Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey by M. A. Powell (review)

Powell starts his book with the exclamation, “Welcome to the New Testament!” (11). This phrase succinctly encapsulates the goal and target audience of this mammoth volume. Introducing the New Testament is an updated version of the first edition published in 2009. The book is an introductory companion to entry-level students, or as Powell identifies the ideal reader, “a student at a college, university, or seminary” (11). Powell, a professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, is a prolific writer, well-known for his scholarly contributions on literary criticism and the Matthean Gospel. Powell is no novice in the authoring of textbooks. His previous publications in this genre include What is Narrative Criticism? (1990) and Fortress Introduction to the Gospels (1998).

The book at hand consists of thirty chapters. Chapter 1, “New Testament Background: The Roman World,” and chapter 2, “New Testament Background: The Jewish World” both serve to orient the reader to the socio-historical climate of the NT events and writings. This is followed by chapter 3, “The New Testament Writings,” in which Powell provides an overview of the NT, the formation of the canon, and various methodologies for studying the NT. Chapter 4, “Jesus,” launches into a discussion of the various portraits of Jesus. Chapter 5, “The Gospels” introduces the concept of the Gospels’ genre, variety of content, and the synoptic puzzle. These five introductory chapters are followed by individual chapters on the four gospels and the book of Acts (chapters 6–10). The chapters on biblical books all have the same scope and layout. First, Powell provides a high-level overview of the content of the book. Second, he delves into the historical background, addressing issues of authorship, date, occasion, and audience. Finally, he summarises the major themes of the book. The last section also includes allusions to the Wirkungsgeschichte of the book at hand.

Chapter 11 “The New Testament Letters,” which provides an overview of the structure and content of NT letters as well as the issue of pseudography, and chapter 12, “Paul,” which provides an overview of the apostle’s life and theology, take a step back and serve to orient the reader before launching into chapters on Paul’s letters. In the same format as the Gospels and Acts, chapters 13–23 function as surveys of the Pauline Letters (undisputed and disputed), with the Pastoral Letters grouped into one chapter. This is followed by a survey of Hebrews (chapter 24), the General Letters (chapters 25–29, with the Johannine Letters grouped together in one chapter), and Revelation (chapter 30). Serving his target audience well, Powell includes a glossary after the last chapter (553–575).

Being one of many NT introductions, questions regarding the uniqueness and necessity for yet another book of this sort rightfully arise. In anticipation of this, Powell (12) spends three pages highlighting what makes this offering unique. In this section, he notes that the book can be read in any order as the chapters do not follow one another chronologically. This can be said of many NT introductions or textbooks (especially those written by more than one contributor). The second feature that Powell describes is that the book does not attempt to resolve disputes. Whilst Powell is deliberate about highlighting theological debates and controversial passages, he simply leaves his readers with various opposing views on these matters. This, Powell (12) argues, makes for more effective learning, as students (and lecturers) need to make their own informed decisions on such matters. Powell (13) also mentions the inclusion of diverse Christian artwork as a unique feature of the book. He adds that, while the artwork is not always explicitly theological, its inclusion serves to stimulate reflection on the content of the book. As one would expect of a scholar with an appreciation for narrative, Powell holds that the book was written to facilitate an experience that...