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Books by Tutors of the House
On Shrove Tuesday (5th February) 2008 a Reception was held at St Stephen’s House to mark the publication of several books by the House’s biblical studies Fellows, namely Ian Boxall’s SCM Studyguide to New Testament Interpretation and SCM Studyguide to the Books of the New Testament and John Jarick’s 2 Chronicles (in the series Readings: A New Biblical Commentary).
Ian Boxall’s two Studyguides offer up-to-date, accessible introductions to a fast-changing area of theological study. Aimed at level-one students, they encourage interaction with the New Testament texts and provide pointers for further reading and learning. The SCM Studyguide to New Testament Interpretation introduces the main interpretative approaches used by scholars in an accessible way, including textual, source, form and redaction criticism, literary approaches such as narrative criticism, social-scientific approaches, feminist and other liberationist readings, and reception history. The book aims to avoid unnecessary jargon, and to help the student apply different approaches to specific New Testament passages, so is full of practical examples and accessible learning techniques for the beginner. The SCM Studyguide to the Books of the New Testament describes the world out of which the New Testament came, and what can be known of the key figures of Jesus and Paul, before discussing the twenty-seven books in turn. At every stage, attention is paid to the range of questions New Testament interpretation raises — historical, literary, theological — with worked examples from specific passages, practical tasks and questions for reflection.
John Jarick’s commentary on 2 Chronicles follows on from his earlier volume on 1 Chronicles in the same commentary series (published by Sheffield Phoenix Press), although the present volume can be read without reference to or knowledge of the former work if the reader is so minded. Across the pages of 2 Chronicles a colourful cast of characters passes in breathless parade before the reader: the tales of the kings of Judah are told in sequence, from Rehoboam ‘the Enlarger’ (who on the contrary shrinks the kingdom) to Zedekiah ‘the Righteous’ (who equally contrariwise profanes the divine name); these motley monarchs are preceded by the unparalleled King Solomon of All Israel and succeeded by the imperial King Cyrus of Persia, and all the while the tellers of the tales weave an insistent ideological thread through the fabric of their stories. Dr Jarick’s reading of Chronicles brings out the fascination and discomfort of handling an ancient scroll that presents itself as the authoritative account of how things were and how they ought to be.
Article posted: 06.02.2008 11:15:00