahl is a  top scholar, a brilliant communicator, a decent Christian man, and is another casualty in the theological tribalism and conservative myopia that seems endemic in American Christian institutions. In an official statement, Cedarville said: Dr. Pahl’s orthodoxy and commitment to the gospel are not in question, nor is his commitment to Scripture’s inspiration, authority and infallibility.... Read more

Yesterday in the post I got these three bodacious books by Craig Keener. Keener’s commentary on Matthew, now in a second edition, is my favourite Matthew commentary for preparing sermons on Matthew. The bold headings that summarize every minor sub-section are virtual dot points for your sermon, or at least main points to remember in your preparation. Strongly recommended. I think Keener’s Acts commentary will prove to be his magnum opus. It is big, Texas Big, bigger than Ben Hur,... Read more

There is a new book about to come out by IVP on Paul and Mission. Robert L. Plummer and John Mark Terry (eds.), Paul’s Missionary Methods: In His Time and Ours (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2012). Here’s the blurb: Veteran scholar-missionaries Robert L. Plummer and John Mark Terry edit this collection of entry points into the missionary methods of the Apostle Paul. With contributions from Michael Bird, Eckhard Schnabel and Craig Keener, this volume examines Paul’s missionary methods from the perspective of... Read more

Just came across this very engaging 47 min performance of the Gospel of Thomas. My friend Nicholas Perrin (Wheaton College) provided the translation that was used and the producer is one Das Abra. See more about the project at gospelofthomas.tv. Really does underscore the esoteric nature of Gos Thom as a literary work. The more I read and now listen to Gos Thom, the more it sounds like it is dependent upon the Synoptic Gospels and Paul. HT: Ben Blackwell. Read more