The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament by Andreas J. Köstenberger, L. Scott Kellum and Charles L. Quarles (B&H Academic, August 2009). I would like to thank Jim Baird, VP of Marketing and Sales, for giving me the opportunity to announce, review, and giveaway this this excellent volume.
Andreas J. Köstenberger (Mag. et Dr. rer. soc. oec., Vienna University of Economics; M.Div., Columbia Biblical University; Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology and director of Ph.D. Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS) in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He also serves as editor for the Journal of the Evanelical Theological Society (JETS). Books.
L. Scott Kellum (B.A., The University of Mississippi; M.Div., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; Ph.D., Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of New Testament and Greek at SEBTS. Books.
Charles L. Quarles is vice president for Integration of Faith and Learning, professor of New Testament and Greek, and chairs the division of Christian Studies at Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana. Books: Buried Hope or Risen Savior, editor (2008); Passionate Conviction, contributor (2007); Midrash Criticism (1997).
ENDORSEMENT:
"Among the finest such studies of recent decades in classic matters of New Testament introduction. What sets it apart includes: (1) attention to theology and the history of interpretation; (2) extended presentation of the history of New Testament times and the rise of the canon; (3) appropriate rigor; (4) frequently creative layout features; and (5) conceptual clarity. Beyond an impressive digest of scholarship, it is an appeal to faithful appropriation of the New Testament's message."
--Robert W. Yarbrough, professor of New Testament and department chair, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL
The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament (hereafter CCC) is one of the latest additions to the abundance of Introductions available to students of the NT. According to my research CCC is the third of four NT Introductions to be published this year in the US (a German translation of Carson and Moo [2nd ed.] will also be published in October in Germany). Since the turn of the millennium, there have now been well over 50 NT introductions published in English, German, French, and Italian.GIVEAWAY:
I have recently acquired review copies of CCC, and I have a few to give away. I am still working through this volume reading and comparing it to a few other Introductions that I own and will post a review soon. This past week I contacted a few friends who have been teaching NT Introduction, and I posed a few questions to them about the textbooks they have used. Their comments were very useful and it has been a tremendous help having their concerns in mind as I have been evaluating the format and contents of CCC. I would also like to have your input as I finish evaluating this volume. In exchange, I am offering a free copy (or two) to the readers of this blog.
INSTRUCTIONS:
For a chance to receive a free copy of CCC, I would like to interact with you about CCC. Please respond to one (or more) of the following questions:
Which NT Introduction(s) do you own and have used? What have you found to be the strengths or weaknesses of it (them)?- If you teach (or have taught) NT Introduction, which Introduction(s) have you used? Which is your favorite? Why?
- What content or features would you like to see in a new NT Introduction?
Watch the three short videos posted on the B&H Academic website (here).- What do you like about CCC?
- What would you like to know about CCC?
- What interview question(s) would you suggest for the authors?
- Do you reference NT Introductions in your sermon/Bible study preparation? Why or why not?
If I can't answer your question, I will contact the authors. I will select a winner(s) based on the amount of interest and interaction. One volume has already been mailed out to a friend who has already been a help to me in evaluating this volume. Who will be next? Please leave your responses in the comments to this post.
- Introduction with Endorsements
- Announcement of Early Arrival
- Excerpt: A Twofold Dynamic to Understanding the NT
- Excerpt: The New Covenant Roots of the NT Canon
- New Testament Introduction Bibliography (I have been working hard over the past week to build a list of the titles and dates of as many NT Introductions as I can find. Please browse through this list. If you see any discrepancies or notice that I've missed a title, please email me. Thanks!)
I have not used a NT introduction before, but I would like to. I would like it to have overviews of each of the NT books, perhaps overviews of the lives of the NT authors as far as is known, and I would like it to have a good sense of the unity of the NT. I would also like to see it interact with some modern issues in NT scholarship.
ReplyDeleteBrian
AC,
ReplyDeleteThank you for leaving a comment. I'm sure that you will be pleased with scope of CCC. One of its major contributions (comparing it to other distinctly conservative NT Introductions) is that it provides excellent discussion of the historical background of the NT. This is taken up primarily in ch. 2, “The Political and Religious Background of the New Testament.”
Beyond this, specific details are discussed in connection with each individual book. Modern debates such as the quests for the historical Jesus, the Jesus Seminar, the historicity of the Gospels, and the New Perspectives are also discussed. In each case the authors maintain a strong evangelical stance upholding the inspiration and authority of the NT Canon.
One thing that I've enjoyed most about the approach of the authors of CCC is their focus on drawing out the finer details of the text. I just finished reading their discussion of the dating of Jesus’ birth, length of ministry, and death. They patiently wade through each passage and phrase from the Gospel narratives that shed light on these questions and present a strong textual argument for their positions. One other example of this detailed work is in the dating of the letters to the Corinthians. A couple of years ago I sat in a class Dr. Kostenberger taught and was lead through the textual evidence, verse by verse, phrase by phrase, throughout Acts and 1 & 2 Cor. in order to come to a chronology of Paul’s visits and letters to Corinth (three visits, the “previous letter” [1 Cor. 5:9-11] and the “severe letter” [2 Cor. 2:4; 7:8]). This same kind of precision work is presented throughout CCC and is often supplemented with useful charts and diagrams.
The final chapter addresses the Unity and Diversity of the NT. This is also an excellent and very useful chapter.
Finally, while maintaining a high view of scripture, and a strong evangelical stance, the authors of CCC do not avoid interacting with modern and liberal scholarship. This is a feature that I have most enjoyed about books published by B&H Academic. While they often maintain a Baptistic stance (never with the intent of being exclusivists) they are intent on pursuing a high level of scholarship in the defense of the faith. CCC fits well into this plan. I am certain that this text will see many new editions and expansions in years to come.
CCC sounds like a great book! I browsed the sample chapter, and was interested to see the different levels of core knowledge listed at the beginning of the chapter. I've been a Christian for many years, and it was a little humbling to realize that I'm only at a basic level of understanding of the book of Acts! I'll have to add it to my (very long) list of books to get. Thanks for the expanded review!
ReplyDeleteBrian
Out of curiosity, do you know the denominational backgrounds of the authors? I highly doubt it would significantly impact the value of the book, but I am interested.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Brian
Yes, they are all Southern Baptist. However, this does not significantly impact the content of the book. There are few occasions where this bleeds through, but this was not a surprise coming from B&H, a Baptist publishing house. This volume does introduce some of the theology of the NT, so it is helpful to know that the authors tend to be Calvinistic in their soteriology, and non-dispensational in their eschatology. I've not run across any instances of Baptistic ecclesiology (I just scanned back through the section on the Pastoral Epistles). With regard to the role of women, they are complementarian, but they do argue for the role of women as deaconesses. (I thought it was very balanced.)
ReplyDeleteTwo teach at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. The other (Quarles) teaches Louisiana College.
Thank you for the interaction here. Please let me send you a copy. Email me with your mailing address.
I have used Guthrie's NT Intro from IVP.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the whole book, though. I have only jumped in at various references. I like the book ,but cannot comment much on its strengths or weaknesses, as I have nothing to which to compare it.
I like the sound of the book you offer. Fuller's Unity of The Bible has led me to look at the Bible holistically instead of each book as a separate unit. Thus, books that view Scripture thematically, and introduce it in that manner interest me.
I would certainly be interested in reviewing it on pastoralmusings.com
Skimming through the online chapter, this book has a captivating style of writing. It is easy to read, too.
ReplyDeleteI see that they reference Blomberg. I have read some of his work on the Jesus and the gospels, but not all of it.
I heartily agree about the writing style. The prose is much easier to read than some of the others I've used. Carson & Moo is excellent, but it doesn't "flow" as does CCC. (At least that's my humble opinion.)
ReplyDeleteGuthrie's is a standard text for many schools. It is valuable, but now dated. CCC is up-to-date on many issues such as the Jesus Seminar and the New Perspectives, to name just two. It is also extremely valuable for its bibliographies which conclude each chapter. I love bibliographies and the format used in CCC is excellent!!!
Thanks for commenting!
I own and use "An Introduction to the New Testament" by D.A. Carson and Douglas Moo. The reputation of the authors as conservative, evangelical authors is outstanding. Carson and Moo's book does an excellent job of outlining each book with historical, literary and some theological analysis. I do find the book to be a bit brief regarding the overarching themes of the NT. Unfortunately, I do not teach nor have I taught NT introduction. As of now, I would use Carson and Moos for reasons mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteThe historical foundation laid by CCC in chapters 1 and 2 is appealing. In particular, chapter 2 looks to be outstanding especially with the charts outlining the different periods. I've been reading From Age to Age: The Unfolding of Biblical Eschatology by Keith Mathison. The historical background Mathison gives especially regarding the books that are not historical has been excellent. CCC seems to accomplish the same albeit in more detail. The "hermeneutical triad" of history, literature and theology sound like an interesting approach. I suspect this enables CCC to provide for a thorough, yet balanced treatment of the NT books. I'm curious to see how integrated these different perspectives are.
I use Carson and Moo's book any time I'm doing a bible study. It's essential for me to have an historical context of the book I'm studying. In addition, I like to have a basic understanding of current, critical commentary especially from a conservative, evangelical perspective. I find this particularly useful for apologetics and evangelism.
Does CCC analyze any specific passages? If so, is its exegesis at the Greek level? Does CCC explain OT references used throughout the book?
In the preface, I agree that knowing Paul wrote Galatians prior to Romans regarding circumcision is very helpful. Covering Acts, an "historical" book, prior to Paul's writings is insightful too. It provides for framework of Paul's writings. The 1.1 sidebar regarding pseudepigraphia in the early church was quite interesting. I like these little snippets of detail. I noticed there are Study Questions and For Further Study at the end of each chapter. I love it when other books are referenced at the end of each chapter. This is great for when I want to find more detail on a particular topic. Of course, the study questions are always helpful for reflection and bible study discussions.
ReplyDeleteMark,
ReplyDeleteExcellent comments. Thank you for taking the time to browse through CCC. You'll find the level of scholarship to be at least on the same level as Carson and Moo. I have found that the authors of CCC give adequate consideration to the Greek text in the discussions of authorship, as well as in the theological sections. However, I would hesitate to say that they do intense exegesis. Rather, they point you to other theological works for most of this sort of detail. Koestenberger, as I'm sure you know, has written a handful of commentaries on NT books. His work on the Gospel of John is outstanding.
As a side note, how would you compare Koestenberger's commentary of John to Carson's? I absolutely love Carson's.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know the answer to that, too. I have Kostenberger's commentary, but not Carson's. My research shows me that Carson's is still revered as the best, but they both have unique qualities to offer. I do know that Kostenberger studied under Carson. I've seen in Kostenberger's other works, as well as here in CCC, that Carson has a continuing voice. However, I see Kostenberger as advancing upon Carson's work in many areas, while holding him up as a trustworthy evangelical standard. The two never seem to be in competition with one another, as some theologians often are, but rather complimentary to one another. Both men are very scholarly and very pastoral.
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone else who has used both commentaries will chime in here. Otherwise, I'd be glad to present this question in a new post.
The "Key Facts" at the beginning of each book is a nice touch. I really like the Theology section(s). I'm perusing through Romans and it's excellent.
ReplyDeleteIn particular, the section regarding righteousness that God produces is quite insightful. The OT reference of Isa. 51:5-8 answers my earlier question regarding OT use.
I've really come to appreciate books on NT that reference the OT. As Augustine said, the NT hides in the Old and the OT is revealed in the New.
I recently learned that Kostenberger studied under Carson too. It's nice to hear that they compliment each other.
ReplyDeleteI've read great things about Kostenberger's book on God, Marriage and Family.
I've been working my way through Carson's "Call to Spiritual Reformation." It's outstanding. I've learned so much about what I should be praying. I highly recommend it.
CCC is definitely feature rich. Carson and Moo (2nd ed) is a huge improvement over the 1st ed., but I love the extra features included in CCC. Another very useful addition are the "Something to Think About" boxes. All of these were written by Kostenberger and illuminate his skill with bridging the gap between scholarship and Christian devotion. He constantly aims at building confidence in the Biblical text.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank you for the recommendation of "Call to Spiritual Reformation." I'll have to keep an eye out for this one.
It does appear to be very feature rich. I really like the tables used throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter on Revelations, table 20.1 describing thematic parallels between the Olivet Discourse and the Seals was quite fascinating.
It's clear that a tremendous amount of work and research went into this book given the extensive footnotes.
pastoralmusings, thank you, too, for your comments and interaction. I'd like to offer you a complimentary copy of CCC. Please email me with your mailing address.
ReplyDeleteHi Jason,
ReplyDeletehave any copies left? I am taking courses with LRU.EDU and will need this book for Intro to N.T. January 2011.
I have taught N.T. Introduction, but it has been years. I am just curious if you have any copies left. because I see the dates on the blog august 09.
Mike Walker
michaelwalker@videotron.ca
Montreal, Canada eh!
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking. I'm all out of copies.
Blessings,
Jason