Journal: Faith and Mission
Volume: FM 07:2 (Spring 1990)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

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FM 7:2 (Spring 1990) p. 78

Book Reviews

Biblical Studies

Harper’s Bible Pronunciation Guide edited by William O. Walker, Jr., Toni Craven and J. Andrew Dearman, with the Society of Biblical Literature. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1989. $15.95.

Persons who must read Holy Scripture aloud are familiar with the uneasiness experienced when the passage which must be read for the morning worship mentions Agabus (Acts 21:10) or the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:6) or Kibroth-hattaavah (Num 11:34). One wonders if uncertainty over pronunciation contributes to the avoidance of certain texts for preaching or other usage in public worship. Because a classroom context may require attention to texts which are seldom used for preaching or liturgical readings, teachers, both lay and professional, may experience even greater anxiety over pronunciation.

Using a very simple pronunciation key which requires no knowledge of technical phonetic symbols, this volume provides guidance for the pronunciation of biblical words and terms. Over 7,000 proper names are included in this volume, as well as some unfamiliar common nouns found in the Bible. A second section lists over 900 non-biblical names and technical terms which are frequently encountered in biblical, historical, and theological studies. This is helpful for those of us who are comfortable reading and writing certain words which we hesitate to use in oral discourse (e.g. apophthegm, lacunae, obelisk). The Harper’s Bible Pronunciation Guide is a helpful resource for preachers and teachers. In addition to the personal libraries of professionals, however, this volume should also find a place in the holdings of church libraries where it can be of help for lay teachers without whom churches’ teaching ministries cannot be effective.

John Keating Wiles, SEBTS

The Canon of Scripture by F. F. Bruce. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988. 349 pp. $24.95.

When Kurt Aland delivered a lecture at Oxford University in 1961 on “The Problem of the New Tetament Canon,” he initiated a renewed interest in the study of both the Old Testament and New Testament canons. Since that time numerous volumes have been published in this field of study. I was present for that lecture and was stimulated to write articles on the New Testament canon, but I have not produced a book on the subject.

F. F. Bruce is well qualified to enter into the debate on the canon of

FM 7:2 (Spring 1990) p. 79

Scripture because his teaching career has centered in the examination of t...

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