Historical Theology
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 57, No. 2 – Spring 2015
Managing Editor: Terry L. Wilder
By William Baird. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2013. 775 pages. Hardcover, $70.00.
This monumental work by William Baird is truly a masterpiece and serves as the culmination of thirty years of careful study. History of New Testament Research: From C.H. Dodd to Hans Dieter Betz is the third volume to Baird’s trilogy, which Baird originally intended to fit into one volume (1). Baird’s efforts are bound to leave NT scholars’ mouths gaping at the amount of work and skill exerted to produce this volume.
The book is divided into three parts. Part 1, “The Renaissance of New Testament Criticism,” contains three chapters. Chapter 1, “The Zenith of Enlightenment Criticism,” follows the work of Taylor, Cadbury, Manson, and Dodd. Baird begins with biographical details informing the reader of early influences on each scholar. While Dodd gets the lengthiest treatment (35-52), Baird traces other major contributions that shaped mid-twentieth-century NT scholarship. Chapter 2, “The New Biblical Theology,” examines Barth and Bultmann. Baird focuses on Barth’s dialectical theology and dogmatics calling him “the most important theologian of the twentieth century” (64). Baird largely follows Barth’s interaction with the historical critical method which Barth implements as the first step in exegesis but also “attacks the critical establishment for its pretentious objectivity” (84). Baird elaborates on Bultmann’s demythologizing, NT exegesis, and NT theology. Baird praises Bultmann, not for the details of his work, but for his “overarching synthesis.” Chapter 3, “The Bultmann School,” focuses on the work of those influenced by Bultmann. While Bultmann intended only to stimulate dialogue, he instead founded a school. Baird then considers the influence of Käsemann, Bornkamm, and Robinson. These pupils of Bultmann were not clones but rather students influenced by Bultmann but ultimately they deviated in a variety of ways. Baird notes that Käsemann and Bornkamm maintain an accord with Bultmann’s historical critical method. In fact, Käsemann goes beyond Bultmann with his radical criticism and Bornkamm with his reduction criticism (179). They differ in their refusal to conform to Bultmann’s anthropology or existentialism. James M. Robinson represents Bultmann’s voice in America and the push for existential readings.
Part 2 begins with the Nag Hammadi codices (NHC), the Dead Sea Scrolls, new archeological discoveries, and new advancements in textual criticism (chapter 4). Baird seeks to show the influence of the NHC through its insights on Hellenistic background and different versions of early Christianity (196-211). Baird also shows the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for NT research. He examines the perpetual influence of archeology and textual criticism on NT studies. In chapter 5, Baird looks at recent studies on Judaism. He considers scholars such as Joachim Jeremias, Matthew Black, W. D. Davies, E. P. Sanders, and Martin Hengel. Chapter 6 follows the developments in historical criticism. Baird shows that historical criticism is an active method still used by a vast number of scholars. Baird shows that redaction criticism has become a popular method of the nineteenth century yet often appearing with different names. Chapter 7, “Confessional Research: Roman Catholic Scholarship,” looks at the work of Rudolf Shnackenburg Raymond E. Brown, and John P. Meier. In chapter 8, “The Development of Scholarly Societies,” Baird considers major societies such as the Society of Biblical Literature, The Catholic Biblical Association, and Studiorum Novi Societas. Baird shows the significance of each society arguing that, “The formation and growth of scholarly societies is a major feature of NT research in the twentieth century” (466).
Part 3, “Theological and Synthesizing Movements,” contains significant omissions as Baird traces the NT scholarship of the latter half of the twentieth century. While key scholars are omitted, Baird manages to cover substantial ground. In Chapter 9, “Theological and Hermeneutical developments,” Baird looks at Oscar Culmann, John Knox, Paul S. Minear, and F.F. Bruce. Chapter 10, “Critical, Exegetical, and Theological Accomplishments: Europe,” focuses on C.K. Barrett, James D.G. Dunn, and Birger Gerhardsson. Chapter 11, “Critical, Exegetical, and Theological Accomplishments: North America,” follows Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, J. Louis Matyn, Leander Keck, Victor P. Furnish, and Hanz Dieter Betz. Baird’s selection of scholars here will inevitably be praised by some and bemoaned by others.
This volume will serve as an indispensible tool for NT scholars. Baird is excellent at finding theological medians and weighing the value of each NT theologian. Baird provides fair treatment of the historical critical method and even admits that the method has sustained his faith and deepened his devotion to the New Testament (4). The chapters are well organized and easy for readers to follow. Headings distinguish all new information covered. The pitfall of tracing the history of a field of study is omissions. Those most critical of Baird will likely find issue with his organization of the vast material or his choice of key figures to highlight in this history. The absence of notable female scholars, Nils A. Dahl, Krister Stendahl, N. T. Wright, and others serve as a weakness. Many of the criticisms against this volume should be aimed at the publisher not the author. For example, the endnotes make it difficult to keep up with Baird’s quotes which was a style adopted by Fortress Press (3). With the amount of information covered, a more elaborate table of contents would have been extremely helpful. The half-page of contents is insufficient to convey the manifold treasures within.
