James Leo Garrett Jr. and the Southwestern Theological Tradition
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 65, No. 1 - Fall 2022
Editor: David S. Dockery
Edited by Stanley E. Porter and Ron C. Fay. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2021, 392pp., $31.99
This is the second volume in the Milestones in New Testament Scholarship series, edited by Stanley E. Porter and Ron C. Fay. Porter is president and professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College; Fay is assistant professor of biblical studies at Liberty University. Their series aims to provide books about significant scholars and their impact on specific New Testament books and topics (p. 9). The editors decided on which Lukan scholar to focus each chapter. Their criteria were: (1) the scholars have made a significant impact on Luke-Acts studies; and (2) they have a complete or nearly finished body of writing. In other words, they have either “died or concluded the vast bulk of their careers” (p. 18).
1. Humanizing. With the extended biographical information about each scholar, this book helps to put a human face on these ten major scholars. One might already know Adolf Harnack denied Jesus’ preexistence, miracles, and deity (p. 64), but how did it affect him personally? His Lutheran denomination considered him persona non grata and did not let him evaluate how well prepared his students were for ministry (p. 70). His father, a longtime university theology professor, wrote him a letter saying no Christian could hold Adolf’s position on Jesus’s resurrection, and they never mended their personal estrangement (pp. 58, 69).
F. F. Bruce wrote his excellent commentary on the Greek text of Acts under difficult conditions: his long stays in British air raid shelters during World War II (p. 198). Well-known scholar C. K. Barrett believed his first calling was as a Methodist preacher. He had a vibrant preaching ministry throughout his career. He also had a dry sense of humor (p. 272).
It was interesting when the chapter writer had a personal encounter with his or her subject. Stanley Porter heard F. F. Bruce speak at a lecture and seminar, and Porter gave some insightful observations (pp. 194-95). While a Ph.D. student, John Bryon had several encounters with C. K. Barrett (p. 272). However, most writers in this book had no personal connection with their subject. Most of the biographical sections were well written, but some were surprisingly short (chapters 4, 9-11).
2. Nuancing. This book can help one take a nuanced view about Luke-Acts scholars to avoid generalizations. For instance, Harnack was a prolific writer who influenced many scholars in the classic liberalism of his day (pp. 57, 63-63). Yet, he espoused the traditional authorship of Luke and Acts: Luke the physician from Antioch who joined Paul on parts of his second and third missionary journeys (pp. 76-82)—conservative views still positively impacting scholars today. Conversely, F. F. Bruce, who helped revive evangelical biblical scholarship in England and had many biblically conservative views, held some beliefs that were not as traditional (p. 193). He thought evolution was compatible with Genesis, assumed a late date for the book of Daniel, and believed the book of Isaiah had multiple authors (p. 242).
3. Interconnectedness. The individual chapters, as well as in the Introduction and Conclusion, help the reader to see where these ten scholars fit chronologically in the last two hundred years and learn how they all built upon their predecessors. Often, they started work in new directions. Of course, some new ideas never took hold, such as those of Richard Pervo (p. 346). The Introduction was excellent, giving the chronological and theological setting for each of the ten scholars (pp. 17-55).
4. Suggested Improvements. The inclusion of many of the scholars appearing in this volume is justified, but some choices are questionable. The editors admit that their choice was subjective (p. 14), but one wishes they had included I. Howard Marshall and Darrell L. Bock. Bock may still produce more scholarly works on Luke-Acts, but he has already published an impressive amount. The influence of both men is evident in the number of times they are mentioned in the Author Index (pp. 393, 396). It would help to keep the chapter lengths more comparable. The two shortest chapters also had some of the briefest biographies (chapters 4, 9). Lengthening them would better fit the purpose of the book and help the reader better learn about the scholar. Numbering the chapters would help, but for the purpose of this review, this writer counts the Introduction as chapter one. The Scripture Index and Author Index are helpful. Adding a Subject Index would also be beneficial. Since the Conclusion was just a brief version of the Introduction, adding some connections with current Luke-Acts scholarship would benefit the reader (pp. 381-89).
Porter and Fay’s volume fulfills its stated purpose of each chapter fitting in between a dictionary or encyclopedia entry and a biography of a Luke-Acts scholar (p. 10). It is helpful for master’s and doctoral students as well as other scholars in providing information that is more than cursory but less than an entire book about a scholar. A good history of interpretive milestones in Luke-Acts studies for the last two hundred years, this book is a great help in showing how these ten particular scholars intersect.
