Hearing God's Words: Exploring Biblical Spirituality (New Studies in Biblical Theology) Review

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(More customer reviews)As I began to read Hearing God's Words, I had high expectations. I got this book because I felt it is always important for me as a reminder not to approach the Holy Word of God academically as I do find myself doing sometimes. There is a need to read it devotionally. As much as what D.A. Carson said during his conference in Kuala Lumpur a couple of months ago that we can and should combine both the devotional reading and studying of Scriptures - do devotion in Greek for example and in my case, do devotion through my assignments - it is still a good reminder.
Halfway through the book however, I felt a bit lost: either I lost him or he lost me. I understand that the word "spirituality" is notoriously difficult to define. Peter Adam did not define or explain it and as such, when I was midway through, I did not know what he was getting at.
He started by stressing the importance of biblical spirituality without quite explaining what it is exactly. That was followed by what I refer to as short introductions of various books in the Old and New Testament. I kept saying, I know but so what? When I reached the chapter where he summarises Calvin's theology of revelation, I had to start again from the beginning, because he totally lost me. It was not until the third quarter of the book, when he discussed the issues in spirituality that I began to have an idea where he is going. With that, I had to again restarted right from the beginning!
Adam segregated the Christian belief into 3 schools of thought (p.40-41):
(1) The Reformed and Evangelical View
- all God's saving words and works are found within the Bible
- spirituality of the Word will focus entirely on the Bible for the content of the knowledge of God
- the witness of the Spirit within the believer and the Church will correspond with his external witness in Scripture (I don't quite understand this statement, by the way)
(2) The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and some charismatics view
- in addition to the Bible, God has continued to do his saving works and words over the last 2000 years
- he has revealed new truths and supported them with new miracles
- spirituality of the Word will not only include the words of the Bible but also words given to the Church since Bible times, whether recognised by the Pope, Patriach, or Council of the Church, or given by a prophet in a local church
(3) The Quaker and Liberal View
- revelation comes direct from God today by observation, reason, experience or emotion
- it may include some ideas from the Bible, tradition of the Church but will find other parts obsolete and irrelevant
- a spirituality of discerning what God is saying at the present time, in the world around or within our own conscience
- a spirituality of the contemporary words of God
Holding the first view, Adam writes to show how the Bible is a rich and fruitful resource for spirituality. He writes to show the fundamental shape and structure of the "spirituality of the Word" and the spirituality that the Bible teaches and encourages and what it results from using the Bible. He does it through highlighting the importance of the imparting of the Word through the Old and New Testament, what John Calvin said about revelation, through some issues and examples in spirituality.
Holding the first view myself, I kept having this feeling that he is merely stating the obvious. As such, I am not sure how it would follow through with those holding the second or third view.


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Many discussions of Christian spirituality draw on a range of traditions and "disciplines." Little attention, however, appears to have been given to the Bible itself for its teaching on this theme or as a source of spirituality. Similarly, it is commonly assumed that, when it comes to spirituality, the evangelical tradition has little to offer.In response, Peter Adam urges us to renew our confidence in a biblical model of spirituality and to test our spirituality by the Bible. Drawing on a selection of Old and New Testament texts, along with significant insights from the Christian tradition (including John Calvin and the Puritans), he expounds the shape and structure of a gospel-centered "spirituality of the Word" through which we know God himself and receive the life he gives.

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Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for Interpretation Review

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(More customer reviews)Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for Interpretation belongs in any spiritual library as a basic collection by a group of scholars who illustrate different methods used in New Testament study. NT classes receive a diverse set of recommendations blending approaches ranging from historic overviews to literary criticism and newer approaches from theology. First published in 1995, this revised, updated edition has been expansively rewritten and is a pick for any Christian collection.


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A distinguished group of scholars here introduces and illustrates the array of approaches and methods used in New Testament study today. Standard approaches — text criticism, historical approaches, etc.— appear side by side with newer approaches — narrative criticism, Latino-Latina hermeneutics, theological interpretation of the New Testament, and more. Each chapter introduces a particular approach and then demonstrates how students and pastors can best use it. Five passages from different parts of the New Testament are used as sample texts throughout the book in order to facilitate understanding of the differences among the interpretive strategies. / An instant classic when first published in 1995, Hearing the New Testament has now been revised and updated, including rewritten chapters, new chapters, and new suggestions for further reading.

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The Way According to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of Luke-Acts Review

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(More customer reviews)The Way According To Luke: Hearing The Whole Story Of Luke-Acts by Paul Borgman (Professor of English, Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts) is a narrative study of the classic Greek and Jewish literary tale elements of the New Testament Gospel of Luke and Book of Acts. As Professor Borgman insightfully explores the historical complexities of these biblical narratives, The Way According To Luke deftly guides readers through the two-part drama with its principal focus on the mission of Jesus and his apostles through attention to the use of repetition, patterns and other oral narrative particulars as the scriptures were originally intended to be read and understood by the early Christian community. The Way According To Luke is very highly recommended for all biblical students as a concise introduction and in-depth, academically sound, historical and theological study of the works of Luke which have been influential in the Christian movement from its very beginnings down to the present day.


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The Way according to Luke: Hearing the Whole Story of Luke-ActsPaul BorgmanClick for larger image$23.00 PaperbackIn stockUsually ships within 3 business days416 pages; dimensions (in inches): 6.25 x 9.25; 2006 ISBN: 978-0-8028-2936-8 You can always remove it later.Quantity:Safe Shopping Guarantee Description Reviews Excerpt Table of Contents Among the classics of ancient Greek and Jewish literature, the story of Luke-Acts has few rivals. Yet we moderns miss much of the meaning of Lukes two-part drama because we read it like any other text and not as it would have been heard by ancient listeners - in public performance by a skilled storyteller.The Way according to Luke unlocks the big picture of Jesus mission by attending to the repetition, patterns, and other clues of oral narrative. In this single volume Paul Borgman lays out a holistic view of the organic unity between Luke and Acts while demonstrating that the meaning of Luke-Acts is uniquely embedded in its narrative. Borgmans distinctive work makes available both the satisfying pleasure of reading the Bible as great literature and the rewarding insight gained from receiving Scripture as it was originally delivered.

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Hearing Mark: A Listener's Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)"Hearing Mark" is barely over 100 pages, but it is a great commentary full of insights and information and "hooks" for preachers.
It would also be perfect for Bible study groups. Hard core Bible warriors and tentative explorers, folks of all education levels and political convictions will be able to use and enjoy this book. It would probably even work with younger people if you were inclined to try it.
There are a lot of commentaries out there. What sets this one apart?
1. It emphasizes Mark's gospel as written for the ear -- as a story that unfolds, almost as if around an ancient campfire. So instead of looking in depth at Greek words or the shades of meaning that come out of separating each strand in a sentence (the way you might carefully study a written text), the author explores the importance of setting, plot, characterization...and themes that appear, step back, and return later....the things that a listener might hear and pick up on as a tale is told. This is a different way of reading, and yields fresh insights.
2. The author also clearly writes for the ear. (For example: writing about the feeding of the 4000, she says: "Do you hear an echo here? He did this before. He took, he blessed, he broke, and he gave. These four verbs occur one more time in Mark--at the Last Supper.") I find her style to be really learned and really approachable all at the same time.
3. It follows the work of David Rhoads (Mark as Story) and others, trying to offer resources to help people reconnect with the Gospel as a heard experience. The "resources" section at the end of the book gives many ideas and dvd/vhs possibilities for church groups who want to pursue this as a special program. That alone would be worth the price of the book, and I am giving it serious thought for my own church. (It's that convincing.)
4. For preachers: this commentary takes about 90 minutes to read cover to cover. It's a great way to give yourself a genuine overview of Mark and plan a year's worth of preaching (if you're using the lectionary). You'll see when important moments are going to appear, when they build over several Sundays, when Mark shifts gears, when important theological concepts emerge or reemerge. For narrative preachers, specifically, this is much like Rhoads in emphasis, but written in a commentary format.
It is a great book. I hope that Dr. Malbon writes companion volumes on the other Gospels.

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Originally, the Gospel of Mark was read aloud tofirst-century audiences eager to hear more about the life of Jesus andhow his teachings could touch their own lives. Now Elizabeth StruthersMalbon, an expert who has written about and taught Mark for twentyyears, brings us back to that original setting, providing an excitingnew way of reading and hearing the Gospel of Mark.In clear, non-scholarly language, Malbon begins by outlining thepresuppositions that scholars use when they read this gospel. We learnthat Mark's gospel, in its original context, was not meant to be readsilently; it was meant to be performed, read aloud, and heard by anaudience of Christians.The chapters of Hearing Mark then follow the gospel in narrativeorder, from first verse to last, with each chapter of the bookfocusing on a theme emphasized in each gospel section: kingdom,community, discipleship, suffering. The conclusion offers "echoes"of these interrelated themes as they play out for Mark's listeners inthe first century—and in the twenty-first.Hearing Mark closes with selected suggestions for further reading andannotations. Malbon also lists resources for hearing the Gospel ofMark in various ways, including persons to contact for dramaticpresentations, videotapes, and instructions for conducting a readingin a local church.

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