Stephen Shields has posted some Great Resources for New Testament Study, which includes links to commentary listings at Denver Seminary. He has linked and I have discussed this before, but this time he’s linked to a far more extensive list of resources than I previously gave. I looked at the commentary listings from Denver that I posted previously and that Stephen just posted recently, and found that I linked a 2003 version and he’s linked a 2005 version. A bit of searching and the 2006 versions are unearthed for both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Presumably these are updated every year.
One thing I realized while browsing through the list of commentaries… my library is getting dated pretty fast. My book budget has dwindled over the last number of years, so many of the more recently-published titles simply never got acquired. One way that I gauge the quality of these lists is to look at a few books for which I know the scope of literature fairly well, the Gospel of John always being the chief among these. This time around I found most of my own favorites missing, replaced by titles which are far newer. SInce several of my favorites are titles that no serious Johannine Scholar would omit, I presume that those opinions are summarized in the titles which are represented — appropriate for a general list like this one.
One thing that always stands out in a well-composed list is when an older title hangs in on the list, particularly when that title sticks around for 20 years or more and retains a high-priority designation. This list marks these with an asterisk, so you can scan through and find them. Examples of what I mean would include Brevard Childs on Exodus (OTL, 1974), Gordon Wenham on Leviticus (NICOT, 1979), Peter Craige on Deuteronomy (NICOT, 1976), Claus Westermann on Isaiah 40-66 (OTL, 1969), and Cranfield on Romans (ICC, 1975-79). I also like to see a range of perspectives, like the inclusion of Jewish scholars on the Old Testament and selections from more liberal (or non-evangelical) series like the AB and more technical commentaries like the ICC. You’ll find all of that in these lists, and more.
On a related note, Scot McKnight mentioned over the weekend the new HarperCollins Study Bible, which is based on the NRSV and edited by Wayne Meeks. He notes it’s the first study Bible to offer a historical-critical approach to the notes by representative scholars of the Society of Biblical Literature. I was eager to see one and looked for it at my local Christian Bookflogger, which came up short. I should have known better… but they did have a study bible espousing Rick Warren’s study methods for “unlocking” the Biblical text. Aaargh.
Recent Comments