Christian Higher Education in the Baptist Tradition
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 62, No. 2 – Spring 2020
Editor: David S. Dockery
Edited by W. H. Bellinger Jr. and Todd D. Still. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2019, 1992 pp. + maps, $49.95
Following five years of coordinated and dedicated effort, the Baylor Annotated Study Bible (BASB) is now available for personal and classroom use. This significant project was capably guided by Bill Bellinger, who serves as chair of the Department of Religion and W. Marshall and Lulie Craig Professor of Bible at Baylor University, and Todd Still, who serves as dean and William M. Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures in the George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor. These two fine scholars and capable leaders are to be commended for their oversight and editorial work.
The BASB is a joint project between Baylor University Press and Tyndale House Publishers. In addition to the handsome green and gold hardcover edition, which reflects the Baylor colors, this new study Bible is also available in a leathertouch green and gold, as well as chestnut brown. The two-column biblical text is quite readable, though the margins are rather narrow. The publishers have used high quality paper; the dark print on each page provides a consistent look from the front matter to the back. Based on the 1989 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the annotations are found at the bottom of each page in a smaller, but readable, font. I think that most will agree that the overall appearance is quite attractive.
Every study Bible project has a particular focus and is aimed at a distinctive group of readers. The BASB focuses on the literary and socio-historical aspects of the biblical text. The contributors have given attention to the literary flow of Scripture, noting connections with other biblical and literary works. The intercommunication and echoes between the biblical books are a noteworthy feature found in large sections of the study notes. The consistent quality of the literary observations throughout the notes provides the real strength for this publication.
The targeted readership seems to be a wide range of moderate Protestants. The contributors to the BASB represent various theological perspectives, including progressives, moderates, as well as evangelicals. The inclusion of the books of the Apocrypha probably reflects a generous attempt to connect with non-Protestant readers, even though no study notes accompany the Apocrypha, which has been placed at the back of the volume next to the nine instructive and helpful maps. The back matter also includes a detailed timeline with an emphasis on biblical backgrounds, a carefully designed glossary, as well as a select concordance, with definitions, for the NRSV.
Representative participants in this project include well-known scholars such as N. T. Wright, Alan Culpepper, Richard Hays, Scot McKnight, John Barclay, Walter Brueggemann, Mikeal Parsons, Bruce Chilton, and Joel B. Green; highly regarded pastors such as Howie Batson and Duane Brooks; well-respected administrators such as Robert Sloan, Randall O’Brien, and David Lyle Jeffrey; and influential laypersons like attorney Mark Lanier. Most of the contributors have some connection to Baylor, including a number of the writers who currently serve as faculty members in Baylor’s religion department or at Truett Seminary.
Modified aspects of historical and sociological critical approaches characterize the study notes on the Pentateuch and throughout the Old Testament. For example, three Isaiahs and two Zechariahs are assumed when discussing the authorship of these two OT books. The late date of 167 B.C. is proposed for the Book of Daniel. It is suggested that Acts might be a second-century document. The possibility that some of the Pauline writings, or those attributed to Peter, are pseudepigraphic is acknowledged.
Those looking for a more consistent, conservative evangelical approach to the interpretation of Scripture will need to look in the direction of the NIV Zondervan Study Bible, the ESV Study Bible, or the CSB Study Bible. This observation is not to say, however, that many portions of the BASB commentary are anything less than orthodox or evangelical, particularly on the New Testament side. It should also be observed that many features of the BASB are superior to the New Oxford Annotated Bible and the Harper Collins Study Bible, which are both based on the NRSV and are also written with a broad mainline Protestant readership in mind.
Unlike the NIV, ESV, or CSB volumes noted above, the introductions prepared for each of the 66 canonical books are quite brief. While providing insights regarding the literary features of the biblical text, the introductions generally do not help the reader navigate critical or historical issues related to author, date, or theological contribution.
Those hoping to find outlines for each biblical book will be disappointed. Often the persons who contributed the comments for the introductory sections are different from those who provided the study notes for the same book, resulting in a sense of unevenness for readers. There are no feature articles on important themes, topics, or issues.
While thoughtful contributions can be found in the study notes for each book of the Bible as well as in each representative section of Scripture, readers, no doubt, will make their own choices regarding favorite sections as they work through the BASB. I particularly appreciated the work on Ezra, Nehemiah, Psalms, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Titus, James, 2 Peter, and 1, 2, and 3 John.
Having been given the privilege of serving as co-editor of a major study Bible project, which also had a five-year timeline before reaching publication in 2017, I am aware of the amount of effort required and the time invested to bring a project of this magnitude to completion. I have also contributed to a handful of other study Bible projects, and I recognize the challenging task of trying to say something substantive and helpful within a limited word count. The task of directing 70 or more contributors toward a similar goal and outcome is certainly not easy. Thus, even with the concerns that have been noted, I want, once again, to commend Professor Bellinger and Dean Still, as well as Carey Newman, who directed the effort for Baylor University Press, for their guidance for, and years of investment in, this major project.
