Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Grace Theological Journal
Volume: GTJ 05:1 (Spring 1984)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous


Book Reviews

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding the Bible, by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981. Pp. 237. $6.95. Paper.

Judging from recent publications, things are taking a turn for the better in hermeneutic texts. Older texts (Terry, Ramm, Mickelsen, etc.) offered a system of rules with very little in the way of practical suggestions for specific texts. H. Virkler attempted with much success to bridge the gap between theory and practice in Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981).1 Two other recent texts go further in this direction by scrapping the “principles”-oriented approach. Instead, these texts organize their material along the lines of the various literary genres in the Bible. The two texts are the one under review here and The Literature and Meaning of Scripture (ed. M. A. Inch and C. H. Bullock; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981).

Fee and Stuart’s book is a delight to read. Both men teach at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary—Fee in NT and Stuart in OT. They write clearly, concisely, and frankly. Their honesty and frankness shines through repeatedly (e.g., pp. 60,67,79, 95,102,106,205-6). They are not afraid to point out the mistakes of others nor to admit their own fallibility. The abundance of biblical examples heightens the reader’s undertanding and interest. When there is room for doubt or disagreement, it is usually acknowledged.

As previously mentioned, the format of the book follows the various literary genres of the Bible. This is an extremely profitable approach, since our idea of the “whole” we are interpreting so greatly influences our ideas of the parts of that whole. Understanding genre is a foundational step in hermeneutics. Accordingly, the authors devote eleven of the thirteen chapters to the various types of literature in the Bible. There are two chapters on NT epistles. Here context is emphasized. Next the proper use of OT narrative literature is explained. The book of Acts serves as a basis for a stimulating study of how historical precedent and normative function interrelate. Following this there are chapters devoted to the gospels, the parables, the OT law sections, the prophets, the psalms, wisdom literature, and the book of Revelation. The book concludes with a helpful appendix on the use and evaluation of commentaries and Scripture and name indexes. All of this is well-written and should be fairly easy for most “lay people” to follow. The authors excel in concise summarization throughout. My favorite sections are the ones which deal with application, including the problem of discerning what is universally normative and what is culturally restricte...

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