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Reviewed by:
  • Reading Sacred Scripture: Voices from the History of Interpretation by Stephen and Martin Westerholm
  • Christopher Seitz
Stephen and Martin Westerholm. Reading Sacred Scripture: Voices from the History of Interpretation. Grand Rapids, mi: Eerdmans, 2016. Pp. 480. Paper, us$40.00. isbn 978-0-8028-7229-6.

This is an intelligent, well-written, wide-ranging book written by a father and son team. Any history of interpretation must begin with a selection. We learn in the opening pages that the father in the team (Stephen) had originally thought in terms of ten authors, but a colleague insisted Karl Barth could not be left out, and the son (Martin) then proposed Schleiermacher as a kind of context-setting introduction to him and Bonhoeffer, the most recent interpreter treated. Otherwise Schleiermacher is a bit of an outlier measured against kindred concerns shared across the wide history of interpretation as recounted in this volume, not least his views of the Old Testament and the canon.

One distinctive feature of the volume is the way the concrete reality of the Bible for each interpreter is set forth (text, translational issues, Old Testament and New Testament, scope, hermeneutical instincts, and so forth). This has been done with care and without bogging down in detail, though the author in charge of this department knows his way around. In the early church context in particular, the topic is of course an important one (Irenaeus, Origen, Chrysostom). It might have been a bit more challenging to substitute [End Page 393] Theodore of Mopsuestia for the latter, given the scope of his work and influence. The character of his particular biblical text also plays an important role in his specific labours. But Chrysostom is an obvious choice as a gifted preacher.

In the case of the first author evaluated (Irenaeus) we get a good introduction to the conceptual framework of interpreter, which focuses on the real presence of Christ the Logos operative within the Old Testament. This is more than a form of pointing away from itself to the future incarnation, a` la prophecy. It also lies at the heart of what Irenaeus means when he speaks of a rule of faith/truth. In that sense the rule is more of a conceptual framework, with theological and exegetical richness, which tells us how the One God is at work in two covenantal presentations. Though the claim is frequently made that the rule is a ‘‘forerunner of what we know as the Apostles Creed’’ (64), these are in fact two different genres. Still one comes away with a clear sense of the achievement of Irenaeus in the realm of biblical hermeneutics.

In a review like this it will be impossible to spend time on each interpreter treated (Origen, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and Kierkegaard round out the names). Each chapter provides a useful thumbnail sketch of the life of the figures treated. Two opening chapters helpfully set the historical context (‘‘The Voice of Scripture’’ and ‘‘Before the Christian Bible’’). A final chapter (‘‘Beyond the Sacred Page’’) issues some broad suggestions for dealing with so-called problems in interpretation as typically registered today. The history of interpretation preceding has shown clearly that every age faces a set of challenges, and ours are hardly new or distinctive to our era.

This is an extremely refreshing overview of twelve interpreters who deserve inclusion in such a treatment. The authors write with intelligence and passion. The treatment of Kierkegaard is sympathetic and includes some prayers that illumine his thought quite well. Each chapter will bring forward some fresh angle in an area already well-trodden for the experts, and awaiting discovery for those who do not know the rich history well. This is no small accomplishment, and the two authors are to be congratulated.

Christopher Seitz
Wycliffe College, Toronto School of Theology
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