Wednesday, June 26, 2024

The Oxford Handbook of Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles

Just published:
 

Abstract

While the Gospels, Paul’s letters, and the Book of Revelation have been well served by volumes orienting readers to the scholarly literature and to their reception histories, Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles have not received nearly the same attention. This relative neglect is in part a legacy of the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Insofar as doctrinal purity in Protestant circles was defined according to rubrics that were, implicitly or explicitly, Pauline in orientation, Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles were at an obvious disadvantage. However, these writings have had a great influence on Christianity throughout the centuries. As it turns out, the study of Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles was never truly confined to their place in fraught ecclesiastical disputes. Recent decades have witnessed a resurgence of interest in these writings. The present volume seeks to assess the relevance of these works to various questions that are often posed to other parts of the New Testament canon, to report on the current state of scholarship devoted to the interpretive issues they raise, and to survey their rich and often overlooked afterlives. Divided into four parts—general issues, topics related to Hebrews, topics related to the Catholic Epistles, and reception and engagement—The Oxford Handbook of Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles studies these books individually as witnesses to the cultural and theological diversity of the early church but also for what they reveal about the process that would eventually produce the New Testament canon.

Click on the link above to see the contributors to this volume.

Monday, June 10, 2024

Bibel und Kirche Articles

I recently acquired an issue of Bibel und Kirche 48.4 (1993). It contains 5 articles on Hebrews that I had not previously come across while I was doing my doctoral work. I don't know how I missed it. It contains one article by Erich Grässer, which gives an overview on 8 German-language commentaries on Hebrews that appeared from 1968 to 1991. I have added the reference to the History of Research page. The issue also includes book reviews on three, at that time, recent books on Hebrews, including the first volume of Grässer's commentary. It was quite a find and I'm glad I now have the issue in my possession.