Stanley E. Porter

Apologetics

“Paul Chung has written a timely book that addresses our current situation in a helpful and straightforward way. Many people don’t just not believe in God—they don’t know how to think about God. Chung addresses current (mis)understandings of who God is and provides plausible and inviting ways to think about a God who not only is but speaks, if we will only listen.”

1 and 2 Timothy and Titus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“I commend Rob Wall for offering us, and the wider church, his canonical readings of the Pastoral Epistles. Rob does not shy away from the many tough passages in these letters, always trying to present what he sees as the 'plain sense' of the text in relation to other historical, ecclesial, and cultural understandings. The combination of commentary and reading by the 'rule of faith' -- supplemented by three interesting case studies -- provides a thorough canonical understanding of these crucial letters from the standpoint of one who is immersed in what it means to understand the Bible as the church's book.”

A Lifetime in the Church and the University

History & Biography

“Tony Thiselton has led an exceptional life--in fact, one much more exceptional than I realized, and I have known him for over thirty years! This autobiography is not just an account of a life, but it is a delightful and instructive recounting of a fascinating and accomplished spiritual and academic adventure. A dominating idea that clearly emerges is how, despite physical and health problems that would have deterred a lesser person, Tony's Christian faith and dedication to the church have resulted in great things for the academy. We can all be thankful to God for such a life well lived.”

Acts

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Parsons's commentary on Acts takes an overtly rhetorical approach to the text, while not losing sight of its important theological implications. I commend him for focusing his commentary on the final form of the text as it was read by the first readers and recognizing the author as a theologian in his own right. Parsons also provides useful supplemental comments to aid those unfamiliar with the terminology of ancient rhetoric. A number of Parsons's assumptions and conclusions will no doubt prompt significant further discussion.”

Ancient Rhetoric and the Style of Paul’s Letters

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Paul and rhetoric continues to be a hot topic. Some see Paul as a full-blown orator and others downplay his level of rhetorical knowledge. However, one factor that most scholars engaging in the Paul and rhetoric debate accept is that Paul uses elements of Greek style. Paul doesn’t just use these for superficial display; he uses them with purpose. Brookins provides the examples, and now it is up to Pauline interpreters to explain their exegetical importance.”

Are You the One Who Is to Come?

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Canon Revisited

Theology

“Michael Kruger has written an important and comprehensive treatment of the New Testament canon. As an advocate of the self-authenticating view, he goes to great lengths to argue his case, but he also delves deeply into the variety of historical and community-based positions. He provides an insightful treatment of epistemological grounds for belief, and debates the positions in a rigorous way not often found in such discussions. I am sure friend and foe alike will learn from this valuable volume.”

Communal Reading in the Time of Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Communal reading has clearly been a neglected factor in understanding ancient literate culture. Recent attention to questions of literacy indicates that communal reading was an important part of the cultural experience of texts, as Brian Wright so ably shows in his extensive survey of the ancient evidence, biblical and otherwise. I commend Wright for bringing this to our attention, and, by doing so, for opening up areas for further exploration regarding how texts were used, how traditions were transmitted, and how ancients communicated.”

Discovering Romans

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Thiselton brings his unique perspectives and interests to this central Pauline book. His commentary is full of provocative exegetical and theological insights.”

Forbidden Texts on the Western Frontier: The Christian Apocrypha in North American Perspectives

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Studies of the Christian Apocrypha are coming of age in North America, and this volume clearly outlines the contours of such an emergence into adulthood. These essays cover many of the major issues in contemporary apocryphal studies, ranging from debate over definitions to the practicalities of digital editions. The chapters on the distinctive contribution of North American study of the Christian Apocrypha are particularly interesting and provocative.”

Interpreting the Parables

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Craig Blomberg continues to swim strongly against the tide with his 'minority position' in parables studies. I think he makes as good a case as possible for his position that Jesus' parables are allegories, and in the course of his exposition of the individual parables usually ensures that there are some new insights even for interpreters who disagree with him. His updated discussion of the history of parable research, and his attention to recent developments in parable theory, will be welcomed by everyone.”

Jesus and Paul in the Context of Judaism and Early Christianity

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Donald Hagner has been a voice of balance and moderation throughout his career as a New Testament scholar. These essays spanning much of that career evidence his ability to find a way to bring competing views on an issue into a reasonable synthesis that respects varying opinions and complex evidence. The relationship of Jesus and Paul to Judaism has been one of those persistent issues and is especially contentious in recent scholarly discussion. I am glad to see that Don is addressing both Jesus and Paul within the context of the emergence of Christianity by drawing on a lifetime of serious scholarship.”

Matthean and Lukan Special Material

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Brice Jones has compiled a highly useful tool--one of those tools that we all wish that we had had a long time ago! Surprisingly enough, no one had bothered since B. H. Streeter first proposed the existence of unique Matthean and Lukan material to compile [it] in one handy volume. Jones has not only done that, but he has provided a very helpful introduction to the Synoptic Problem and the role that M and L play within it.”

More Than Meets the Ear

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“I commend Victor Matthews for bringing to bear the insights of recent linguistic research on biblical exegesis. His utilization of sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, frame theory, conversation analysis, and positioning theory — each applied in different ways depending upon the context — marks a significant step forward in interdisciplinary exegetical analysis. The bibliography is current and thorough, offering guidance to scholars who wish to pursue Matthews's line of thought. Biblical scholars will not be able to look at these Old Testament passages in the same way from now on.”

Of Conflict and Concealment

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Adam Wright is ideally situated to question the notion that the Gospels are biographies and make a convincing case that Mark’s Gospel, at least, is a tragedy. Wright’s education in both classical and biblical studies enables him to examine the full range of evidence. This is not a far-fetched hypothesis, but an argument grounded in ancient and modern theory and Mark’s Gospel itself. This is an important book that anyone considering the genre of the Gospels must take into account.”

Paul and the Stories of Israel

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Many New Testament scholars—far too many according to Andrew Das—are given to finding 'grand thematic narratives' in various places in the New Testament, especially in Paul's letter to the Galatians. On the basis of detailed work on this important Pauline letter, Das examines six of these grand narratives and subjects them all to a similar strong yet fair critique. He ends up showing that there are a lot of 'emperors' running around loose without sufficient clothing. In other words, each of the proposals fails to provide a well-grounded and convincing grand narrative. I commend Das's attempt to bring methodological clarity to an area that has been given over to far too much speculation that has left the text of Galatians behind and entered into various types of 'piling on' of supposed evidence. This does not mean that there are not stories to be told even in Galatians, but Das rightly calls for them to be grounded in what Paul himself says, not in what we might wish he had said.”

Paul the Ancient Letter Writer

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Weima has written a very timely and important book on how to analyze the apostle Paul’s letters. A growing number of scholars, myself included, have had serious questions about the over-rhetorization of Paul’s letters. Weima presents a useful and helpful alternative in returning to a robust form of epistolary analysis. We may have some differences of opinion on whether there are four or five major parts to the Pauline letter, but we are in agreement that analysis of the epistolary form of Paul’s letters is central to their interpretation. I strongly endorse the approach of this book and Weima’s attempt to exemplify it, and I think that other interpreters of Paul’s letters will benefit as well.”

Paul's Theology of Preaching

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Duane Litfin has identified in Paul and 1 Corinthians 1–4 the kind of rhetoric that I can wholeheartedly endorse. This is not a rhetoric of persuasion that is cozying up to those in Corinth, but Paul is demonstrating a rhetoric of proclamation that relies upon the Holy Spirit for response. This book provides an important introduction to preaching and rhetoric that makes crystal clear that Paul was doing something very different from the rhetoricians around him. Litfin also provides numerous important practical implications and observations. I think that both scholars and pastors will benefit greatly from reading this book.”

Psalms 101–150

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Why is it that we don’t hear more excellent sermons on the Psalms that engage the text in deep and serious ways? Abe Kuruvilla has written a monumental three-volume work to help address this shortcoming. He recognizes that the Psalms, as captivating as they may be, are not necessarily easy to interpret and many of their contexts and occasions remain in the shadows. Nevertheless, through close attention to each psalm, Kuruvilla shows that their theology can result in preaching that engages both the heart and the mind.”

Puzzling Passages in Paul

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This is an exhilarating and infuriating book by Tony Thiselton. It is exhilarating because he does not shy away from many of the most troubling passages in the Apostle Paul’s letters, but infuriating because Thiselton cannot easily or predictably be put in a box regarding his conclusions. In his inimitable style, Thiselton takes each passage and explains the issues, weighs the options, and makes his proposals for others to judge for themselves. Many readers are bound to find this a very helpful book written by one of our senior Pauline scholars.”