Dictionary for theological interpretation of the Bible

Open to interpretation

DICTIONARY FOR THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE
General Editor: Kevin J. Vanhoozer
Baker Academic/SPCK. 866 pages + 30 pages of Indexes. £35.00
ISBN 0 281 05780 X

Kevin Vanhoozer, the General Editor, opens the Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible with a helpful introduction entitled, What is Theological Interpretation of the Bible?

Dr. Vanhoozer argues that it is an approach to the Bible which takes seriously its claim to be ‘a word from God about God’. It is reading the Bible as Scripture, reading which seeks to learn of God and of his purposes. As such, ‘theological interpretation of the Bible is not the exclusive property of biblical scholars but the joint responsibility of all the theological disciplines and of the whole people of God’.

170 scholars

Nevertheless, biblical scholars clearly play a vital role in such understanding of Scripture, and the editors have enlisted the help of 170 such scholars in producing the many more articles which make up the body of the Dictionary. The overall aim, writes Vanhoozer, is to provide ‘a Christian theological evaluation of the contemporary issues and approaches to biblical interpretation with a view to assessing how they enable the church better to hear what God is saying to church and world today’.

Four types of article

The articles fall into four categories. Firstly, there are articles on the various books of the Bible, each focusing on the message of the text and theological issues that have arisen over its interpretation. Then there are articles on particular issues relating to the theory of interpretation. Thirdly, there are articles on interpreters, both individuals such as Calvin and Barth, and interpretative communities such as African biblical interpretation. Lastly, there are articles on a variety of biblical themes. Each article concludes with its own generous bibliography, providing guidance for any who might want to look more deeply into the subject.

In preparation for this review I read through the Dictionary from A to D and then selected a number of other articles trusting that this might give a reasonable view of the whole. Despite a degree in philosophy, I must admit to having found some of the more philosophical articles, such as the one on Analogy, a little tedious. But this is a minor, and quite personal, quibble, for there were many excellent articles which I found both enlightening and enlivening, firing my desire to read, study and communicate the message of Scripture. Let me provide you with just a few examples.

Taste a few samples

Calvin Seerveld has written a wonderful article on Art, the Bible and, an article which lifts the heart in praise of the Creator God who has given us an appreciation of his creation and of human ability to be creative in his image.

Douglas Farrow provides us with an intriguing article on Ascension in which he argues that, ‘The ascension of Jesus marks the completion of the divine act of creating humanity in the image of God, through full investiture with the Holy Spirit, thus fitting humans for an eternal refreshing converse with the Father and for stewardship of the renovated cosmos’. Wow! I just had to preach on that theme.

Henri Blocher writes on Atonement, providing a useful and well-balanced summary of the various views or perspectives on this subject. He calls for an understanding of the work of God in Christ that is shaped by the multi-faceted biblical testimony rather than the sensitivities of contemporary society.

Craig Bartholomew’s article on Biblical Theology provides an excellent introduction to the subject, arguing that we must read Scripture as story and providing an outline of its structure. Christopher Seitz, in his article on Canonical Approach argues for an approach to Scripture which values the form in which the various books have come down to us rather than seeking to dissect them into disparate sources. Each book must also be read within the context of the whole, the New Testament providing commentary upon the Old in the light of the Christ event.

‘And what more shall I say?’

Time does not permit me to comment on John Webster’s very helpful and illuminating article on Barth or John Walton’s fascinating article on Jonah with its innovative argument concerning the main thrust of the book. Nor can we do more than mention Sylvia Keesmaat’s excellent overview of Colossians, setting it against the background of Roman imperialism and underlining the relevance of its radical claim that ‘Jesus is Lord’ not only to the first century but also to the 21st.

The article on the Pauline Epistles is also most helpful in tracing modern approaches to understanding Paul’s message against the background of first century Judaism. Strangely, the article lacks attribution while the listing of contributors lists no articles against the entry for Judith Gundry-Volf. Could these form an unmatched pair?

But we cannot omit Tom Wright’s truly splendid article on Resurrection of the Dead. He provides his own summary when he concludes, ‘The hope of the resurrection of the dead is ... to be distinguished from the normal language about “life after death”; it denotes, instead, a new bodily life after “life after death”. The fact that most Western Christians are unaware of this indicates a serious weakness in the biblical formation of the modern church, which has corollaries in the difficulties often felt in imitating the early church’s integration of faith and public life. Resurrection is about the Creator God reclaiming, judging, and renewing the created world. The Christian who believes in resurrection should also believe that working for God’s kingdom in the present is therefore “not in vain”’ (1 Corinthians 15.58).

The deep and the dodgy

The volume will prove valuable for pastors and students alike — and for anyone wishing to engage deeply with the message of Scripture and communicate it faithfully and effectively. Inevitably, you will not agree with everything you read. Some articles accept the late dating of Daniel and composite authorship of Isaiah, but even here the authors seek do justice to these books in the form in which they have been handed down to us and to treat them as Scripture.

In his introduction, Kevin Vanhoozer expresses the desire that this Dictionary ‘become an indispensable resource for any serious student of the Bible who also regards it as Scripture’. The quality of the contributors and their contributions should do much to answer this desire. In short, I commend the volume to you. Buy yourself a copy, or persuade someone else to buy it for you. And then don’t leave it on the shelf as a reference book, seldom consulted, but get into the habit of reading articles on a regular basis. Some you may find tedious, a few may annoy, but many will inform, delight and provoke you in your own study of Scripture and in the communication of its incomparable message.

Peter Misselbrook,
member of Pendennis Evangelical Church, Bristol