Reviewed Book: Tuckett, C M. (Christopher Mark). Reading the New Testament: Methods of Interpretation. Philadelphia: Fortress Pr; London: SPCK, 1987

Schlueter, Carol J.

English

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Reading the New Testament: Methods of Interpretation

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 14Issue 1 Essays: Historical and Theological Article 145-1-1988Reading the New Testament: Methods ofInterpretationCarol J. SchlueterFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationSchlueter, Carol J. (1988) "Reading the New Testament: Methods of Interpretation," Consensus: Vol. 14 : Iss. 1 , Article 14.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol14/iss1/14120 Consensushere in Canada as a matter of high priority. How many of us, for instance,can describe the “denominations” of Judaism to the same degree we candetail differences in Christianity?Finally, the one spectre that haunts our century as does no other isthe Shoah, the Holocaust. We Canadians need to be almost physically sickas we reflect on some recent headlines that tell us how hatred can thrivein Alberta classrooms or in Ontario society. Not only must anti-semitismbe seen as a theological heresy, but as the spiritual question above all.Where was God in the concentration camps? Elie Wiesel saw him die onthe gallows at the hands of a Nazi-Satan. No Christian should ever praythe 22nd Psalm as if it were only a Good Friday liturgical support piece,unless every syllable, every sound, be first heard echoed in Auschwitz andBuchenwald. How dare we pray this prayer as ours, unless we first pray itas theirs?Judaism: An Introduction for Christians is ea^y to read, and a greatsource for what almost every major church body has ever said on anti-semitism. There are additional resources including, wonder of wonders,Canadian addresses for B’nai B’rith. How tragic if we Christians allowourselves to see Judaism as having come to an end with the Pharisees,who, it turns out, were pretty great believers as believers go! Without theirRabbis and scholars, what a poor Bible we would have, an incomprehensiblebook apart from the living faith that gave its light to the world! Yes, thisdefinitely is one book every Christian ought to read.Barry BenceLutheran Church of the CrossLac du Bonnet, ManitobaReading the New Testament: Methods of Interpreta-tionChristopher TuckettPhiladelphia; Fortress Press, 1987The work under review consists of an introduction to the main methodsused in the interpretation of the New Testament, the primary purpose ofwhich is to provide for students a discussion of the many ways the NewTestament can be interpreted.Tuckett begins from the premise that the whole purpose of biblicalstudy is to enable us to bridge the gap between our day and the firstcentury. Tuckett sets out a definition for the normative role of the Biblein Christian life. In contrast to earlier positions of Christians who usedthe Bible as a source of “proof-texts”, Tuckett stresses that the Bible isnormative in the sense that the canon provides the basis, the starting pointBook Reviews 121and origin, for all subsequent Christian tradition and occupies this positionfor all further Christian reflection (17). Tuckett suggests that with thismodel of scriptural normativeness, some things may no longer be valid oracceptable for us today in exactly the same form as they appear in theBible, e.g. slavery. Within this model of scriptural normativeness, oneneed not suspend critical faculties and the use of those faculties makes theNew Testament come alive and speak to us in the present.The methods that Tuckett covers include both those traditionally asso-ciated with the historical-critical method: source, textual, form, genre, andredaction criticism and more recent methods such as canonical criticismand the New Testament and sociology.Tuckett gives some background to each method and tests each methodby applying it, where appropriate, to the pericope of the healing of theman with the withered hand in Mark 3:1-6. By this application, Tuckett isable to illustrate not only what questions each method can answer but alsodemonstrate the limitations of each method. He argues for the continuingimportance of the historical-critical method in interpretation and makes anattempt to show how this method can be maintained by people for whomthe New Testament is scripture and canon.Tuckett encourages students to recognize that while an historical ap-proach cannot provide us with every answer, it presents us with “figuresbattling within their historical situation about the values and truth of theirreligious commitment, sorting out what was essential from what was pe-ripheral, seeking above all to live their lives in conformity with the will ofGod whom they served. Those who struggle to do the same today can onlygain by entering more deeply and sympathetically into the struggles of thepast” (187).This brief summary of Tuckett’s approach and treatment of methodsof reading the Bible makes possible a few observations. Tuckett’s book willbe useful for introductory work in hermeneutics. His clear and comprehen-sible approach provides a helpful way into a vast subject. On the wholeTuckett gives a balanced presentation of the various methods, but he mighthave given more attention to the recent reconsideration of the argumentsin favour of the priority of Matthew. His assumption of the priority ofMark leads him to emphzusize a certain direction for the development of thesynoptic tradition.The most serious weakness of the book is that it omits feminist criti-cism. It is particularly surprising that Tuckett has not noted the resultsgained from the work of Elizabeth Schuessler-Fiorenza, results which haveextended our knowledge of social history in the first century. Further,an inclusion of a discussion of Schuessler-Fiorenza’s work on a feministhermeneutic and scripture as prototype would have strengthened the book.122 ConsensusAlthough it will need to be supplemented in places, Tuckett’s bookdeserves to be considered as a text for introducing students to methods ofinterpreting the New Testament.Carol SchlueterWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryDie Theologie des Hebraerbriefes: Ihre Verankerungin der Situation des Verfassers und seiner LeserMathias RissiTubingen: J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), 1987What meaning one detects in any given document depends in large mea-sure on how one reconstructs the setting in which that document originatedand what one considers to be the issue which that document intended toaddress. It is precisely at this point that Mathias Rissi offers new possibil-ities for reading the Letter to the Hebrews. As the subtitle of Rissi’s bookindicates, he intends to let his understanding of the theology of Hebrewsbe informed by a careful reassessment of the situation which prompted theauthor of Hebrews to take up the pen.General consensus has it that Hebrews was intended to encourage asecond or third generation faith community which experienced the typical 'problems of tiredness. It has become customary to regard 12:12 (“lift yourdrooping hands... ”) as the theme verse, directed to Christians sufferingfrom burnout or just plain laziness.Rissi reconstructs the situation quite differently. Hebrews addressed aproblem very similar to that which Paul encountered in Corinth, arguesRissi. As in Corinth, so here the powerful charismatic experiences whichhad accompanied the profuse outpouring of the Holy Spirit, had given riseto spiritual elitism.Rissi is convinced that Hebrews addressed not a congregation as awhole, but a smaller holier-than-thou group which had largely withdrawnfrom that congregation and now stood aloof from it. This inference Rissidraws from the comment that only “some” neglect the participation in thepublic worship of the community (10:25), and from the observation that theauthor asks these particular members to pass his greetings on to “all yourleaders and all the saints” (13:24). When the author of Hebrews exhortshis readers to strive for peace (12:14) and not to neglect the needs of thecommunity (13:16), to “lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weakknees” (12:12), he is not addressing a congregation which had become tired,but an enclave of readers who had become spiritually arrogant.The members of the conventicle had begun to feel that they alreadypossessed all that God had to offer them. Hope had become an empty

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Reading the New Testament: Methods of Interpretation

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