Sample Abstracts from NTA volume 42 (May 1998)

Canon

755. W. J. Everett, "Renaming Scripture," ChristCent 114 (30, '97) 965-966. Renaming the Scriptures as the "Hebrew Bible," "Jewish Bible," "Christian Scriptures," "Greek Bible," and so forth is theological, ethical, and constitutional in the deepest sense. And yet astonishingly, this seismic change is occurring without any conference or council arguing about it or any learned society debating the question.---D.J.H.

Interpretation

762. M. J. Cook, "The Jewish Scholar and New Testament Images of Judaism," Lutheran Theological Seminary Bulletin [Gettysburg, PA] 77 (4, '97) 21-41. The article explains and evaluates five Jewish avenues of approach to the NT: (1) Changes in Christianity's self-perception vis-…-vis Judaism occasioned corresponding adjustments in portrayals of Jesus' stance toward Jews and Judaism as presented in the Gospels. (2) The various ways in which Paul's theology was understood influenced the Gospel portraits of Jesus. (3) In the process of responding to challenges by Jewish opponents, emerging Christianity adjusted or added to Jesus-traditions teachings and nuances not authentic to Jesus' ministry. Accordingly, teachings ascribed to Jesus---and impinging on Jews and Judaism---should not be viewed only as an undifferentiated mass. (4) Study of the Synoptic Gospels in parallel columns reveals that later writers intensified the anti-Judaism of their sources. And so one might plausibly argue that anti-Judaism decreases as we regress to Christian origins. (5) A major reason why passages in the Jewish Bible seem to predict the coming of Jesus is that Christian tradition came to model Jesus' image in conformity with Jewish scriptural imagery.---D.J.H.

763. J. C. de Klerk, "Situating biblical narrative studies in literary theory and literary approaches," RelTheol/RelTeol 4 (3, '97) 190-207. Although many biblical narratives may not match the highly developed narrative composition of modern narratives, a literary approach to biblical narratives occupies its own position in the discipline of literary studies. Biblical narrative scholars should make an effort to situate their own literary enterprise within the broader literary field, and be aware of its strong points and weaknesses. Those who choose the traditional Anglo-American approach can be assured of its achievements in the past and can be enthusiastic about its prospects for the future.---C.R.M.

NTA