How the Bible Has Been Interpreted in Christian Tradition Review
Basic Bible Interpretation A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth
Roy B Zuck
ISBN 0781438772 (9780781438773)
Victor (Cook Communications), 1991 (Reprinted 2004)
£14.99
Category: Biblical Studies
(324pp.)
It should be said from the showtime that this is a reissue of a book get-go published in 1991; if y'all already have a volume by Roy B. Zuck called 'Bones Bible Estimation', so this is it — exactly the aforementioned, with no new preface, no new introductory or concluding chapter, and no updated bibliography.
Whilst not an advocate of the 'new is better' policy, that this book is now almost 15 years old does count against it somewhat. And then, first must come the complaints. Arguably, even dorsum in 1991, the book was already dated. There is no discussion of the various currents of biblical interpretation which focus attention on the reader of the text, and all the implications spring up with that, an area which has increased exponentially since and so. There is adjacent to nothing on coincident fields related to biblical interpretation, such as philosophy, theology, and Christian tradition, which were prominent back and then and are more prominent today. Reading the Bible is presented equally the task of bridging certain gaps — cultural, grammatical, literary, etc. — betwixt the text and ourselves, using appropriate tools, a task which is seen equally involved just largely unproblematic.
Fifty-fifty bearing these concerns in mind, however, the book remains a very useful way in to 'bones Bible interpretation' which, afterwards all, is what is specified in its title. Those who would like a fairly uncluttered 'how to' introduction to reading and appropriating the Bible, which doesn't feel obliged to genuflect to the current postmodern intellectual climate, volition observe here a helpful guide.
The first three chapters innovate the 'what and why of biblical interpretation', offer a historical overview of how the Bible has been interpreted, and talk over the result of how we make up one's mind whether an interpretation is valid. So follow iii capacity on those 'gaps' mentioned earlier: getting to grips with reading Scripture in its own cultural context before applying information technology to our own; understanding the words, grammer, and syntax of the original languages; taking business relationship of the different literary types in the Bible. The remaining six chapters deal with how to handle figures of speech, types and symbols, parables, prophecy, the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, and applying the Bible to today.
Given Zuck'south long-standing clan with Dallas Theological Seminary, information technology should come every bit no surprise that the book is written from an avowedly conservative evangelical perspective, with a commitment to a loftier view of Scripture. The 'Dallas' groundwork is besides reflected in detail views taken on (for case) the fulfilment of prophecy and the nature of Christ's thousand-year reign (the millennium) described in Revelation xx. Whether all this is a plus or a minus will depend on readers' ain backgrounds, dispositions, and needs. On the positive side, it does mean that the book is a relatively 'safe' guide to interpreting the Bible, and the sheer amount of concrete worked examples from Scripture requite the volume a down-to-globe and applied feel which the more abstruse discussions of biblical estimation frequently lack. Despite some initial misgivings, then, a recommended read overall.
Antony Billington, January 2005
Antony Billington teaches Hermeneutics (that's Biblical Interpretation to y'all & me) at London School of Theology. He's a frequent contributor to the School's monthly webzine, Eis, is heavily into film and contemporary culture and spends most of his wages in the LST Bookshop (enter at your own gamble).
Published in the Great britain by Kingsway Communications
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