Biblical Theology: Past, Present, and Future (I)
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 55, No. 2 – Spring 2013
Managing Editor: Terry L. Wilder
Gerald Bray, ed. Timothy George, General Editor. Downers Grove: IVP Academic. 2011. 446 pages. Hardcover, $55.
All those who love and admire the ancient Biblical Scripture along with maintaining a keen interest in Reformation scholarship need only to pick up the new volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture (RCS), Volume X, Galatians, Ephesians, to have their attraction profoundly satisfied. The RCS has set itself apart as a scholarly achievement with multitudinous insight and application for both the academy and the Church at large. Steeped in historical-critical-exegetical methodology and utilizing primary sources from the sixteenth century reformers’ hands, the RCS amasses an impressive collection of unique sources from a wide-variety of Christian traditions within the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation movement. Calling upon the likes of reformation giants such as Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, and Tyndale, the RCSwill claim its mark as the pinnacle of reformation-period Biblical commentaries due to its brilliant and needful inclusion of other lesser known reformers such as Bullinger, Bucer, Musculus, Brenz, Wigand, Cudworth, and Bugenhagen – all critically translated from Latin, German, French, Dutch and middle-English to be displayed potently after five hundred years of neglect. As such, the RCS exists to render dual access to the profound thoughts and Biblical-exegetical insights of key reformers with an aim of historical interpretation, appreciation, and modern-day comparison for contemporary expressions within the church and Christian society. The RCS, then, acts as a superb historical analysis of sixteenth-century Biblical, religious, and social scholarship while simultaneously serving the contemporary church with unique religious perspective and spiritual inspiration.
Mirroring its sister series, the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ACCS) also produced by IVP Academic, the RCS was produced with similar intention and audience in mind. Designed as a twenty-eight-volume series of Biblicalexegetical commentary covering both Old and New Testaments from the primary source writings of sixteenth century leaders, preachers, and scholars, the RCS duplicates the ACCS’ overall concept, method, and format ensuring the same quality and innovation expected by its eager audience. As the debut volume exudes, Galatians, Ephesians displays modern scholarship through hefty and helpful introductions, critical evaluation of both the sources and original authors, and extensive footnotes with a view toward aiding the modern reader to ascertain with ease the historical context, probable resources, and spiritual assumptions of the Protestant reformers’ writings. No doubt a pivotal source of inspiration for Luther’s propagation of sola fide within the protestant reformation cry of “justification by faith alone,” the series’ general editor, Timothy George, has given great weight to both the Biblical books represented in this initial RCS production and their continual source of doctrinal development and ecclesiastical inspiration found uniquely in Galatians and Ephesians. Considered to be a concentrated source of the unadulterated gospel as proclaimed by the Apostle Paul, volume editor, Gerald Bray, perfectly captures the immediacy and urgency with which the reformers wrote concerning their protestant cause encapsulated and exegeted in Galatians and Ephesians as a means of conversion and Biblical cause toward Roman Catholics, heretics, and those spurned within the Lutheran and Reformed traditions through church discipline. More so, as a mark of brilliance exhibited within the design of the RCS, the contemporary reader can palpably sense the very weight of the place of Scripture itself amidst its compelling revolutionary message (given in the vernacular during the passionate sixteenth-century debate among competing religious societies), adding immense value and pleasure to the historian’s reading of the RCS Galatians and Ephesians and the Christian’s continual spiritual encouragement. As a measure of encouragement to buy and read this particular volume, Bray aptly demonstrates the critical nature which the Biblical books of Galatians and Ephesians played in the larger reformation movement for the reformers and their cause, strategically, doctrinally, and inspirationally captured in this inaugural RCS volume.
With a solid design to educate and reinforce modern reformation scholarship, the editors of the RCS have generously included extensive notes, commentary, maps, timelines, appendices, and voluminous bibliographical, authorial, scriptural, and subject indices within this first volume. Exhibiting large portions of primary source sixteenth-century literature, the reformer’s vast exegetical corpus, newly translated and critically evaluated, is certain to intrigue and please the modern sixteenth-century historian among many others. Most helpful, the series general editor also details forty pages concerning the breadth and critical nature of the historical context of both the times and authors themselves of the reformation movement, useful historical context immediately employed for the scope of both books and no doubt all others in this series. Owing great awareness and exegetical scope to the purpose of this series, Bray brilliantly executes the unraveling of sixteenth-century theological and social insight comprised through Biblical exegesis from the sheer variety of reformed continental authors chosen—each upholding their nuanced platform of either Lutheran or Reformed positions. Attempting to cover even a restrained topic such as the Biblical-exegetical insights of sixteenth-century protestant reformers seems rather a straightforward and innocuous task, this project notwithstanding. However, in form of a critique, the early Anabaptist position is noticeably absent from Bray’s protestant treatment and selection of possible reformed writers. Any number of selections from Hubmaier, Philips, and Simons among many possible others would lend further credibility and continuity to the current volume as these mentioned Anabaptist reformers represented evangelical protestant and reformational convictions (over-against dissenting Anabaptist spiritualists and humanists), being a recognized, though minor reformed voice and from whose leaders there exists a plethora of germane texts.
In sum, editor Timothy George notes in addition to the goal of producing helpful scholarly reformation research and highlighting obscure reformation primary sources as evidenced in this first volume, the RCS series also intends to enrich contemporary Biblical interpretation through (1) the exposure to Reformation-era Biblical exegesis, insight, and preaching; and (2) the recovery of the robust spiritual theology and devotional treasures of the Reformation’s engagement with the Bible. Speaking as a scholar and a dedicated Christian, I wholeheartedly feel that George succeeds on this front. Thus, a concerted strength of the RCSwill be its utility among critical scholars and churchmen alike. Broadening its readership base and ensuring the creative posterity and potential success of the series and others like it, the RCS has produced an excellent product for the generally curious, spiritually interested, or the dedicated sixteenth-century scholar – all who stand to gain immensely as they read and enjoy each forthcoming volume.
