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Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. Volume 2: 3:1-14:28

In Baker Academic, Book of Acts, Craig S. KEENER, Justin A. Mihoc on June 7, 2015 at 8:16 pm

keener

2015.06.12 | Craig S. Keener. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. Volume 2: 3:1-14:28. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013. Pp. xxxix + 1153.  Hardcover. $59.99. ISBN 9780801048371.

Review by Justin A. Mihoc, Durham University.

This review was published in RBL 6/2015, here.

This commentary, as well as the ever growing amount of scholarship on Acts, attests the still intensifying interest in this New Testament book in recent years. A number of other serious Acts commentary projects are expected to appear in the near future and to bring in new exegetical perspectives (Steve Walton; Heidi Hornick and Mikeal Parsons; Martin Meiser, to name but a few). The much-awaited second installment of Craig S. Keener’s four-volume commentary on the book of Acts continues on the same note as the previous volume.It represents, undoubtedly, a tour de force and much more than a mere verse-by-verse exegetical treatment of the biblical text. Read the rest of this entry »


The Text of the Apostolos in Athanasius of Alexandria

In Early Christianity, Gerald J. DONKER, Justin A. Mihoc, New Testament, NT reception history, Patristics, Society of Biblical Literature on November 1, 2012 at 10:22 pm

2012.11.15 | Gerald J. Donker, The Text of the Apostolos in Athanasius of Alexandria. The New Testament in the Greek Fathers 8. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Litertature, 2011. XVIII + 372 pp. Paperback. ISBN: 9781589835504.

Reviewed by Justin A. Mihoc, Durham University, UK.

This review was published by RBL 10/2012 | ©2012 by the Society for Biblical Literature; reposted here by permission.

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The present monograph represents the latest addition to the groundbreaking New Testament in the Greek Fathers series of the Society of Biblical Literature. This long awaited volume, the 8th of the aforementioned series, comes out about three years after the 9th and is developed from the author’s doctoral dissertation defended at Macquarie University (Sydney) in 2009.

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A Celebration of Living Theology: Engaging with the work of Andrew Louth

In Andrew LOUTH, Call for papers, Durham, Early Christianity, Justin A. Mihoc, Patristics, Reception history on March 1, 2012 at 12:39 pm

Durham University in conjunction with the Department of Theology and Religion will be hosting the conference ‘A Celebration of Living Theology: Engaging with the work of Andrew Louth’ on 9-12 July 2012 at Durham University. The conference aims to celebrate the work of Prof. Andrew Louth in the areas of Patristics, both Western and Eastern, Modern Theology and Theology as Life, as well as explore its reception outside the English-speaking world.

Confirmed plenary speakers are Antoine Arjakovsky, Lewis Ayres, Jane Baun, John Behr, Augustine Casiday, Mary Cunningham, Pavel Gavrilyuk, Thomas Graumann, Cyril Hovorun, John Milbank, Kallistos Ware and, of course, Andrew Louth. Read the rest of this entry »


Richard Bauckham, “Divine and Human Community in the Gospel of John”

In Community, Durham, John, Judaism, Justin A. Mihoc, Richard BAUCKHAM, SEMINAR REPORTS on February 14, 2012 at 1:07 am

This is a report on a paper presented by Prof Richard Bauckham, formerly of University St Andrews and fellow of the British Academy, at the New Testament Research Seminar, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 13th of February 2012. The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here.

Prof Bauckham’s paper was written as a companion to his essay on ‘individualism’ in the Gospel of John, which he presented at the British New Testament Conference (Nottingham, 2011). In the present paper, Prof Bauckham offers a fresh interpretation of John’s usage of the ‘oneness’ language (focussing on the word ἕν), and assesses its relevance for understanding the divine and human community. He examines the Scriptural uses of the community language, with a special emphasis on Jesus’ prayer in John 17, and also the developments of this language in systematic theology.

The word ‘one’

According to Prof Bauckham, in 12 instances in 8 Johannine texts, the word ‘one’ becomes a very potent theological term. Although one might be compelled to regard this word as straight-forward, this initial impression is in fact wrong, as it is used by John at least in two different ways.

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The Letters of Jerome: Asceticism, Biblical Exegesis, and the Construction of Christian Authority in Late Antiquity

In Andrew CAIN, Early Christianity, Epistolography, Jerome, Justin A. Mihoc, Oxford University Press, Patristics, Reception history, Scripture on January 28, 2012 at 1:31 pm

2012.01.02 | Andrew Cain, The Letters of Jerome: Asceticism, Biblical Exegesis, and the Construction of Christian Authority in Late Antiquity. Oxford Early Christian Studies. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Pp. xiv + 286. isbn: 978-0-19-956355-5 (Hardback). £67.00.

Reviewed by Justin A. Mihoc, Durham University.

This is a pre-print version of the review published in Sobornost: incorporating Eastern Churches Review 33.1 (2011), pp. 90-93.

This highly erudite and fascinating monograph by Andrew Cain, an already prominent Jerome scholar, focuses on Jerome of Stridon’s epistles and their (intended) reception. Read the rest of this entry »


Mark W. Elliott, “The promise and threat of Reception, with reference to patristic interpretation of texts in Hebrews and Ephesians”

In Ephesians, Hebrews, Justin A. Mihoc, Mark W. ELLIOTT, New Testament, Patristics, Reception history, St Andrews Graduate Conference for Biblical and Early Christian Studies on January 22, 2012 at 5:28 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Dr Mark Elliott as a keynote address at the 1st St Andrews Graduate Conference for Biblical and Early Christian Studies, 16th June 2011. The conference theme was “Authoritative Texts and Reception History”. The programme of the conference is available here. The conference facebook page can be found here.

Dr Elliott’s engaging paper offered a fresh and clear account of patristic reception analysis, by looking at two key New Testament texts and their interpretation over the first Christian centuries. In his view, the empirical application, rather than a purely linguistic-critical interpretation, does justice to the initial intention of the biblical authors.

He began by assessing the importance of the historical-critical studies of the Bible, as they can provide a fresh interpretation. Read the rest of this entry »


Wendy Sproston-North, “The Anointing in John 12.1-8: A Tale of Two Hypotheses”

In Durham, John, Justin A. Mihoc, New Testament, SEMINAR REPORTS, Wendy SPROSTON-NORTH on January 19, 2012 at 12:47 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Dr Wendy Sproston-North, formerly of University of Hull, at the New Testament Research Seminar, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 16th of January 2012. The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here.

In this very appealing presentation, Dr Sproston-North challenged C.H. Dodd’s idea that John 12:1-8 was composed solely based on oral sources and proposed a new hypothesis. This essay is part of a project to be published as a collection of essays revisiting Dodd’s work. The two part structure of the paper covered both Dodd’s hypothesis and the author’s critique, and also provided a verse-by-verse analysis of John 12:1-8.

In his Historical Tradition in the Fourth Gospel, C.H. Dodd argues that John composed his Gospel based on oral tradition and did not rely on the Synoptic authors. Read the rest of this entry »


Francis B. Watson, “Gospel Writing: A Canonical Perspective”

In Durham, Early Christianity, Francis B. WATSON, Gospels, Justin A. Mihoc, NT reception history, SEMINAR REPORTS on January 17, 2012 at 8:13 pm

This is a report on a book preview by Prof Francis Watson, Professor of New Testament Exegesis at Durham University, at the New Testament Research Seminar, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 12th of December 2011. The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here. 

The second book preview in the series inaugurated by Prof John Barclay at the beginning of November (2011) here, at Durham University, was the forthcoming monograph by Prof Francis Watson. His approach towards Gospel studies focuses on the reception and interpretation of the canonical texts, without neglecting the non-canonical gospels. In Prof Watson’s words, the phenomenon of reception is almost a universal precondition of the historical knowledge in general. History of the impact that one writing or figure had in history, or Wirkungsgeschichte as Gadamer puts it, is not a uniquely theological concept, but has specific particularities within the Christian context. And reception is not only reconstruction. Read the rest of this entry »


Edward Adams, “Were the Pauline Churches House Churches?”

In Durham, Edward ADAMS, Galatians, Justin A. Mihoc, New Testament, Paul, Philippians, Romans, SEMINAR REPORTS on December 8, 2011 at 11:45 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Dr Edward Adams, Senior Lecturer in New Testament Studies at King’s College London, at the New Testament Research Seminar, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 5th of December 2011.

The list of forthcoming papers in the NT Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here. Like us on Facebook, here.

At the last session of the New Testament Research Seminar, Dr Edward Adams presented a very interesting and engaging paper on the identification of the early Christian meeting places. This presentation will be published as a contribution of a monograph on the same topic.

His analysis was focused on the undisputed Pauline epistles and the incidence and meaning of the phrase κατ᾽ οἶκον αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίᾳ (the church in their house). Read the rest of this entry »


Krastu Banev, “The Idea of the Numinous in the 4th Century: Abraham, John Chrysostom, and Rudolf Otto in Dialogue”

In Abraham, Durham, Early Christianity, Justin A. Mihoc, Krastu BANEV, Numinous, Patristics, SEMINAR REPORTS on November 25, 2011 at 5:07 pm

This is a report on a paper presented by Dr Krastu Banev, Lecturer in Greek Patristics and Byzantine Studies in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University, at the Patristics Research Seminar at the Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University, 24th of November 2011.

The list of forthcoming papers in the Patristics Research Seminars at Durham University can be found here. You can follow RBECS on Facebook, here.

In this very inspiring paper, Dr Banev intended to show the similarities and differences between the idea of religious experience and the numinous employed by John Chrysostom (c. 347–407) and Rudolf Otto (1869–1937).

There is a gap in the scholarly record with regard to the treatment of the idea of ‘numinous dread’ (or the mysterium tremendum et fascinans, as Otto calls it).

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