Full Text for Book Reviews (Text)

CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY Volume 51, Number 4 OCTOBER 1987 Professor Gerhard Aho, Ph.D.. .................................. -241 The Historical Context of the Smalcald Articles .................... Kenneth Hagen 245 A Review Article: The Roots of the Synoptic Gospels ..................... David P. Scaer 255 The Pastor and the Septuagint ............... Steven C. Brie1 261 Theological Observer.. .............................................. -275 Book Reviews ......................................................... .281 Book Reviews EXAMINATION OF THE COUNCIL OF TRENT. By Martin Chemnitz. Translated by Fred Kramer. Volumes 111 and 1V. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986. When 1 was with Prof. G.C. Berkouwer of the Free University of Amsterdam in 1970, this redoubtable Dutch professor and prolific author (multiple-volumed Studies in Dagmatics and numerous other theological works) expressed genuine amazement over the projected publication of Chemnitz's Emmen Co~aXi Tridmthi in English translation by Concordia Publishing House. His surprise had mostly to do with the financing of a project of this size. 1 assured him that it required a church body deeply committed to confessional theology, along with a like-minded publishing house, to undenvrite an enterprise of such magnitude. With the appearance now of Parts I11 and IV the task is completed, and Concordia is to be congratulated for seeing it through to a successful end, along with kudos of the highest kind for the able translator, Fred Kramer, who had the satisfaction of being there from beginning to end. A monumental task well done! Part 1 (published in 1971) and Part I1 (published in 1978) contain beyond all argument the chief dm&nbaf articles of interest to modem readers in the four-volume set. Chemnitz simply follows the order of topics as they were treated by the Council of Trent and as reported by Payva Andrada, in the session which met, with some gaps or intervals, between the years 1545-1563. The fm two parts thus include the very significant responses of Chemnitz on topics like Scripture and tradition, or@d sin, free will, justification, faith, good works, Baptism, Lord's Supper, penance, church orders and ordination. In Parts 111 and IV Chemnitz deals with celibacy, purgatory, invocation of saints, relics, images, indulgences, and fasting. Obviously the nitty-gritty of Christian doctrine is in the first two parts. Yet it was important that the translation include the last two parts, in view of the fact that many of the divisive abuses which the Reformation exposed involved these latter topics, so intimately woven into the piety of Roman Catholic life and teaching to this day. ''It is not the intention," Dr. Kramer notes with the appearance of Parts I11 and IV, to open old wounds and "to stir up troubles," but the fact simply is that, if there is to be any rapprochement between the churches, it will have to begin with an honest, forthright facing-upto of the critique which Chemnitz brings on the basis of sound biblical exegesis and also very careful citation from the early church fathers. In an ecumenical age like ours, therefore, it ought not be too much to hope that Roman Catholic scholars will also take seriously the incisive critique of Trent brought by Chemnitz. It is incredible and inconceivable, therefore, to see contemporary Roman Catholic scholars simply ignoring and bypassing Chemnitz's incisive dissecting of Trent's theology now that Kramer's translation is available. Chemnitz's Evamen does not even receive 282 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY mention in Catholic University of American professor, David N. Power's, 7?~ !!krSce We Offer (Crossroad, 1987), which purports to be a reinterpretation of Tridentino dogma! Rome has not to this day answered Chemnitz's challenge. But then, why should the Romanists bother, as long as the heirs of the Reformation on the Lutheran side haven't taken Chemnitz seriously either, not to mention Protestantism in general? Genuine Christian theology, including much that passes for Lutheran, is in a deep state of desperate malaise. My comments above are not intended in any way to discourage readers' mns as regards the content of Parts 111 and IV. When Chernnitz treats subjects like chastity, celibacy, and virginity, he deals with the whole area of sexual relations for the manied and the unmarried in a splendidly biblical way, not in the style of Ann Landers. Chemnitz may be wordy to some readers, but the plus is that he leaves few stones untumed. The grpat theologian, for many years superhdat of the Brunswick territorial church, has been faulted for requiring so much time to produce his j??xmm, eight years between 1565 to 1573, midst his multiple duties. This is to lose sight of the mammoth production at Trent and all that is implied with the counter-Refonnation theology. Chemnitz took his task very seriously and his scholardup is nowhere more evident than in this four-part magnum opus. Dr. Kramer worked from the very best early editions, notably the Frankfort of 1578, comparing it with the 1861 Latin edition of Eduard Preuss (produced in St. Louis), and the German translation which had already been produced in 1576 by George N'ius and which Dr. Kramer desxibes as "excellent." Readers will find state of the art excellence in all four of the volumes issued by Conwrdia, a uue monument of scholarly accomplishment tbat ought to serve the church for years to come. A minor inammq seems to be included on the jacket accompanying each volume, namely, that Andmla, the Portuguese Roman Catholic scholar and expert @en'hLE) doing the reporting on Trent, is ddbed as a Jesuit, an error repeated aIso in the New Catholic Encycloma and other sources. The Geaman scholar, Reinhard Mumm (Die PoEemik & Mdn Che-tzgegen das KO& von Tnmt) argues convincingly that this notion keeps on appearing from one source to another, apparently because Andrada is confused with later men by the same name who were Jesuits. Certainly libraries (college and university) throughout the world cannot afford to be without these volumes which exhaustively sift through the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent. Nor can individual pastors, theologians, and students of the Reformation and its theology ignore them either. E.F. Klug Book Reviews 283 DIWRSITY AND COMMUNION. By Yves Congar, O.P. Mystic, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 1984.232 pages. Paper. $9.95. Rosenary Ruetha has coined the tam post^' for the manna in which church unity and communion can be anticipated today. To a ~~,thisvohunereflectssuch"post~"~thinking--not in the sense that the contemporary ecumenical movement has acm- all of its goals or that continued formal dialogue between traditions is irrelevant, but that the primary presuppositions for the establishment of unity among the churches now exist. Consequently, the actual shape of the one Church can be concretely envisioned. Yves Congar stands with Karl Rahner and Bernard Lonergan as a giant of 20th century Roman Catholic theology; indeed, in the areas of ecddology and ecumenism he surpasses them in influence. Diversity and Communion only enhances his stature as Rome's leading ecumenical scholar. Yet, the fundamental thesis of this particular book is one familiar to even the most casual Lutheran obse~er of the ecumenical scene: fidelity to truth as perceived by individual confessions is not incompatiile. Agreement on the central truths of faith exists but diversity is posslie, even desirable, in this unity. Father Congar elucidates this thesis thrwgh a series of carefuny ordered, largely historical discussions beginning with questions of diversity and communion in the early church and ending with Vatican Council 11. His approach is to highlight significant episodes in the tradition which demonstrate the long-standing amzptability of the concept of "diversity in unity." Thus, the debate over the date of Easter and communion in the churches during the second to fourth centuries is viewed by Congar as pivotal for the distinction between unity and uniformity. The history of relationships between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church is wamined for a similar purpose as is seventemth century Lutheran distinctions between fundamental and non-fundamental articles of faith (e-g., the contention of Hrmnius that differences with the Calvinists are ova the fuodamentum dogaaticum, not the f-enturn esa&ie). Much which emerges from Congar's study will be appreciated by the Lutheran reader. Augustana W is a clear reminder that uniformity of practice ("ceremonies instituted by men") is not necessary for true unity. However, the confessional insistence that extend unity in the church is constituted by agreement on the marks of the church-the purely taught Gospel andthe rightlyadministaed sacraments (FC -must finally shape one's reaction to Congar's work. John F. Johnson Co~lcordia Seminary st. Louis, Missouri 284 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS: UNDERSTANDING THE DEAS AND IDEALS OF THE CON!XlTUTION. By Mortimer J. Adler. New York: Publishing Company, 1986. $16.95. This is not a theological book; but clergymen should read it. Adla writes about the American Testament: The Deckation of Indepena, the United States Constitution, and The Gettysburg Address. The author is lucid and provocative. Without intending to do so, he confronts theological issues for the Lutheran theologian today. Lutherans have always struggled with the correct theologicaI relationship between state and church. The kingdom on the right and the kingdom on the left present the Lutheran church of our day with certain dilemmas. Is it acceptable for the Christian to march on the Pentagon, to stage a "sit- in," break civil laws in search of the higher good, &.? Clergy and laymen alike remember the Viet Nam years and the agonies that touched the lives of the young American Lutherans who did not want to fight in Viet Nam. The doctriw of the just and unjust wars was hotly debated. The pmure basnoteasedinthismoralandthed~battling,~~wwar, sex education for children, or abortion. What can or should an individual Christian or an entire church body do in these cases? What does God exp~X of His people in the political realm? No, Mr. Adla will not solve the theological problems for the Lutheran church, but he does offer a clear ~~ (albeit his own!) of the three documents that give political life and stn&ure to our land. If the Lutheran clergyman and layman seek to frnd answers to some of the political, moral and theoIogical questions confronting the church in the world, then he must understand the nation's political documents. On occasion Lutheran pastors demo- an abysmal ignorance concerning the political sphere. This book will remedy that deficiency on a very priaary level. The reader will have a much better grasp of the content, goals, and failures of the American Testament. George Kraus JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH: THE NEW CENTURY BIBLE COMMFHTARY. By John Gray. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986. Paper. 427 + xi pages. me New Cenhuy Bible Cornenmy being newly issued in paperback, this volume is a partial revision by John Gray of his earlier commentary, first published in 1967 and revised in 1977. Unexplainedly, the previous publication history of this third edition is omitted from the copyright page. This edition has been expanded esjxcklly by additions in the introductory chapters, list of abbreviations, and general index and by the addition of an index of modern authors. Sections in the commentary receiving more Book Reviews 285 extensive attention are Joshua 10:l-41; Judges 51-31; 13-16; 19-21, and a number of verses throughout, especially in Ruth. A well-known higkruiticaI schdar, Dr. Gray has also authored wtable commentaries on Exodus and Kings. His works are typically shallow in theologicd insight and reflea the usual presuppositions of source and form criticism, such as the damm&~~ hypothesis, the Deuteronomistic history, religious evolution, aetiological interpretation, a late date for the exodus and conquest, and the subordination of archaeological data to source analysis (p. 26). However, he is one of the more cautious higher critics in respect to textuaI ernendation and the more radical theories of composition. Gray gives a peabar twist to the postulated gradual infiltration of Canaan by "Israel" (Ah, Mendenhall): The original core of Israel was speatheaded from north Si (Kadesh) into Ephraim and Benjamin, then joined by tni to the north and east, some of whom constituted groups of under- privileged serfs @ah+u), attracted by Lsrael's social ethic. The inclusion of southern Yahweh-worshipping tni, induding Judah, was f& affected by David (pp. 9-34). Judges reveals certain progress of the sectlanent, growth and eventual consolidation of Israel @. 189). Thus, source analysis bends the intd and external evidence to suit the predetermined theories. Similarly, Ruth is related to the settlement of the exiles returning from Babylonia who found it difficult to reoclcupy their anestd lands. This discuunts the admitted possible affinity of Ruth to the confident climate of the age of David and Solomon and its good classical Hebrew narrative prose (pp. 368-9) that lacks examples after the Exile. Otherwise, Gray's commentary retains significant referewe value through agenedlysdidexpo&on, eqe&d&of manypracticalmattas anddetails. However, the conservative would prefer Martin Woudstra's Joshua (NAY Intmational Commentary on the OM Tesrament) and Judges and Ruth by Arthur Cundall and Leon Morris (Tyndale Old Tatament Cornmen~es), with the confessional Lutheran having recourse in C.F. Keil's comrnene and Horase Hummel's introduction for theological considtxations. John R. Wilch St. Catherines, Ontario HlSTORICAL COMMENTARY ON THE AUGSBURG CONFESION. By Wilhelm Maurer. TmnWed by H. George Anderson. Phihddphia: Fortress Press, 1986. The uanslation of Wiihelm Maurer's Historical Comentary on the Augsburg Conf&n is a landmark event in these days of renewed interest and research into the Lutheran Confessions. We are grateful to Fortress 286 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY Press ad to George Anderson, who gives us a clear and readable translation, for making this classic available. rulaurer's work is not just another theology of the Augsburg Confession, nor is it a mere historical commentary on the Augsburg Confession like Leiv Grane's excellent Confmo Augudma just recently translated and published in English by Augsburg Publishing House. It is a thorough and definitive isagogics to the Augsburg Cunfkion. Maurer traces the thedogy and development of the Augsburg Confession not only back to its earlier drafts by Melamhthon, but more impomntly back to the formative theolcgkal concepts in the writing of both Luther and Melanchthon. h doing so he demonstrates a prodigious comprehension of the theology and output of Luther, to whom he devotes much more attention than to Melanchthon. The reader is greatly rewarded by this procedure in two ways. First, he gains deeper insight into the theology of the Augsburg Confessha Second, he becomes familiar with the relationship of Luther's theology to the Aupburg Confession. Like Elert and others, Maurer sees difference in the approach of Luther and Melanchthon as they construd dessiom for the church. For instance, Maurer finds that the doctrine of the Trinity, which is the foundation for Luther's Confession of 1528, together with the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son, pmuppm all the Refommion p-kipk, inch#ting judfbtkm by faith. To oonfgs the Trinay is to hi the course of revelamy events that run from Christ to us, including our justification before God. And so the atonement is our justification. But MeIanchthon in the Augsburg Confession presents a separate doctrine of jd~don. Whether this approach, which became more pronounced as time went on (but not in the Apology), indicates a dangerous deviation from Luther's Trinitarian approxh Maurer leaves an open question. He co~:ludes that Mehchthon's article of justification, unlike Luther's, belongs under the framework of pneumatology. I would dispute this notion in the light of Melanchthon's Apology IV as well as from Luther's scattered wdings on justification. I think the evidence Maurer himself supplies would lead one to the conclusion that both Luther and Melanchthon in the Augsburg Confession place justification pPoper Chtismm under the second article of the Creed rather than under the third articIe. Maurer's Commentary requires patient and studious reading, but the student who wishes to know more of the background, development, and theology of the Augsburg Confession will be greatly rewarded and challenged. Robert Preus Book RwiAvs 287 THE TRUTH OF CHRISTMAS BEYOND THE MYTHS: THE GOSPELS OF THE INFANCY OF CHRIST. By Rene Laurenlin. Translated from the French by Michael J. Wrenn and associates. Petasham, Massachusetts: St. Bede's Publications, 1986. 569 + xx pages. Paper. $29.95. If this study had not been &adate., one would be tempted to suggest that learning French just to read this book would be worthwhile. In contrast to the widespread historical devaluation of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2, Laurentin repeatedly and emphatically afflrms the historical ~~ of these infancy narmtives. His eon of Luke 1 : 1-4 is a model of brevity annpact witb substance. He canchades: "We are not contesting the Aigious intent of Luke. but this intent onnot be dksockted from a corn to express the truth about events retating to the real person of Christ. For the evangelists, truth and meaning do not oppose each other. They are correlative*' (p. 318). Lawentin deals with the two opening chapters of Matthew and Luke in depth and detail, giving attention to textual criticism as well as literary criticism, and also using techuiques of structuralism and semiotics in his study. He supplies an introduction to Semiotics, which he characth in these words: "This is a new field, and it is stiU in the stage of proving its worth, yet it seems to offer surprising resources for further progress in un-ding the Gospds" (p. 111). The parish pastor may be skittish and skeptical, suspect& that xmetbg like semiotics is bound to be remote from the des of coupgarional life and appropriate only for disporiings in academe. I am convinced that such an attitude is wrong. Within three pages I found stimulation for three sermon themes: (1.) To Praise Cod is to Be Provocative. (2.) Can You Stand It Out of the Limelight in the Shadows? (3.) The Time of God vs. theTiof Caesar. Notverymuchfartheralong theway, twomorethncs came to mind, triggered by Lamutin's exposition: (1.) Mary, Exemplar of the Meditative Witness. (2.) Jesus in Utopia. This latter theme was inspired by Lamentids observation: "The child was laid m a manger, because there was no pIace--ou topas-for them in the inn. The Messiah was born in an ou topit, in the etymological sense of the word which sign& a 'non-pkd " (p. 178). Bored Weuers and bogged down pnzxkrs should welcome the prodding stimulation Laurentin provides. Several important features of Lawentin's philosophy of history must be noted, however briefly. His basic commitment is to historicity/facticity in ~opening~asofMatthewandLuke.Thusconcerningthecanticles he challenges: ""Why not then evalua& thge texts according to their content rather than according to we presuppositions which seek to attniute the canticles to the 'creative Christian Community ' (itself a lovely myth, generously exploited by the Fonqpchkhte school)?" (p. 380). A fdy long section on the virginal conception affirms the historicity of our Lord's miraculous conception and bring the argument up to date with helpll references to recent literature. 288 CDNCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY At several points Laurentin makes some co&m to a less than literal which I find MacoeptaMe. Perhaps the problem daives from what he does with two principles he enunciates. (1) Concerning the writing of history he says: "The transfiguration of fecollections is the law of all memory and all history. It is not mxewdy betrayal. It is interior 'J' ' "on of an event, and thus implies a degree of stylization" @p. 376377). (2) Concaning the Holy Spirit's use of human instruments he contends: "He [the Holy Spirit] does not &qxm himself, but rather awakens the subjed from within to what is best in himself..." @. 441). "The intimate activity of God, who does not manipulate human beings but inspires them to what is best in their desires and in their hope..." (p.442). Both statements, I believe, contain an important truth. However, without more precise definition and delimitation they invite distortions. A series of nineteen "quasi+zcmn~~," which Lawentin calls "Special Notes on the Text," range from ''Kedxuhrnene: The Name Given Mary," to "Is Mary the Souroe of Luke 1-2?" These alone would make the book embent& worthwhile. H. Armin Moellering St. Louis, Missouri WOMEN IN THE CHURCH: A BIBLICAL STUDY ON THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH. By Samuele Bacchiocchi. Biblical Pexspedves 7. Berrien Springs. Michigan: Biial Penpdves, 1987.2% pages. Paper. $12.95. The present debate over the proper role of women in society and the church, along with the attendant issue of ordination of women into the pastoral office, has for a long time tramended denominational lines. It is a truly "catholic" issue. At its 1990 General Confaence the Seventh- Day Adventist Church will decide on the ordination of women to the priesthood. This book by a professor at Andrews University hopes to influence that body so that it will resist the pressure to ordain women as paston. Two appended essays, by Rosalie Haffner Lee (Chapter 9: ''Is Ordination Needed to Women's Mirustry?") and by William A. Fagel (Chapter 10: "Ellen N'hite and the Role of Women in the Church"), are of interest and of importance to Adventist readers, but beyond that communion hold no special significance. The body of the book presents a thorough and thoroughly traditionaI interpretation of the relevant biblical evidence concerning women in the church. In his "Introduction" Bacchiocchi states the ruling "vital biblical principal" of his study: "men and women are equal before God by virtue of creation and redemption. Yet God assigned distinctive and oornpIementary roles for men and women to fffl in their relation to each other. These roles are not nullified but clarified by Christ's redemption and should be reflected in the church" @. 26). Indeed, the phrase "equality Book Rwiews 289 in being and subordination in function," which recurs in variant form throughout the book, may be regarded as the byword of Bacchioochi's book. ~hihimno~dbutdoesoffainano~anddear manner the arguments both of "fenhist" scholars and of his own wmematke viewpoint. He is fair and equitable and does lay out an adequate defense of traditional church doctrine and practice. His chapter headings indicate the scope and thrust of his presentaton: Ministry of Women in the OM Testament; Ministry of Women in the New Tgtament; The Chder of Creation; The Order of Redemption; Headship and Su~~n; Women and Church Ofk, The Role of Pastor. Perhaps most helpful are Ebxhiocchi's discussions of Genesis 1-3 and of the major New Testamart passages (1 Tim. 2:%15; 1 Cor. 14:33-36, Gal. 328). His treatment of the wnq% of "headship" and of "suborchation" is also of interest. Nev~,thebookis~ndsads~.Thisbookmaywellswe the discussion within the Adventkt Church, but it is too *dent upon earfier (wmative) treatments to ammend itself to the general reader as a new, meaningN mntniution to the discussion. Moreover, thae are occasbs where the argument is werplayed and methodologicaIly skewed. I reany doubt whether Jesus was a revolutionary in his attitude toward women as is often asserted. c&aidy to imply that Judaism held women to be "secondclass citizeus in Israel" or of unequal spiritual status (p. 91) is simply a crass hmuacy. But whatever difference Jesus represented vis- a-vis Judaism, it cannot be expd as a restoration of "human dignity and worth" (p. 90f.). Here Bacchiocchi is merely adopting the rhetoric of popsocioIogy,asisprevaleminfe?ninistcircles,anditf~doesnot gain cogency just because a wl~swative says it. Baochioochi argues strongly that ''kdship" means "authority" and not "source" (pp. 114118). Certainly he is right that "headship" can and mud& does entail the meaning of authority. Yet his argument against the meaning of "source" lacks persuasiveness, and when Bacchiocchi simply reduces ''headship" to leadaship (p. 22A) it becomes clear that that notion of authority has achieved too high a status in Bacchiocchi's argument. Methodollogically Bacchiocchi placg too great an impom on the husband-wife relationship and the church as an extended family. On the other baed, Bacchiocchi's dkusk of the pastor as represeotative of Christ hasmuchtomdit, eventhough1 think he~~what hecallsthe"~"VieWofthepast0rasinpersona~. The book reveals the marks of hurried production. There are numerous errors of qdIing and of syntax. Ovaall, Worn in the Clburcb is a mnabIe survey of opinions with an infonned commatke outcome. Womenoughtwtbe~~~intothe~dofficeforitkagainStthe 290 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY divine will and the divine Mdering of &on and of redeanption. chtably Bacchiocchi's heart and mind are in the right place. William C. weinrich THE LEITERS OF ST. CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE. Vohrme Dl: LeWm 55-66. Translated ad Annotated by G.W. Clarke. kncient Christian Writers, Volume 46. New York: Paulist Press, 1986. 345 +vi pages. The writhgs of Cyprian (+258) are the writings of a bishop funy involved in the eEcleslashcal -. aud pastoral problems of his day. Cyprian was a pradicingChristianthjnkerwhosetheorogYwaswroughtinthefieryfumaoe of church life. No letters from the early church are more charged with the drama of pastoral practice than are those of Cyprian. And qrisoopaI oversight in thirdantmy Carthage (North Africa) was no easy task. The Roman Empire was increasingiy uustable as military men fought for the imperial purple; the Christian popvbtion was beset by threat of pmeathn; deadly plague wreaked havoc in the cities; the sin of apostasy was mating difficulties in the pdoe of penance; the church at Carthage suffered schism. All these problems and more provide the plot and story of these letters. The very energy and vitality of Cyprian as he leads his people, guards his people, and struggles for his people are evident on every page. Cyprian remains a model for every churcbly pastor. I would recommend Cyprian to anyone, but especially to our pas&ors. His letters are a 'how to' book written in the vivid colors of real pastoral oversight, not in the faded hues of managerial manipulation. The series, Ancient Christian Wh, presents exceiEent and readable translations of early Christian works. This translaton of Clarke is superb, and it is accompanied by an informative introduction, an extensive bibliography, and captionally thorough notes for a fuller understanding of the terrt. For those interested in Cyprian and for everyone else who ought to be inkrested in him, this is a welcome addition to the pmioush/ published Cyprian volumes of ACW. LUTHERAN HIGHER EDUCATION IN NORTH AMERICA. By Richard W. Solberg. Mimeapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1985.399 pages. Paperback. Almost never can an historian cover such a broad topic as Lutheran IIgher Education in North Anmb with a degree of objedivity amptable toeveryfamilyandbrancBsharingmthe~.WrtRichardW.SoTberg has done just that, penetrating the inner workings of every branch of the Lutheran family and capturiag the spirit of the diverse and complex Lutheran subcultures, yet never offending in his description of them. Book Reviews 291 Lutherans seem to have no better record than other religious groups as they air diffm and stake their claims. But Solberg remains a respected historian because he respeds his subjects. By identifying with his subject Solberg acmmely reflects the decisional premises of the organizations, yet maintains sufficient distance to analyze the diverse groups. Lutherans, including some professional workers who despair of threading their way through the complex story of American Lutheranism, will fmd that Solberg has written a clear history of Lutheran higher education, superimposing it upon an overall view of American Lutheranism, skeCching the essential history in bold co~ile strokes, often including -cant political, economic, and cultural history. Masses of faas are introduced without boring the reader because the interpretive wrapping holds them together. Solberg's generalizations, undergirded with well chosen examples, stand up under scrutiny. The subject is so well researched and the author's grasp of information is so complete that he appears capable of dipping into the huge reservoir at will and producing the precise illustration to make his point. For those who put history in the category of adiaphora-interesthg to know but not really essartial-Solberg's Luthaan Higher Edumbon io North America clearly shows that if we are to undestand ourselves and our challenges today be must know from where we have come and how we have become what we are. Perhaps nostalgia coupled with a search for identity as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is being launched hasresuhedinseveralrecent~historical~withintheArnaican Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America. The LCA, the ALC, and now the ELCA are to a great extent the result of divisions and magas.Theessartianym~natureofTheLuthaanCh~~ Synod until the mid-twentieth century may have ded in less interest and less need to probe the past. However, Missouri Synod historians ought to pick up the challenge now as the Synod recognizes the anniversaries of C.F.W. Waltkr's birth and death, the Saxons' immigration in 1839, and a number of less known but equally significant events. WiIbert Rosin WD AND HUMAN SUFFERIBG. By Dough John Hall. -: Augsburg Publishing House, 1986. Cloth. 223 pages. Theological readers thank Augsburg Publishing House for encouraging the author, Doughs John Hall, to develop this book which interrelates so many different topics which help us interpret human suffering. Hall has provided an update of this perennial subject. The main section of the book deals with different aspects of the doctrine of God which help us mdemd how God om help us face human suffering. The valuable contribution of 292 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY this book is Hall's showing us how the theology of the cross reveals a merciful and compassionate God in our situation of tragic suffering. We also fmd Hall's rational interpretation of four naturrrl levels of suffering as understandable as they participate in the becoming of the life enrichment process. He includes anxiety, loneliness, temptation, and experience of limits under this section. He applies the doctrine of creation to these four dimensions of suffering. He exhorts us to transcend these four tolerable and understandable lions of suffering as part of the human process moving toward our more satisfying degrees of the biblical view of the abundant life. He ad- us to accept thae in so far as they can be experienced as "integrative suffering," but we should not let our natural sufferings become or distorted into "disintegrative suffering." For example, we should not permit aruriety, loneliness, fink limits, or temptation possess us to the point where we lose our direction toward the abundant life. We should assume our responsibility to use our freedom in helping others bear their suffering as taught in the account of the Good Samaritan and "...inasmuch as you have done it unto these..." inMatthew25. Halluses the theologyof thecrossand adeep intergreLation of the tragic element involved in suffering to combat the outdated prog~essivism of hisrn. He criticks all escapes from suffering, such as Christian Science. The author analyzes the orthodox approach to pain and sufferbg, as exemplified in C.S. Lewis, and hammers away on the inadequacy of the orthodox Christian defenses of anti-patripasionism. God the Father cau look after his own aseity, Hall says. Moreover, orthodox trinitarians need not use propositions to rationah the two natures of Christ and the persons of the Trinity, he continues. "The ahnaive, rather, is to RLWB the whale discussion of 'the godhead' to Jerusalem! ... At bottom, it would entail eschewing the substantialistic frame of reference in favor of a relational representational unde&anw of the Christ. The important message of the church is not to demonstrate that the being of God and the hhg of Jesus are identical (with dktindons!), but as presenting Jesus as God's mode of being-with us; Emmanuel ... Something like this, I believe, is what Dorothy Sue has done in her book, G%i& the Represenwve: An Any in Z71eology after the 'LhLh of God'. . .The God who is an-aigned bec.ause of the suffering of the innocent is really the omnipotent God, the king, father, and ruler, who is above the world. Modern man rightly indim this God" (pp. 215-216). Hall also criticizes "evangelicalism," "empirical Ch&hnity," the "empirical church," the classical doctrines of the atonement, references to "heaven," "paradise," and the resurrection in the context of suffering. In place of these appeals to a transcendent dimension in the old orthodox and substantialisfic ways of thinking he puts an approach which continually repeats the suffering God in Jesus, the theology of the cross. He says there Book Rwiews 293 is too much Easter without Good Friday in modem church triumphalism. He argues that it is enough to say that "...nothing can separate us from the love of Christ." When one understands Haws posirion as a professor of Christian theology at McGiU University in Montreal he can more readily engage in this book's merits at the speculative, theoretical level. But even then one questions whether Hall's and SaTle's "relational-representational" theology will opthistically field test on the front lines of suffering where pastors of the socalled "empirical" church comfort the suffering, dying, and griming. The main problan that the sodled "shaUow ewmgk&" and "orthodox" and "empirical church" pastors and laity are going to have with Hall's book is that it is -y condescending to such a large segment of the Christian tradition which has found it authentic to the Bible and functional in pastoral care to refer to dimensions of the transcendent. Few of us will be persuaded by Halls's defense of patripassionism in his redefinition of the Trinity in the context of "relational-representational" thought categories. The specific audience of this present review will also find Hall's historicalcritical evaluations of the major sources of relevant doctrine in the Bible as "myths," "sagas," etc. to be inadequate in theological method. Hall's work should provide a stimulant for an orthodox . . Chnstmn author to provide a modem book on God and human suffering. Harold H. Zietlow 2 KINGS. WORD BIBLICAL COMMENTARY, Volume 13. By T.R. Hobbs. Waco, Texas: Word, 1985. 388 + xlviii pages. T.R. Hobbs, prof- at McMaster Dkhity College, Hamilton, Ontario, has written a solid work. He follows the prescribed format for the Word BZW Comentary consisting of, for each chapter, a special bibliography, fresh tsanslation, text-critical notes, discussion of form-structure-setting, verse-by-verse comment, and expository expwon. Hobbs is particularly strong in the areas of Hebrew syntax, textual criticism, aphmtion of words and phrases, and literary considerations. In the useful introduction, he defends the hypothetical "deutaonomisr" as the single author of the books Joshua to 2 Kings, argues for a narrative henneileurical approach, interprets the gaed outlook of the author, and discusses the chrono~ problems. Hobbs frequently takes issue with less conservative highercritical cornmenlators in the areas of textual criticism (avoiding most temptations at anendation), form criticism, and literary criticism. He employs the narrative approach to hermeneutics to great advantage, emphasizing the unique peculiarities of Hebrew literary conventions and the final form of the text as what is relevant for the interpreter. Not only on this basis does he so regularly dismiss more radical arguments, but also because they even 294 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY frequentfy violate principles of logic, being rife with vahLe judgments, chku arguments, begging the question, etc. - Hobbs' outstanding theological contribution delineates the author's purpose as interpreting the future of the monarchy--apostasy brings defeat @. 38) but with God shaping Israel's history through His Word (pp. 164, 173, 283f.). He freely brings judgment despite attempts at reform and is also the basis of hope as the One who can freely offer graoe @p. 343,368f.3. As valuable as this may be, however, for the conservative Lutheran reader, Hobbs' preoccupation with higher criticism's basic agenda all too often assigns essential theological insights to the human faith or piety of the "~onoxnist" writer rather than to the bqiin of the Hdy Spirit. Also, apart from the author's theological purpose, this approach prechdes recognizing much of the theological content of 2 Kings, especially in the Elisha stories, which is generally expounded better by such all-round commentators as C.F. Keil and K.C. W. F. Bahr (in Lange's &mu). Hobbs' usudy reliable, painstaking work (aside from numerous mors in the titles of Gennan sources), especially with the text, literary form, and narrative aspeas of 2 Kings, will ensure that his commentary will long enjoy a place among the greater ones for both the scholar and the discerning lay reader. However, its disadvantages underIie the need for conservative Lutheran scholars to produce their own commentary series. John R. Wilch st. Catherhes Ontario, Canada A HISTORY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL AND JUDAH. By J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1986. 523 paga- Miller and Hayes expand on the book they coedited in 197 for the Old Testament Library entitled Ismelite and Judean H%tory. Miller is the primary contributor of materials concerning the geographical and chronological context of Israel, the origin of Israel and possible connectiom with non-biblical sources in tenns of history and archeology. He also wrote the sections about the period of the judges, early monarchy, David, Solomon, the Man of the kingdoms, the Omrida, and the Jehu dynasty. Hayes is the primary contributor for the time of the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the era of Assyrian domination of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and the last years of the Davidic Kingdom. He alone is responsible for the material about the time of Babylonian domination and the Persian period. A planned second volume will cover the Jewish and early Christian communities. Book RAriews 295 A major question which comes up in any history is the nature of the historical task in its use of biblical and non-biblical sources and archeology. They expect "this volume to receive negative responses... from those who regard our treatment as overly skeptical of the biblical story, and from those who regard it as overly gullible" (p. 19). The co11ection of non-biblical sources which are used in this text is simply enormous. From all the major ancient centers of civkzdon, the last hundred years has yielded numerous texts and inscriptions. These have provided much more than just names. The authors do a very good job of employing these (and include about twenty major tsd exeqks) to in the major events which impact on lsraelite and Judean history. Thqr freely admit that much is still in the realm of guesswork. One can cembly feel the time periods of the Arameans, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians come more alive. They suggest that David's pattern of administration follows the Late Bronze Age city-state model and departs radically from a tribal pattern, a problem David never completely can solve. They sean to be at least somewhat critical in their evaluation of these texts, though gaps in data are their chief problem. Archeological data is also deah with critically. They question whether the four-room house and collar-rim stone jars can be i-ed as uniquely IsraeIite, since they recognize that the invasion of the lsraelites did not result in a complete replacement and annihilation of the previous population. Their methodology, howeva, treats the historicity of biblical texts, particularly before the time of David, with great suspicion. They suggest that Samuel is sometimes written into stories about Saul, that Elisha was not a direct fonowa of Etijah, that Ahaz and Manasseh were not as bad as they seem nor Hezekiah and Josiah as good. These are just some examples of their very negative view of the text due on account to its "theological bias." In other words, if a thedogical kigh a>Tlcerning God's activity in history or a significant personage such as Naboth or Jacob is presented, the historical veracity may be in doubt. Unfortunately, even though we need and can profit from historical data being discovered and assimilated into our picture of Old Testament times, to doubt the existence or importance of unique personages is simply without foundation. They put too much weight on what is "verifiable" or what seems to sound right, using more of a sociological yardstick than a theological one. It may be proper for historical research, but religious factors are the center of the message and the probable cause for much of the other data being left out of the biblical record. The biblical data within the Scripture itself has brought forth much discussion concerning the dates and synchronizations of the kings of Israel and Judah, the role of the high priesthood and tension within the Aaronic family, the role of the Mes, and the relations between Israel and Judah during the period of the divided kingdoms. (They see Judah as under the thumb of Israel during most of its history.) If one wants to know about 2% CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY the wider historid picture, particularly from 1200 to 500 B.C., this can be a help. Certainly their view of the biblical history is much too negative. Thomas Trapp Comrdia College St. Paul. Minnesota CELSUS ON THE TRUE A DISCOURSE AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS. Translated with a General Introduction by R. Joseph Hoffmann. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. 146 md xiii pages. Cloth, $18.95. Paper, $795. During the first decades of the church's history pagan notice of .. . ChmQamQ was largely sporadic and uninformed. Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny are earIy witnesses to general Roman hostility (c. 100 A.D.), and Fronto's testimony shows Roman loathing at pemived Clnihn (c. 140 A.D.). However, the first truly frontal assault upon Christianity came from Celflls whose True hctn3e was written, according to Hoffmann, in the last quarter of the second century. The work of Celsus is itself no longer extant. However, an sthated seventy per cent of Tnre lktdrine is accesSble through Origen's massive response to CeW arguments, Against CkZsw (c. M), in which Origen quota from Celsus at length. In this volume Hoffmann presents a handy, redabk (id sometimes overly popthkd) English translation of Celsus' pole&. He wisely foregoes any at&empt to restore the origid order of Celsus' work, opting rather to present Celsus' writing theinatidy (the unoriginality of the Christian faith, Christian doctrine compared to that of the Greeks, the Christian docuine of God, the Christian doctrine of resurrection, etc.). Indeed, the critique of Celsus is a wideranging indictment against Ckidanity. Yet certain themes are central and recurring: Christian perversion or plagiarizing of Greek thought; the simple-mindedness of Christian thought and the arrogance of the Christian attitude; the poverty of the Christian view of God as Creator and incarnate Redeemer; the absurdity of Christian hope, especially the resurrection of the body. Hoffman's translation nicely retains the vigorous force of Celsus' sarcasm @p. 102f.): [Silly] is the way the world is supposed to have come about.. .Isn't it absurd to think that the greatm God pieced out his work like a bricklayer, saying "Today I shall do this, tomorrow that," and so on, so that he did this on the third, that on the fourth, and som&kg else on the fdtb and sixth days! We are thus not surprised to fmd that, like a common workman, this God wears himself down and so needs a holiday after six days. Need I comment that a god who gets tired, works Book Reviews 297 with his hands, and gives orders like a foreman is not acting very much like a god? Disappointing. howet-er, is the "General Introduction." While (given the swpe of the book) Hoffmann gives adequate treatment to the identity of C&us and to his argument, other introd~ory issues are scant@ mentioned, if at all. Celsus is clearly "middle Platonist," but where does this show up in Tme lka~ike and how does it affect his attitude toward Christian belief? More difficult, perhaps, is the question of Celsus' undmtanding of Christianity. He evidently gained much of his information from "heterodox" or even "hereticaI" sects such as that of Marcion. Although Hoffrnann's notes reflect this, a short treatment of this important issue in the introduction would have been appropriate. More disconcerting is the largely skewed pichrre of early Christianity which Hoffmann gives to explain pagan reaction to the new faith. Here he completely overplays the importarm of apoc&@~ .-. ' mth* for early .. . (3mtxmy and is wholly wrong when he speaks of "the thee" between Chnshanrty and the mystery religions as "aammplished fact" (p. 15). Strangely, too, Hoffmann attributes the existence of both ascetic and libertine ethics among "-' groups to "eschatological thinking' (p. 14) rather than to docehsm. F-, Hoffmann quite exaggerates the extent of early Christian antinomianism, leading him to silly if not jaded interpretations (i-e., that of TertuIlian, Apd. 39, on p. 19). Yet, despite all of this, the tramlation is welcome. William C. Weinrich RESURRECTION AND MORAL ORDER: AN OUTLINE FOR EVANGELlCAL EIWCS. By Oliver O'Dowvan. Grand Rapids: Waam B. kdmans Publishing Company, 1986. 284 pages. Seldom does a volume vindicate the effusive promotional blurbs on its dustjacket. This is such a book. Intended as an exploration of "Christian moral concepts," Oliver O'Donovan expressly anchors Christian ethics in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Specifically, Christian ethics arises from the New Testament's good news of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The resurrection both vindicates the objective created order and points forward to our own eschatological pa&iption in the same. The Holy Spirit forms and calls forth the appropriate pattern of human response to God's objective--and hence univm valid-natural order. The particular merit of this work is its author's resolute insistence that morality is related to salvation; indeed, that Christian ethics is necessariIy evangelical in character. Along related lines, O'Donovan is adamant that the formal questions of ethics must be addressed theologically and their proposed resolution subjected to theological interpretation and criticism. 298 CoNCoRDlA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY In this context O'Donovan rejects both legdim and relativism as well as facile traditional distinctions between teleobgkd and deontdw erhics. O'Donovan opts for an "ethic of character," wherein love is the principle conferring unifying order upon the moral field and the chamckr of the moral subject. Love is the fulfwent of the moral law as welI as the form of the classical moral virtues. Authentic human love will conform to the image of God's love, and it must always entail an integralion of will and reason in a "rational and comprehending affection" that accords with the truth of its object. O'Donovan unifies his argument with the affirmation that all Christian love, from the universal to the most particular, finds its singular fount in Jesus' resurrection from the dead-the act by which God designates Jesus as the Christ and (note especially well) vindicates creation in Him. For precisely this reason, O'Donovan avers, St. Paul groups love, as the form of the moral life, with faith and hope, and not with the other assorted spiritual gifts. The latter have their own intelligibility, whereas the former depend for their intelligibility upon the end of history disclosed in the resurrection. This volume is a careful prolegomena to an unabasttedly Christian ethics. The sometimes complex presentation is interspersed with helpful acmes in a smaller typeface on more technical matters in the history of ethics. One can follow the argument without studying the =curses, but such a procedure will impoverish the reader. To be sure, confessional Lutheran readers will voice an occasional caveat (e.g., the occasionally imprecise use of "gospel" and "evangelical moral law," though m the case of the latter O'Donovan notes the verbal paradox involved). Yet these will be far outweighed by the author's overt commitment to the revealed Christian tradition in foto, his affirmation of the ontological priority of the created order, and his pervasive concern to keep soteriological themes central in moral reflection. David A. Lumpp Concordia College Ann Arbor, Michigan SKILLFUL SHEPHERDS. By Derrek J. Tidball. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986. 368 pages. Tidball, presently the minister of MuteIy Baptist Church m Plymouth, England, is the former Director of Studies at London Bible College. The text demonstrates the scholarship typical of his academic background yet breathes a spirit of pastoral authenticity which demonstrates an admirable synthesis of the two realms in which he has carried out his ministry. Subtitled "An Jntroduction to Pastoral Theology," in reality it is an Book Reviews 299 overview of the history and development of the pastor as shepherd. After a brief yet adequate discussion in defining what pastoral theology is, in which he shows pastoral theology to be a special discipline within the area of practical theology, Tidball meticulously develops the concept of "shepherd," reviewing the biblical literature in both testaments of the Scriptures and, in the New, spec&dy considering the concept in the synoptics, the Johannine literature, the Pauline corpus, and the general epistles. He then traces the church's umkmdhg of the concept beginning with the early church fathers and bringing it through the various periods of church history to the present day. In an insightful concluding section TidbaII makes application to five areas of ministry in our day that are challenging pastoral at&mt&y--tbe hilid pdigm of what a skillful shepherd is to be. Particularly appreciated are the chaptas on belief (13), forgiveness (l4), and suffering (15). In the chapter on unity (16) the author resorts to general truths which cannot be disputed but which fail to give dear principles and dktives with regard to ecumenical involvement and church fellowship questions. ndball supplies a rather complete and extensive bibliogaphy. Sit in its absence is the lack of any sources by Lutherans except for a few selected monographs by Luther. In passing he incorporates a significant amount of material giving Luther's pastoral insights. This lack of citing of Lutheran sources and including them in a bibliography may well be a commentary on the church's deficiency in this area of writing rather than Tidball's oversight or Reformed predilection. The Missouri Synod has for years been in dire need of a pastoral theology reflective of the needs of our society and responsive to contemporary needs and opportunities. Norbert H. Mu& DESIRING GOD: MEDITATIONS OF A CHRISTIAN HEDONIST. By John Piper. Portland, Oregon: Multnornah Press, 1986. 262 pages. Piper touches on a vital ingredient of the faith for our day and life. Joy, or should I say hadonism, is the central concern of this book. I hasten to say the book was enjoyed by the reviewer and despite some reservations he profited withal. Piper centers his claim on an old theological proprrsiton4 chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The author changes the axiom to read thus: the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. The volume stays with that theme from beginning to end. If nothing else, the author is consistent; he writes about Chktim joy, its content, its need, its lack, its bkssings, its fulfillment. A few of the chapter headings will give the potential reader a clear idea of the subject material covered: '"Worship: The Feast of Christian Hedonism," "Marriage: A Matrix for Christian Hedonism," etc. Surely 300 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY the child of Christ desires to experience and express that joy which Christ has given in His redemption and resurrection. While God's pilgrims must be aware of Christian suffering and the theology of the cross, they will not fail to exhibit the triumphant joy the Savior has won for all by His Easter victory. However, some caution should be expressed. The author strives to make "hedonism" an acceptable substitute for "joy." This reader was not that impressed. "Hedonism" is defined by Webster as "living for pleasure." Piper endeavors to cover this worldly morsel with a Christian dress. One simply cannot empry a word of its familiar context and give it new meaning, no matter how noble the effort. In short, one cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Yet this criticism should not deter one from reading this splendid volume. It is a much desired focus for the people of God who are called upon to endure much in this vale of tears. It is worth the price and the reading. George Kraus HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CHURCH. By Edgar Walz. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1987. 224) pages. Paper, $8.95. Author of Chllrsh &Isioesr MeLhods over twenty years ago, Walz uses his rich experience as a pastor, college administrator, and adjunct seminary professor to write this practical manual for pastors and lay leaders. Based on a biblical theology of the church's mission and a pastoral sensitivity in the Lutheran context, the book provides simple des5ptions of leademhip positions found in most churches, articuhtes principles of church management for coem of various sizes, and addresses special church management problems such as communication, conflict management, and leadership styles. Especially helpful are the sections on writing church constitutions and bylaws, establishing sound financial management, and managhg the church off= with computer possibilities. The appendix includes organizational charts, a sample am&ution, and other useful forms. Pastors and lay leaders will find this manual a useful tool for training leaders, sharpening organhtional arrangements, and planning for mission. W~th the changeless Gospel of Jesus Christ at the heart of a congregation, Walz sees church management as a supportive tool with the flexibility to serve in a variety of community contexts. This practical manual belongs on the pastor's shelf along with theologd treatises on church and ministry. Stephen Carter Book ReviANs 301 DEATH SET TO MUSIC: MASTERWORKS BY BACH, BRAH?viS, PENDERECKI, BERNSTEIN. By Paul S. Minear. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1987. 173 pages. Cloth, $14.95. Lutherans are accustomed to call Johann Sebastian Bach "the fifth evangelist." Though the title is obviously intended in an honorific sense, there may be a measure of truth in the appellation. From the perspective of their religious attitudes, Yale professor Paul S. Minear analyzes musical compositions from each of four composers: the St. Matthew's Passion of Johann Sebastian Bach; the Requiem of Johannes Brahms; the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke by Krzysztof Penderecki; and "A Cry for Peace," a mass by Leonard Bernstein. Perhaps many who have heard these kinds of religious musical worh have wondered whether these compositions carried a religious message in the combination of the words and the music. The St. Matthew's Passion by Bach is broken down into four elements: the narrative, the chorales, arias and recitatives, and the six dialogues. In the narrative, the evangelist is recognized with his tenor voice as playing a prominent role in providing a commentary on the events and intmdwing them. Just how dependent Minear is on the recent approach to the gospels as narrative cannot be determined. The role that Minear sees assigned by Bach to the Evangelist seems identical to the role assigned to the original evange&, Matthew, by Jack Kingsbury. In hearing the gospel read or in reading the gospel, the role of the original wangelist as narrator is not evident. In the St. Matthew's Passion, he is seen to be everywhere, so to speak. Bach developed an approach to gospel studies that is only now being uncovered. The baritone voice of Jesus dkhgukhes it from the tenor of the evangelist and is the most important. The chorales were probably not sung by the congregations, but they were recognizable at once by them and carried the Lutheran and Pauline motifs that Christ's work was for us. Arias are used for individual emotional response to the events of salvation. The dhbgues, which always have the Daughter of Zion as one of the conversational partners, provide an overview of the occurrences. Penderecki's work reflects such Roman Catholic themes as the adoration and veiling of the cross and the place of Mary at the cross and as intercessor. Bemstein's work is more complex since it blends the traditional mass and unbelief as symbolic of the crisis of faith. Though some parts are sacrilegious in the struggle of the celebrating priest caught between salvation and unbelief, the message of divine peace is victorious at the end. Unlike contemporary New Testament studies which see a virtually unbridgable gap between the contemporary man and the original events of salvation, all four composas approach the gospel texts at their apparent meaning to tell their story. The verbal texts of their compositions can only be understood in conjunction with the musical score which form an indissoluble unity. Those who know these works will have their hearing 302 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY enriched by Minear's study and those who read this study will make every effort to hear them again or for the first time. David P. Scaer MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE. By John Stott. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1985. 32 pages. Paper. Although one must surely praise the growth of "singles minkxy" in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, as evidenced by the June 1987 issue of the Lu-?hemn Wtmss, the eccIesiastical observer must wonder whether the biblical teaching on divorce is being taken seriously by these groups and their pastoral leadershp. What pastor today would dare to consider disciplinary action for any divorce situation in his parish in light of the sure alienation of most of his congregational membership. The lure of American Protestant congregational polity has at last trapped its Caagy prey, with the result that the clergy are unable to prevent the subtle undamining of the authority of Jesus and the apostles in ethical aatters such as divorce. The only solution to this problem is good biblical teaching on this topic from the pdpit and Bible study podium. Stott's booklet gives perhaps the clearest exegesis to date of a topic that has often foundered into casuistry. After outlining the divinely imhted purposes of marriage and sketching contemporary attitudes toward the same, Stott presents an analysis of the Mosaic laws regarding divorce. This is followed by an analysis of Jesus' modifcation of this legislation for the Christian church, and Paul's commands regarding the marital status of converts. The booklet concludes with the issue of "covenantal disloyalty" as grounds for divorce, as well as a discussion of the practical and pastoral applications of the biblical teaching about divorce and remarriage. Stott is quite clear about the two grounds for divorce and subsequent non-adulterous remarriage by the innocent party: (1) sexual infidelity by the guilty party; (2) insistence on divorce by the unbelieving spouse on religious grounds in a "mixed marriage" (pp. 22-23). Stott's careful discussion resists all attempts to expand the grounds for divorce and remarriage to cover desertion, cruelty, or temperamental immpatibility. He rejects the grounds of "covenantal disloyalty" with the insight that the covenant of marriage is so deep and profound that nothing less than sexual infidelity can break it (p. 25). Stott's attention to the context of Deuteronomy 2414 reaps the exegetical insight that the intention of the Mosaic law ''permitting'' divorce was to forbid remarriage to a former spouse (p. 9). The intent of the law was not to sanction divorce, as Jesus Himself noted. The only weakness in this fine work is that Stott sees the need for some Book Reviews 303 ''mmesh to human fallibility and failure" in the Christian church similar to what Moses gave to Israel @. 29). Stott is caught between the demands of forgiveness to penitent sinners and the divine ordinances on marriage. An undtmhdbg of the distinction between Law and Gospel at this point would help Stott and his readers see that forgiveness never means concession-it means calling a spade a spade and burying the spade six feet under only where there is repentance. In light of the modem attitude toward divorce and remarriage, the call to repentance and attempted recondiation for divorced Christians is perhaps the most urgent message of the Christian church on this subject. This booklet is highly recommended for the pastor's own study, as well as for Bible classes, youth groups, and singk groups. At its low price, it is a practical choice for putting the biblical teaching on divorce into every inter&& lay member's hands. Martin R. Noland New York, New York THEOLOGY OF THE LUTHERAN CONFESSIONS. By Friedrich Mildenberger. Translated by Erwin L. Luecker and edited by Robert C. Schultz. PhikBphia: Fortress Press, 1986. I approached this book with the question: Does anyone today need a new theology of the Luthaan Confessions? After all, we have the excellent volume of Edmund Schlink, offering a synthetic approach to the Mh, which at thnes offers us more of Schlink than the Confessions Ses, and the valuable volume of Holsten Fagerberg,which provides an adytic approsch to the Confesions, including useful word and concept studies and little more. Together these two fm books, complementing each other as they do, leave no more to be done by a commentary on the Conf~nsexcepttofiIlmlaamaeandaxrect~onswhere~. MWzkqq9s book fills neither of these fmctions, but after careful readmg of the book I must affirm that the author is more than justified in offering us a new study of the Lutheran Confessions-although 1 hope that the aforementioned useful theologies of the Confessions do not thereby fall into disuse. For Milbberger understands the Confessions well and he express himself ckady and effectively as he smmarks, synthesizes, and explains than to us. Mildenberga's study of the Confessions is synthetic like ScNink's. But his is basicaIIy an historical study, whereas Schlink's is systematic. Milden- provides us with the historical background to the Lutheran Confh, Schliuk more with the theobgy M. Thus, Mildenberger f& a real gap in confessional studies for the American reader. To mention just one of many instances of this: he goes into the history leading to the Christological and Trinitarian formulations of the Ecumenical Creeds more than any other commentary of the Lutheran Confessions, and his conchions and obswationr seem atl to be very well taken. He also ferrets 304 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY out and discusses very thoroughly Luther's theological contribution to the Lutheran Confessions. Mildenberger's research is vast and very informative, and his understanding of the Lutheran Confessions is accurate and profound at times. However, we cannot always accept his co11~1usions and observations, especially as he assesses the modern role of the Confessions as Lutheran, faithful to their confession, relating to other churches. For instance, he actually thinks that the Leuenberg Comrd expresses unity between Lutherans and Reformed on the articles of the Lord's Supper and Christology sufficient for fellowship. On the other hand, after presenting an excdknt debeathn of the monergktk Lutheran do&k of justification ProPter C3r&hm, he maintains, contrary to many Amxican and European Lutheran theologians and ecclesiastical magnates today, that the cham between the Lutheran dactrine of justification and the synergistic Roman doctrine of sandtication is as vast as it was four hundred years ago. And he does not even bother to consider the recent spate of dialogs and disasions between Roman Catholics and Lutherans on this critical subject. As an historian he probably sees no real lasting significance in all these recent converdons, at least as they affect the article of justification through faith. Any confessional Luthm inter& in a new and interesting and perceptive study of the Lutheran Confessions will be rewarded as he reads this latest contribution to confessional Lutheran studies. Robert F'reus DEATH: CONFRONTING THE REALITY. By William E. Phipps. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1987. 219 pages. Paperback. Wi E. Phipps is Professor of Religion and Philosophy at David and Elkins College and is an active member of the American Academy of Religion. lk&: Confronting the Reality is a fairly complete overview of the material normally embraced in the discipline of thanatology. He also indudes a unit on "Viw and Death" discussing such things as the death penalty, gun control, and war The book is provocative in nature. It is targeted in part for lay groups. Thus it is written, at least in part, as a discussion starter. In order to facilitate this goal Phipps makes an attempt topresentvariousposithnsontheissuesdiscussed.Isay "attempt"baause the treatment is not evenhanded. The author's predilection to the liberal rather than orthodox theological view is evident. Although having a certain theological perspective, this is frequently dced to the sociological. Three cases in point are these: In "Suiade" Phipps gives complete and helpful defhtions but comes, in this rwiewer's opinion, to some unwarranted conclusions. He says, for example, "after the couple died, a committee of the Presbytery of New York City wisely concluded that Book Reviews 305 'for some Christians, as a last resort in the gravest of situations, suicide may be an act of their Christian consdence' " (p. 86.). In "Body Diqmal" the author finds little if any value in cun-ent methods employed in the United States. He carries on with a vengeance mwh of Jessica Mitford's detailed attackonthefunaalindustryinhaAm& WayofL?ykg.Yettheother side of the question receives only terse mention and treatment. In "Lie after Death" Phipps presents an incisive overview of the perceptions and beliefs of various religions and cultures concerning life after death. Biblical Christians will have difficulty with the author's open-ended acceptance of views and tenets clearly an&hetical to orthodox Chri&mity and with the implied hermeneutical views leading to this position. One of the more helpful and constructive chapters is "Grief and Bereavement." In his definitions, analysis, and guidance Phipps provides material that is helpful to bereaved persons in working through their grief. Awhdesomeem-isthe-forthe"--e to take its historic responsibility " for burying the dead rather than leaving it to seah surrogates" (p. 153). For the pastor who needs to get his feet wet and be introduced to the discipline of thanatology, this book would be helpful. For that group of pastors who have done some reading and perhaps some course work in thearea, nothing-mwouM be found. Astousewithlay people in the congregation, the pastor must be satisfied that the group is biilically literate and possesses some degree of theological discernment. Othajvise, he is going to have a lot of to do. Norbert H. Mueller THE RESTLESS HEART: THE LIFE AND INFTUENCE OF ST. AUGUSTDE. By Michael Marshall. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eadmans, 1987. Cloth. 151 pages. The sixteen hundredth annivemry of Augudne's conversion and baptism (386387) has produced a two-year spate of Conf-, books, and amdes on the bishop of Hippo. Many, of course, were for the professional student and scholar. But many were not, and of these Tk Restless Heart is the most attractive. It is a book more for the coffee table or the living room than for the study. Yet it is a book both of delight and of real substance. The author and publisher assert that this is the "first fdy illustrated life of St. Augustine in E&kh." There are some very nice color photographs of ancient ruins in North Africa and Italy which vividly illussate the places of AugusTine's life and work. Were that there were more of the! However, many &matiom and photographs are amstic renditions of Augustine's life which, to my mind, serve no iIl\lstrative ppse or value. 306 CONCORDlA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY Chief among these are the photugmphs of a sentimentahxi life of Augustine in nineteenthcentury glass windows in the cathedral at Annaba (the modem name of ancient Hippo). On the other hand, the text of Marshall is very good. It is simple yet elegant in style, direded quite intentionally for the layperson. A repeated theme is that Augustine was a man of words, rhetoridy schooled to move the mind and to move the heart. It is a proper emphasis and Marshall enhanceshisown~~ionbyaIlowingAugustinetospeakthroughwd- chosen, apposite quotations. Ibfaddl haE allowed Augustine's Cbnfkxions largely to determine the outline of Augustine's life. In doing so he ignores some historical problems. But no matter, Marshall has already warned us that the specific aim of the book is to popularize and make "amactively accessiile the chararta and features of one of the greatest saints of Clwidau history" Ip. 8). Corresponding to this aim, Marshall does not dwell upon Augustine the philosopher or Augustine the theologian, although these aspects are not lacking. Rather, as the title attests, Marshall wants to depict the man Augustine in his attempt to love God and then to love God more purely. It is in his intense introspection that Augustine is most like our own age. For Augustine his whole life was a pa-, a journey from birth to death, but a journey which by the grace of God would issue into Life again. For that reason, Augustine always ' a3 a theologian of hope, not of a rigid detP,nninism which is the view of many about him. He knew his restless heart would at the end find its rest in God. Through his own be text and the choice words of the saint, Madall has allowed our hearts to be stirred in the discovery that in Augustine's life and hope we may see also our own. WiIliam C. Weinrich THE NEW TESTAMENT IN ENGLISH. F& Exact Facsimie of the F& English Bible with an Introduction by Donald L. Brake. Portland, Oregon: International Bible Publications, 1986. Viitors to the campus of Concurdia Thedogical Saninary in Fort Wayne are som&mes surprised by the street names: Martin Luther Drive, of oourse; but what are Coverdale, Tyndale, and Wycliffe streets doii on a Lufherrtn campus? They are a tribute to those through whom God worked to put His Word into English. And as English- Lutherans committed to the Word, we treasure the Bible in our native tongue. It is a thrill therefore to have at hand a facsimile of the first fruits of English Bible translating, the Wycliffite version of the fomth century. To commemorate the six hundredth anniversary of the first translation of the entire Bible into English, Donald Brake and International Bible Book Reviews 307 Publications have reproduced one of about two hundred manuscripts of the Wycliffe Bible, the Rawlinson 259 in the Bodleian library, a non- illuminated copy of the New Testament written around 1430. The result is a handsomely bound, giltedged, and clearly reproduced text of nearly fwe hundred pages, including a thirty-page introduction to John Wycliffe (c.13UT1384) and his Bible. For the most part Brake's introduction is adequate since he notes that schdars are still wrestling with the question of Wycliffe's praise connection to the Bible that bears his name. Although the earliest written accounts @y WyMe's near comraries) are unanimous in attrii the 3kgW Bible to him, modern scholars have raised serious doubts about this attribution largely on the basis of manuscript evidence that reveals various dialects in the tranlation instead of just one and that even names one of Wycliffe's disciples, M~ias Hereford, as the translator. However, the evidence is far from conclusive and so the debate rages; but virtually all agree that Wycliffe was at the very least the prime instigator of the transIaton since his disciples both used and promulgated it and his theology jmhfk it (a medieval sola sm@hm principle and a repudiation of the viai hierarchy as necasary mediators of divine grace). The facsimile itseIf produces the second or late version of the Wycliffe Bible, done around 1390 just a few years after the original work and sometimes attributed to Nrycliffe's amanuensis, John Purvey. The first version is practically a word-for-word rendering of the Vulgate; but the second is in much more readable English. Two columns f3l every page of this copy. and the printing is remarkably clear, revealing both skill and dedication on the part of the anonymous copyist. Although written in middle English hand employing archaic characters Iike the thorn, most readers will be able to reconize the texts as English. They should not be surprised, however, if what they can read is unfamiliar since the language of our most common English Bibles (King James and RSV) goes back only to Tyndale in the sixteenth century. Baides the text of the New Testament itself, the Rawlinson manuscript also includes brief prefaces to each of the books, a calendar of the church year, a tale of epistle and gospel lessons, and translations of Old Testament lessons. Although scholars will continue to make use of the critical editions of the Wycliffe Bible (Forshall and Madden. 1950, and the still incomplete MMk English Wak, edited by Conrad Lindberg). libraries and Bible lovers will want to obtain this beautiful and fitting tniute to six hundred years of the English Bible. Cameron A. MacKende Ma CoNCoRDYl THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY MARK: A NEW TRANSLATION WITH INTRODUCIION AND COMMENTARY. By C.S. Mann. The Anchor Bible, Volume 27. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company. 715 pages. $20.00. It can be safely said that the acquisition of Mann's oommentary on Mark will preclude the purchase of any other during the purchaser's nod life span. The data assembled by the author in the introduction cover nearly the first two hundred pages. At the end of the volume are exhaustive indices of commentators, subjects, and Old Testament, intertestamental, New Testament, classical, and early church writers. The preacher, scholar, and Bible class teacher will want to have this commentary simply because of the enormous amount of information put between two covers. This might be said about any number of commentaries appearing in The Anchor Bible- What is "new" and important is that Mann operates under the old church hypothesis that Matthew and Luke were first and that Mark was third. Of course, this leaves no place for Q or the Markan priority, the sacred cows of modern gospel scholarship. The priority of Mark's gospel was even endorsed in an LCMS insert for Sunday bulletins in the summer of 1986. This new and sharp turn of events entitled Mann's commentary to a special article in Erne magazine. Whether Mam will make any converts to his position from the estziblished critical orthodoxy remains to be seen, but his thesis will cause a few heads to be turned. It must be taken seriously. Established scholars will hardly offer up their written offsprings, which like Athena sprang from the mind of Zeus, on the altar of academic fairness, but a new breed of scholars may come along who will recognize Matthew and not Mark as the premier gospel. Mann lays out his terms in a lengthy introduction providing the defmition of a gospel, their composition, the required disciplines for their study, synoptic relationships and the supposed superiority of Mark, the evangelist's purpose, his concept of the kingdom, principal texts, word usage, notes on transliteration, and suggestions for the arrangement of the gospel. In his section on the supposed superiority of Mark, thirteen reasons were laid out for dispensing with the two-documentary hypothesis and for accepting Matthean priority. In his own words, "The majority view that Mark was written first and that Matthew is substantially dependent upon Mark cannot be adequately proved; indeed, the premise of Markan priority allows for too many obstinate surds in the calculations of relations to be sustained" (p. 51). Problematical for Mann is Luke's failure to use Matthew's infancy narratives. This is not an insurmountable difficulty. For example, he might have found Matthew's approach a bit too negative and wanted to include accounts which had a more universal appeal. Mann will be able to resolve this problem in another volume. hbtthew 12:14 is used by Mann to demonstrate the different results from using Matthean in place of Markan priority. Rather than Matthew and Book RevKws 30!3 Luke using Mark, Mark conflates the texts of Manhew and Luke. W~th Markan priority, Matthew is said to change the order of events. Luke retains some of Mark's order and some of his wording and omits the other wording. Mann prefers seeing Luke using Matthew by rewording, reordering, sometimes radically, and omitting. Luke supplies "you do not consider a person" for Matthew's "you pay not attention to outward appearance." Mark generally followed Luke, but in the case of significant difference chose the longer text of Matthew. Mann comments that Markan priority "results in Matthew and Luke acting at whim and in an almost irrational manna" (p. 471). Too much scholarly and academic investment has been placed in the Markan priority to expect a quick turn of events. The least we can expect is that another scholar with the same outlook will provide us with a commentary on Luke. Perhaps the commenhry on Luke should have come first, but things do not happen in the most logical order. Zk,qadxwWZdesaiesforLukeisprovkkdbyF~whouses~ priority and Q. Perhaps the editors will allow a competing commentary by Mann on Luke. David P. Scaer ETHICS: BASIC ELEMENTS AND METHODOLOGY IN AN ETHICAL THEOLOGY. Volume I. By Trutz Rendtorff. Phihdelphia: Fortress Press, 1986. As prelude to another volume promising to treat specific moral problems, Rendtorff presents this proposal for an "ethical theology" and a discussion of theoreti& issues in the construction of such an ethic. The result may lead one to wonder, however, whether theory is best discussed in such detachment from issues; for this volume, despite its richness in ~places,remains~unsatisfyinginitsg~. For Rendtorff, ethics must be neither deduced from within the premises of Christian theology (in Barthian fashion) nor a discipline which does nothing more than show the futility of human striving (as in many Lutheran hands). It is harder to say what, in his view, ethics should be. RenQorff seems to be drawing on several different tkdthedogical emphases-a stress on creation like that found in Lugmup (and, perhaps, Wingren), and an anphasis on eschatology taken from Pamaberg. How these come togetk in his ethical theology remains unclear to me. But one of the strengths of the book is its attempt to recover and emphasize what Rendtorff c& ?he givenness of life"-an emphasis on the natural world and the moral significance to be discerned within it. This in turn leads him back to a concept of "order," though he wants to un- them in historical and functional terms. There is much here that is thought-provoking and worthy of attention. 310 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY This volume first outlines the "three basic elements of the ethical reality of life" and then moves from these elements to "methodological aspects" of ethics suggested by each. Thus, the elements of life that have moral significance are its givenness, the giving of life to which its givemess in turn calls us, and reasoned reflection on life. These in turn suggest that theoretical reflection must concern itself with received rules for mod conduct, with responsibility for one's own life, and with the justification of moral bguage. Ln my judgment, Rendtorff s discussion is both richer and clearer when he is phenomenologically investigating the elements of ethical reality than it is when he turn to questions of method. This last section of the book is rather sketchy, attempting too much in short compass. The nonnative ethic that emerges is a utilitarian one, empha&ing the need for discernment and responsibility on the part of mod agents. This grows chiefly out of the second element in ethical reality-namely, the call to giving. How it coheres with the fmt element-the givemess of life and its natural structures-is not easy to see. Rendtorff does not clarify how we are to resolve the tension between the limits placed upon us by the Bested reality within which we live (and within we are to find mod signifkme) and the fie exercise of our responsiiility for shapii a world. This volume is likely to be of interest chiefly to scholars in theological ethics. It is not the place to start, though it may be one place to which one might later turn. Gilbert Meilaender Oberlin College Oberlin, Ohio NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY. By Leon Morris. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986. 386 pages. Hardcover. There is a strong tendency in modern biblical scholarship to accent the diversity and to speak of "theologies" within the New Testament. Leon Morris, former Principal of Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, and a well-known conservative New Testament scholar, reasserts the validity of e-3 the New Testament Scriptures as a unity and the b'theology" these documents present. His purpose is to present an overview of the theological contents of the New Testament while staying clear of technical discwsions. Morris addresses his topic by individually examining four main groupings of New Testament literature-the Pauline writings, the synoptic gospels and Acts, the Johannine writings, and the general epistles. No common organizing principle is employed in examining these groupings; rather, the author randomly highlights the major theological themes of the individual authors. Keeping with his purpose, Morris limits footnotes to a minimum and alludes to, but does not debate, historical questions. Baok Reviews 31 1 Ironically, Morris' "encyclopdk" approach to the thmlogy of each individual author does not give the reader the unified paspective of New Testamentthedogythatiserrpected.InordertoctiscusseachNewTestament &, Morris' rxatmmt tends to be atmndy terse and at times too brief (for example, the theoIogy of the Revelation to St. John is discussed in just five pages). In the opinion of this reviewer, an author onnot overview such a broad subject without ndkbg the danger of "saying We about much." I ofken found myself skimming the numerous short discussions of theological concepts. Although an attempt is made to synthesize his fkdingsmthe~Monisstillfoarsesontheindividualwriters~ than their common message. Thisisnotavohuneforthepa~tororadvaecedtheo1ogicalstudeat. Its value lies in its aax&i'bEty to the layman and beginner. While it is weak on the sacraments (e.g., ''the Holy Spirit makes the believer a member of thecbnnch, not theuseofwater," p. 81)andthereiEocasiod LawGospel confusion (e-g., "judgment belongs to the good news," p. 28), this study is abasic, soMdtreatmeOtwithmany valuabkinsigb (e-g., his Bcamination ofwordusage,the~ratecharactedofPauI's ''inChrist," hisdiscussion of Matthew's genealogy, his analysis of Luke's use of "the Lord," and his pacqrtive comments regaxhg Luke's focus on women, children, and prayer). Because of his respect for the text, Morris' writing takes on a "devotional" quality. For these reasons this volume may prove a helpful addition to a church hi. Charles A. Gieschen Travei-se City, Michigan LUTHEREXHE FREIKIRCHE IN SACHSEN. Geschichte und Gegenwart einer 1 uthaischen Bekexmbkkhe. By Gottfried Hemnann. Berlin: Evangekhe V-, 1985. 600 pages. This large paperback, published m the Gennan Democratic Republic, is a welcome treatment of our sister church in Germany. It tells the story oftheIndependentEvangelicalLutheranChurchinGamany,bothEast and West. It is an ezmedh& thorough and welldocmmted example of historicalresearch, ofgreatintaesttotheL~mAmerica. Hemnann reveakthewarm~oftheSaxonsmthedew@mntof Lutheranism in America. While many people were haveling east and west across the ~,theinterestmeachothawasmutual.WhiletheleadersinGemany could theorize about the nature of a free Lutheran church, the leaders in America could put theories into practice. This was reflected back to Germany in 1876, wh Ruhland took over the swiIled "congregational me" (-) of the lklkxmi Synod. 312 CONCoRDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY In preparation for the Saxon church in Germany, a meding was held in March 1868 in Dresden in the publishing house of Heinrich lmmanuel Naumann, grandfather of our deceased colleague, Dr. Martin Naumann, after whom a dormitory has now been named. Dresden in 1871 considered calling a pastor back from the United States but did not betieve that anyone would accept such a call as long as the Saxon church had not declared its separation from the Landeskirche. The author traces many names of the early h&ats whose fdes are among us. In 1876 Carl Wey-Zom and F&ch Zucker med a convention in Battimore (August 1623). They were received without the customary colloquy. Zorn wrote many popular commentaries, and Zucker taught in Fort Wayne in 1879, accepted the leadaship of a Mkmi mission in lW, and died in Fort Wayne in 1927. Karl George Stoeckhardt was very active in Germany before he came to America to become the leading ex- in the St. Louis smbry. ThishistoryisimportantforourtimewhenLutheranchurchesare reorganizing and estabhhhg new patterns. It becomes that the Missouri Synod wants to continue the ideal of keeping Lutheran practice andChristiandocbinepure,whilethe"~'~ . * withother traditions, called ecumenical today, remains the aim and the style of the fifty or more American synods corning together in the ELCA Otto F. !3tahke THE SUPPER OF THE LORD. The New Testament, Ecumenical Dialogues, and Faith and Order on the Eucharist. By John Reumann. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985. Paperlwk, 225 pages. Thereisnothingsadderthanapostasythinlyveiledbyjocundecumenical optimism and pious-sounding formulae. In certain quarters, Reurnann's book wiU doubtless be hailed as yet anotfier catalyst of the ecumak-cum- syncmist's Shangrila where much is "celebrated" and nothing confessed and where sugary sentiments of unbounded fellowship with all and sundry can dwxfdly coexist with open blasphemy. A sober reading of this volume will render inescapable the melancholy conclusion that Reumann's tfieme is something other than the one Holy Supper instituted by our Lord in the upper room for the refreshment of His Christians until His visible reappearance. Lest this judgment seem unduly harsh, let it be pointed out thatReumanninvitstbesame~esagainsthimselfashavebeenleveled by orthodox commentators on the Lima BEM Document; in company with the latter Reumann digresses at length on sundry peripheral dimensions of Book Rwiews 313 the Lord's Supper, while pointedty failing to state the one thing necessary, namely, that Christ has commanded us to consecrate, distriiute, and consume bread and wine as His body arad blood. The opening chapter, "Biblical Motifs as Foundations" (pp. 1-52), gives the game away; Dr. Reumannams&rsthechds~~ . * toberootedinsuch thing as the earthly Jesus' granting of table fellowship with HimseIf and, incertainaspects, whatisreportedconcerningHisresum&onappearances. Reumann's attitude towards the catechetical statement "instituted by Christ Himelf" is sceptical, to say the least. His scholarly methodology explains all- "Perhaps the most profound impact fiom hiW stucties is the growing realization that we cannot today with surety ascertain exactly what Jesus did, said, or intended historidy" (p. J$. Again. "one of the ironies resulting from all the intense modan study of the Go@ is that scholars are more and more certain that we do not know &y what Jesus said at m@t" @. 2; author's emphasis). Having put a question mark behind the verba testamenti, R~eumann offers a fanciful resons4uaion of the allegedly competing interpretations of them given in various strata of the New Testament writhgs. Thus, he can quote approvingly Eduard Schweizer's desperately flippant dictum that, "if asked to explain 'the elements,' a Jewish Christian would have answered as a Reformed pastor does now, a Hellenistic Christian as a Lutheran does!" (p. 95). Levity of this kindopensthedoorforthedisplacementofChritianitybych~, and it comes as no surprise that Reumann offers the following insipid gloss on 1 Corinthians 10:16, " 'a participation in the bodyhlood of Christ,' that is, in Christ himsew' @. 42). Interestingty,R~rmann~fauhwiththe~popubrview(~~~ expressed in the NEB translation) that the "body" Paul bids us ''discem" in I Corinthians 11:29 is the ecdesiaI community ratha than the Lord's physical presence in the elements @p. 4445). Of course, on his understanding the latter is merely the view of the apostle and the Hellenistic Christian community! Moreover, Reumann is unamkd of the exegetical strength of arguments in favor of more frequent eudmmBc celetnaho . . * nthan has been the case among Lutherans in recent genaations. Acts 2:42 does not convince him, since Luke gives a "romantic reoonstmction" of the life of the primitive church in Jerusalem @. 48). Nor does Augustana 24 make much of an impression on him (p. 66) for, as he candidly observes in his closing chapter, "The strongest argument for regular Sunday celebrations seems to be the claim that Jesus instituted this meal and that it remains the uniquely Christian form of worship, elsewhere unpadlelecl. That argument will be evaluated on the degree to which one feels we can work back to words and intent of the historical Jesus and will be judged in Light of what one thinks about cult me& in the history of world religions, in Hellenism or elsewhere, as an influence" (p. 196). Reumann's un-ess to take the New Testament seriously carries over into his attitude towards Christian tradition in genaal and the Lutheran 314 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY tradition in particular. The chapter entitled "Some Developments in the History of Holy Communion through the Cmturh" (pp. 53-76) is an in& to the discipline of historical theology. The passing reference to Luther's contributions in the area of eucharistic theology (pp. 64-65) do not betray much acquaintance with the Reformer's sacramental writings. Just as folk have wondered why anyone would bother to crucify the "historical Jesus" of Harnackian liberalism, so it would be difkdt to see why Zwingli and the Reformed saw the need to differ with Lutha as presented by Reurnarm. The greater part of the book is devoted to an encomium on the church- political wheeling and dealing which Reumann descrii under the heading of "Ecumenical Motifs: Dialogue and Convergence in Recent Decades" (pp. 78-182). Recounted in detail is the record of Lutheran-Reformed, Lutheran-Roman Catholic, and Lutheran-Episcopal dialogue on matters eucharistic, Reumann's narrative reaching its crescendo with a hymn of praise to the Lima BEM document. One is inclined to suspect that many of the participants in these dialogues cannot with accuracy be regarded as true representatives of classical Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, or Roman Catholic positions. The manipulating ecchbtkal bureaucrat has replaced the churchman and the theologian. Lest this review appear overly negative, it is fitting to close on a note of agreement with the author. Reumann appositely remarks that, although the term "euchad" runs the danger of turning the Sacrament of the Altar into our work rather than God's, nevertheless it has the advantage over other labels for the Lord's Supper that it "yields a covenient adjective, 'eucharistic' " (p. 2). John Stephenson -on, New York THE TRIUMPH OF THE MEEK: WHY EARLY CHRISTIANITY SUCCEEDED. By Michael Walsh. San Fmmism Harper and Row, 1%. 256 pages. $17.95. This is a beautifully illustrated book about the rise and development of Christian thought and practice until the triumph of the church with the corning of Constantine (313 A.D.). The illustrations, which occupy perhaps one-fourth of the book, offer visual aid to the tat's discussion of the background and context of the early Christians and of their life and experience. Many of the illustrations are color photographs which enhance the attractiveness of the book. The selection is good-pagan depictions of emperor deification, geography (the Judean wilderness, Ephesus, Qumran, Masada, Caesarea, modem Edessa), Christian iconography (catacombs, sarcophagi), pagan and Christian graffiti, a Manichaean text, an early baptistery, an example of Roman Ma, and many more. There are also photographs of early texts, a reasonable number of helpful maps, and interesting drawings (such as a cut-away of a Christian house-church in Dura Europa). The illustrations make for interesting and informative perusal. It is the narrative which falters. There are, to be sure, sections which summarize Book Reviews 315 early Christianity with clarity and fairness. It is simply that it is not clear just what the author intends. Certainly his intention mot be to answer the question implicit in the subtitle, "Why Early Christianity Succeeded." That issue is never broached, let alone explained. Indeed, the narrative suf- fers from a pervasive lack of theme and internal coherence. For example, chapter 6, entitled "Christians of the East," contains subsections devoted to the churches of the Apocalypse, Ignatius and Polyotrp, Christian origins in Syria, Marcion and the problem of the canon, Montanism, Mani and Gnosticism, the Quartodeciman controversy, and Dura Europa. Nothing in the discussion indicates how any of these relates to the "triumph of the meek" or, for that matter, to each other. The weakness of the book is revealed, I think, in the assertion on the jacket that the author "brings together the latest findings of archaeologists, historians, and New Testament scholars." The text is, in fact, pock-marked by the interests, bi, predilections, and obsessions of recent scholarship. Now there is an obvious legitimacy to incorporating recent research into one's narrative. However, when in a book of this limited size and large chronological mpe the author expends seven pages on the uncertainties of gospel origins (two jnges on Q!) and dedicates no discussion to Irenaeus, it is clear that the author's intent in the "latest findings" of scholarship has beclouded his vision. This is evidm as well in the inordinate space allowed for discussion of Jesus and the New Testament in comparison to the two centuries from 100 A.D. to 313 A.D. Furthamore, some of the latest findings are dubious. The full sigrdkme of Marcion for secondcentury Christianity needs to be appreciated, but it is doubtful that Marcion "contributed to the high status which the let- ters of Paul have been accorded" in the canon (p. 130). Also the Pastoral Epistles were not directed against Marcion (p. 128). Finally, Walsh's statanents women in the eariy church reveals the tendentiousness of much modem writing. Although he mercifully does not develop the theme, Walsh partakes of the current view that the position of women in the arly church evolved from a full equality in the period of the New Testa- ment to a position of increasing subordination in the early patristic period. This idea is certainly exaggemted. Specifically, the claim that Montanism restored women to the leadership positions they enjoyed in the firstcentury church and further offered women celibacy and virginity as a "means of escape from male domination" (p. 133) is nonsense. Although without a meaningful thematic, individual sections can be read with profit. Unfor- tunately that is not enough to warrant the price of the book, even with the beautiful pictures. < William C. Weinrich 3 16 CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY WORD BIBLICAL COMMENTARY, VOLUME 40: 2 CORINTHIANS. By Ralph P. Martin. Waco: Word Books, 1986. Cloth, 527 pages. This weighty volume on 2 Corinthians will certainly serve as the "water mark'' by which mocessive New Tedament volumes in this new cornmenmy series will be measured. Ralph P. Martin, Professor of New Testament and Director of the Graduate Studies Program at Fuller Theological Seminary, is a prolific author who wrote this volume while also serving as the New Testament editor for this entire Word Books series. Thus, this treatment of 2 Corinithians is charamxized by clear organization, careful documentation, completeness in addressing questions, an emphasis on grammatical exegesis before theologizing, and a very high standard of evangelical scholarship. A primary concern when using a commentary is format. Martin organizes his research in an appealing manner. After addressing a number of introductory questions, he presents a detailed analysis of each pericope in this pattern: (1) bibliography of scholarship on the specific pericope; (2) a fresh translation of the Greek text; (3) notes on the Greek text; (4) an overview of the pericope's form, structure, and setting; (5) extensive verse- by-verse comments; and (6) a brief explanation of the pericope. The indices which conclude the volume are superb. A clear strength of Martin's work is his grasp of current scholarship; his bibliographies are extensive and are used in his interpretation (even Leo the Great and John Chrysostom grace his writing). Only two minor criticisms of his format arise: The vd~cation somhes gets lost in the print (bold numbers would Mp to locate a specific verse quickly). And the use of secondary material (current scholarship) is so prevalent that the verse-by-verse comments become, at times, overwhelming and hard to follow. The busy pastor will appreciate the terse explanations at the conclusion of each pericope. A more important concern than format is content. Martin's treatment is, in a word, complete. Although he is theologically conservative, he draws on a wide spectnun of scholarship and addresses the sticky questions of this epistle (e.g., the composition of 2 Corinthians, which he views as originally two letters, chapters 1-9 and 1@13, that were later joined). His approach is strongly focused on detailed exegesis; his analysis of sentence structure and word usage is impressive (e.g., the presence of Jewish exegesis and antithetical parallelism in 3:7-18 and the Greek rhetorical patterns and devices of a "Fool's Speech" in 11:16-12:20). His Reformed theology is visible in his handling of the conversion of Israel (pp. 258-70). He correctly identifies rheoIogra crucis versus theologia gloriae as a primary theme of this letter and Paul's apostleship. He states convincingly (p. 475): But the cross is not simply a past happening; it is caught up in his present risen life where he remains the crucified one, as the crucified Jesus is now the risen Lord ... the cross [is] not Book Reviews 317 a station on the way to his fmal glory, but the arse of that lordship, so that always his lordly power is conditioned by his continuing weakness, obedience and humility. This commentary is not meant for the layman or church library; it is defitely a technical volume of quality for the library of the pastor, teacher, or scholar who desires to probe this Pauline letter carefully and deeply. Charles A. Gieschen Traverse City, Michigan