Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 37:3 (Sep 1994)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

JETS 37:3 (September 1994) p. 427

Book Reviews

Romans. NCB. 2d ed. By Matthew Black. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989 (1973), xv + 224 pp., $13.95 paper.

Of the making of commentaries there is no end, and many of them are a weariness of the spirit. With a huge literature on the book of Romans already in existence, and with magisterial tomes such as Cranfield’s and Käsemann’s having recently joined the field, one might think a small paperback on Romans hardly worthy of notice. But Black’s revision is a truly fine and useful piece of work.

The NCB series sets out to provide a concise, up-to-date account of the status quaestionis of the exegesis of Biblical writings for pastors, students and interested laymen. Black’s volume on Romans succeeds admirably, achieving conciseness without sacrificing coverage or detail. One is impressed by how businesslike the book is. Each discussion goes straight to the heart of the issue, clearly summarizing the most significant contributions and usually mediating between them with sound and judicious commentary (though on occasion he irritatingly fails to indicate his own solution). Practically every sentence is substantive and worth pondering. Judged on a standard of usefulness per pound (or per dollar) it ranks with D. Kidner’s Tyndale OT volumes as among the most efficient commentaries a busy pastor can buy. Especially valuable is the close attention given to Paul’s use of both rabbinic and stoic techniques of argumentation.

Black will not replace Murray for doctrinal analysis, Cranfield for exegesis, Käsemann for history of interpretation, or Lloyd-Jones for homiletical application. But in terms of the most digestible meat for the money, Black’s revised Romans is surely one of the best buys in the market.

Donald T. Williams
Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa Falls, GA

Sociology and the Jesus Movement. By Richard A. Horsley. New York: Crossroad, 1989, vii + 178 pp., $22.95.

The confluence of sociology and Biblical studies has burgeoned in recent years. What initially began a few decades ago as experimental tributaries has today become a watershed of insight for Biblical research. The book under review is an attempt to filter and process the still-turbulent waters in order to clarify the methodologies for further research.

Horsley’s basic premise is that Biblical scholars have been too eager to embrace and apply a science whose principles and methods have not yet been adequately understood. Moreover, as Horsley sees it, the cultures, economies and politics of ancient civilizations are so utterly different from our own that it is a poor method that assumes that modern social patterns accurately reflect ancient societies.