The crowning achievement for students of the New Testament is to grasp the whole while discerning the parts, to derive contemporary theological meaning without compromising historical accuracy, to respect the integrity of the ancient texts while interpreting validly within the structures of modern and postmodern consciousness. But how is it possible to communicate the diversely expressed faith of ancient Mediterranean fishermen and tentmakers in a crucified Jewish messiah to the academy and the church of the globalized and pluralized twenty-first century?
In Theology of the New Testament, Udo Schnelle—master teacher, deft exegete, committed churchman, and fully attuned contemporary intellectual—takes up this challenge with extraordinary energy and intelligence. The result is a capstone volume that puts all the pieces together both for students who read it straight through and for professors, theologians, pastors, and others who work through it at their own pace. For all who read it, the book will become a standard reference, a reliable source not only for summaries of particular New Testament books and topics but also for a refreshed and deepened perception of how a transcendent message has been uttered through temporally and spatially fixed actions and words.
This translation, by M. Eugene Boring, prepared by a leading American scholar who knows the author well and shares similar qualifications and commitments, achieves the literary quality of an original English composition while conveying accurately the sense of the original German and adding bibliographic adaptations for English-language readers.
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“In the face of the cross and resurrection, meaning-formation was inevitable. All early Christian authors were faced with the task of fitting the chaotic contingency of the crucifixion and resurrection into a meaningful theological structure—and they did this through narrative.” (Page 37)
“The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead was a revelatory event that opened up the meaning of his life. Such an event called for acts of meaning-formation from those who believed it!” (Page 54)
“Every religion—including early Christianity and the theologies that developed within it—is a form of meaning-formation and thus is such a process of disclosure and appropriation.” (Page 34)
“One should thus speak not of the ‘objectivity’ of historical arguments but of their plausibility and fittingness” (Page 29)
“A particularly important feature of narratives is the capacity to form, present, and stabilize identity” (Page 37)
Schnelle’s Theology of the New Testament is, in my view, perhaps the most methodologically sophisticated and theologically significant contribution to the genre in the past twenty years. ‘Jesus of Nazareth: The Near God’ is the common center for his informed and insightful elaboration of the thought of New Testament theology in the context of a contemporary understanding of reality. The author’s critical acumen and theological sensitivity, as well as his obvious control of both primary and secondary literature, make this book a necessary addition to the library of every serious student of the New Testament and an ideal text for advanced courses.
—David E. Aune, Walter Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, University of Notre Dame
A magnificent achievement. Udo Schnelle’s Theology of the New Testament comprises philosophical reflection, reconstruction of earliest Christian thought, and a history of biblical interpretation. At heart, however, the volume offers meticulous analysis of the New Testament’s varied constituents. The exegesis is well balanced; the conclusions, sound. Like its subject matter, this investigation gathers most of what is important from previous works and points the way toward a constructive future. Schnelle’s magnum opus will stand as one of the twenty-first century’s few indispensable works in the field.
—C. Clifton Black, Otto A. Piper Professor of Biblical Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary
Fresh, invigorating, enlightening, and occasionally provocative, this survey of New Testament theology serves well as a handbook of informed discussion of the crucial issues. With the confident hand of a seasoned scholar and a refreshing openness to the transcendent, Schnelle guides the reader book by book through the canon, using the familiar categories of systematic theology to ensure comprehensive coverage. Here is not only outstanding German scholarship but also an entry into contemporary German discussion via exceptionally rich footnotes.
—Donald A. Hagner, George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary
1 rating
Leonardo Buscemi
2/23/2017