Book Briefs: December 20, 1974

First-Century Judaism

The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (175 B.C.–A.D. 135), Volume 1, by Emil Schürer, revised and edited by Gaza Vermas and Fergus Millar (T. and T. Clark, 1973, 614 pp., £10), and Compendia Rerum Iudaicarum ad Novum Testamentum, Section One: The Jewish People in the First Century, Volume 1, edited by S. Safrai and M. Stern (Fortress, 1974, 560 pp., $25), are reviewed by W. Ward Gasque, associate professor of New Testament studies, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia.

All who are interested in the history of the Jewish people and in the study of the New Testament will welcome the appearance of these important series. The first has long been a standard tool of New Testament study, originally published in the first of three German editions in 1874 and translated into English a decade later. Although it was filled with invaluable information, Schürer had become quite dated. Hence it was with a sense of gratitude and also of eager anticipation that the scholarly world received the word a decade or so ago that Professor Matthew Black of the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, had organized a team to translate the latest German edition (1909) and to correct, and update the three-volume work.

The second title is the first book in a projected series of ten volumes concentrating on the history of the relation between Judaism and Christianity. The series is being produced by an international team of scholars from both religions. The first eight volumes will focus on Judaism and Christianity in the latter’s first two centuries. The last two volumes will deal with the history of Jewish-Christian relations from the third century to modern times.

The revised Schürer is a much more technical work than the Compendia and therefore will be of special interest to those who have benefited from more advanced theological study and who have some knowledge of the biblical languages. Nevertheless, there is information for all who seek to understand the Jewish environment of early Christianity and who are willing to put forth some effort to search out the data desired.

The aim of the editors of Schürer’s History was “to salvage all that is still valid of Schürer’s monument and to offer it in a form that will permit the work to fulfill its original purpose.” They followed the basic structure of the original work while incorporating all revisions directly into the text. The major changes have been in the areas of bibliography, archaeology, and the correction and modernization of references to, and quotations from, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts, inscriptions, and the like. A brief new section mainly bibliographical—on the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls found in the Judean desert has been added, and a valuable excursus by the late Paul Winter on “Josephus on Jesus and James” has replaced older material. In addition, much new material and many corrections have been introduced on the basis of subsequent research, the result being an essentially new work.

The first volume of The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ treats the political history of the period from the Maccabean uprising to the final revolt against the Romans under Bar Kokhbar. It is introduced by a survey of the contribution of the study of archaeology, geography, chronology, numismatics, and epigraphy, and of the literary sources for the history of the period. These items contain superb bibliographies. Anyone interested in Josephus as a historian, the rabbinic literature, or the Judaean manuscript discoveries, for example, would be well advised to begin here and then to follow up by referring to the works listed in the bibliographies. The two volumes to be published subsequently will deal with the history of Jewish institutions and thought.

The work edited by Safrai and Stern covers some of the same area as Schürer, though chapter one on sources is the only place where there is a direct overlap between the two works, and in this case the treatment in the Compendia is both more extensive and less technical. Other subjects covered in this second work are the historical geography of Palestine (by the distinguished Israeli scholar, Michael Avi-Yonah), four important chapters on the Jewish Diaspora, Herod the Great and the Herodian dynasty, the Roman province of Judaea, Jewish self-government, and private law. Although written by scholars who are technically competent in their fields, the Compendia is intended for the use of pastors, priests, rabbis, teachers, and other non-specialists and is therefore much easier to handle than Schürer. There are also useful bibliographies, though these are not quite so extensive as those in Schürer.

All in all, the editors of both volumes have done their work admirably and have left the scholarly community greatly in their debt. If one is forced to choose between the two works, he should probably purchase Schürer, since it packs so much information into its pages. However, both volumes should be considered essential for all theological and religious studies libraries. The cost of each volume seems steep, until the presence of vast quantities of Greek and other non-Roman type contained in each is noted, and then the price seems quite moderate in view of current inflationary tendencies.

Alternative Languages

Myths, Models, and Paradigms: A Comparative Study in Science and Religion, by Ian G. Barbour (Harper & Row, 1974, 198 pp., $6.95), is reviewed by Walter B. Hearn, editor, “American Scientific Affiliation News,” Berkeley, California.

Ian Barbour’s books have been helpful to many Christians trained in science. They ring true to our scientific understanding, Christian commitment, and individual struggles to integrate these two aspects of our lives.

In Myths, Models, and Paradigms, Barbour reflects on recent developments in the philosophy of science and applies them to the philosophy of religion, to theology, and to personal faith. Recognizing that science is not so objective, nor religion so subjective, as has been claimed, he defends in both realms a position of “critical realism.”

Some philosophers dispute the possibility of meaningful language about God. The encounter with world religions has led some theologians to adopt a total religious relativism. Barbour will not settle for any resolution of issues between science and religion that attributes only non-cognitive functions to religious language in contrast to cognitive functions for scientific language. The ultimate price would be to give up any claims to truth for religious beliefs.

Barbour, who holds a doctorate in physics but is the head of the Department of Religion at Carleton College in Minnesota, focuses on the linguistic analysis prominent in contemporary philosophy. Even literary metaphors, he argues, are not merely “useful fictions”: they rest on analogies that are referential, and they alter our ways of seeing the world. Models, like metaphors, are analogical and open-ended, but are more systematically developed symbolic forms. Scientists generally take theoretical models seriously but not literally. Their models are “neither pictures of reality nor useful fictions; they are partial and inadequate ways of imagining what is not observable.” Barbour argues that religious models should be regarded in much the same way.

Beyond self-involving functions that have no counterparts in scientific language, a religious model may also direct attention to particular patterns in events:

It provides a perspective on the world and an interpretation of history and human experience. In particular, religious models are used in the interpretation of distinctive kinds of experience, such as awe and reverence, mystical joy, moral obligation, reorientation and reconciliation, and key historical events.

The wave-particle duality led physicists to accept the use of “complementary models.” Although Niels Bohr and others have extended this concept into other fields, Barbour would restrict the term “complementary” to models of the same entity and of the same logical type. He chides C. A. Coulson and D. M. MacKay for calling science and religion complementary accounts of reality, perhaps forgetting his own similar statement in Christianity and the Scientist (1960). Now he prefers to speak of science and religion as “alternative languages using alternative models.” In theology, he feels that Paul Tillich’s contrast of personal and impersonal symbols for God may closely parallel the wave-particle polarity in atomic physics.

Scientific models lead to theories which can be tested against observations, and to Barbour, doctrines are roughly equivalent to theories. Antony Flew challenged theists to make statements about God that are in principle falsifiable or give up the claim that our statements have any meaning. In response, Barbour reviews empiricist claims for scientific objectivity in the light of the last two decades of philosophical debate, commenting extensively on Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962).

Kuhn maintained that observational data and criteria for assessing theories are “paradigm-dependent,” a paradigm being something like a “research tradition” transmitted through historical “exemplars.” Isaac Newton was the prime exemplar of classical mechanics, for example. Kuhn showed that paradigms are extremely resistant to falsification. When an overwhelming weight of cumulative evidence finally forces a “shift of paradigms,” the “scientific revolution” is more akin to a conversion than to a logical conclusion.

In religion, as in science, it is appropriate that a basic “paradigm” be held tenaciously but not irrevocably by the community committed to it. It is also appropriate for theological models within a “paradigm community” to be examined critically, affording a “conjunction of commitment and enquiry.” In a chapter on “The Christian Paradigm,” Barbour indicates what he considers distinctive features of the Christian tradition and its understanding of “its determinative exemplar, Jesus Christ.” William Austin’s proposal of Messiah and Logos as complimentary christological models fits Barbour’s conditions for complementarity more nearly than, say, the divine-human polarity.

After examining four common models of God’s relation to the world, Barbour outlines the “process” model he feels is best suited to support an environmental ethic. Acknowledging that metaphysical categories are inescapable in theology, he warns against identifying religious beliefs with any closed metaphysical system. He seems to have adopted process insights into his theology without accepting the whole process metaphysics of A. N. White-head.

To Barbour, “religious beliefs are open to discussion, and grounds for preference can be given.” Although he refuses to accept the cultural or personal relativism that has often replaced it, he takes issue with “the absolutism of orthodoxy, which asserts that one religion is true and other religions are false.” Some Christians who differ with Barbour on one or more points may wonder if they disagree over models only or if they belong to different paradigm communities. Nevertheless, he writes with clarity about complex issues from the standpoint of Christian belief. Reading Myths, Models, and Paradigms is a good way to review recent philosophical controversy bearing on science and Christian faith.

NEWLY PUBLISHED

No Time For Tombstones: Life and Death in the Vietnamese Jungle, by James and Marti Hefley (Tyndale, 125 pp. $2.95 pb). Inspiring tale of the martyrdom in Viet Nam of two missionaries and the conversion of the U. S. government worker captured with them.

Help Thou My Unbelief, by Manford Gutzke (Nelson, 124 pp., $5.95). A retired seminary professor traces his personal path from skepticism to faith. Interesting.

Who Was Jesus?, by E. M. Blaiklock (Moody, 124 pp., $1.95 pb). Basic presentation by a classics professor of evidence about Jesus from both secular and inspired sources.

Abingdon Marriage Manual, by Perry Biddle (Abingdon, 254 pp., $4.95). Pocket-size collection of contemporary wedding services and procedural guides to various aspects of the service and reception. To augment the traditional resources.

The Recovery of the Sacred, by James Hitchcock (Seabury, 175 pp., $6.95). Study of the modern liturgical revolution. Claims that desacrelization has resulted in loss of purpose and vision in the Catholic Church. Applicable to all Christians.

Eating and Drinking With Jesus, by Arthur Cochran (Westminister, 208 pp., $9). A scholarly, readable study of biblical references to food and beverage, presenting the Eucharist in this broader context rather than as a distinctive “sacrament.” Thought-provoking.

Learning to Listen, Lord, by Harold Rogers (Word, 104 pp., $1.95 pb). A short but practical discussion of prayer with hints for improving one’s communication with God.

Philosophical Anthropology, by Michael Landmann (Westminster, 256 pp., $7.50). A survey of man’s reflection upon himself from the Greek philosophers and the biblical prophets through more recent biological and social-science approaches. This is the fifth language in which the book has appeared since 1969.

Healing, by Francis MacNutt (Ave Maria, 333 pp., $6.50, $3.50 pb). A Dominican, after contacts with some Protestants, became a leading Catholic proponent of the healing ministry as an ordinary part of life. He presents various principles and answers a variety of questions through theological reflection and his own purportedly successful ministry.

Something More, by Catherine Marshall (McGraw-Hill, 316 pp., $6.95). Deals with questions of suffering, death, forgiveness, and rebellion. The well-known author shares her personal struggles and the answers God has given her. Top quality inspirational reading.

Deus Destroyed, by George Elison (Harvard, 242 pp., $18). Major study of the first century of Christian evangelization in Japan (1549–1639), which was brought to a violent end by government repression. Half of the book consists of translations of key anti-Christian documents.

To See the Kingdom, by James Fowler (Abingdon, 292 pp., $10.95). Among scholars, H. Richard Niebuhr was probably more influential than his better-known brother Reinhold. This study of his thought is a welcome companion to Niebuhr’s own writings.

The German Church Struggle and the Holocaust, edited by Franklin Littell and Herbert Locke (Wayne State University, 328 pp., $15.95). Sixteen scholarly papers examining various aspects of Christian, Jewish, and Nazi relationships. Timely.

Gideon’s Gang: A Case Study of the Church in Social Action, by Jeffrey Hadden and Charles Longino (Pilgrim, 245 pp., $6.95). Two activists lament the passing of the involved 1960s into the more personal 1970s. They focus especially on a Dayton congregation, the lessons to be learned, and the example set.

Religion and Revolution, by Guenter Lewy (Oxford, 694 pp., $17.50). A very important study of seventeen situations where religion was closely linked with political change, e.g., the Maccabean revolt, radical Anabaptists, the French Revolution, the Spanish Civil War, Gandhi in India, and Nasser in Egypt.

Seeking For the Kingdom of God, by Eberhard and Emmy Arnold (Plough, 284 pp., $7.50). Documents from earlier in this century relating to the origins of the Society of Brothers, whose four communities in England and the eastern United States have since early 1974 been in fellowship with the some two hundred Hutterite colonies of the Midwest.

Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft, by Paul Boyer and Stephen Nissenbaum (Harvard, 231 pp., $10). A new slant on the 1692 episode. Sets the events against the backdrop of the social pressures of family difficulties, church differences, and community changes.

Winning Ways, by LeRoy Eims (Victor, 160 pp., $1.75 pb). The director of evangelism for the Navigators presents some practical means and tips for witnessing on the street without being offensive.

Miracle at City Hall, by Al Palmquist (Bethany Fellowship, 173 pp., $2.45 pb). Autobiographical account of the experiences of a policeman with an extensive ministry among drug addicts and other criminals.

The Devil Loves a Shining Mark, by Jim Vaus (Word, 157 pp., $5.95). Autobiography of a gangster converted at Billy Graham’s 1949 Los Angeles crusade who subsequently ministered in Harlem.

Religion in Public Education, edited by David Engel (Paulist, 278 pp., $5.95 pb). Twenty previously published essays of considerable value to those interested in the legal teaching of religion in public schools.

An Introduction to Homiletics, by Donald Demaray (Baker, 156 pp., $4.95). Good, basic material for the prospective or haphazard preacher.

The Cardinal Protectors of England: Rome and the Tudors Before the Reformation, by William Wilkie (Cambridge, 262 pp., $14.50). Careful study of the period from 1485 to 1539, with special reference to the protectors serving from 1514 until King Henry’s divorce and remarriage in 1533.

Apartheid and the Archbishop: The Life and Times of Geoffrey Clayton, by Alan Paton (Scribners, 311 pp., $10). The famous author presents a well-written biography of an Anglican proponent of social justice. As much a history of the times as of the man.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, by Charles Couasnon (Oxford, 92 pp., $9.75). Detailed history of one of the best-known church buildings. Numerous photographs.

Ecumenism: Boon or Bane, by Bert Black (Review and Herald, 320 pp., $8.95). A major balanced and critical look at mainstream ecumenism as expressed by World Council of Churches members and, increasingly of late, by Roman Catholicism. The author often refers specifically to Seventh-day Adventist concerns, but these are generally shared among evangelicals. This book is therefore of value to those both inside and outside the WCC who want a well-documented presentation of why so many Christians are (and ought to be) unhappy with it.

NEW PERIODICALS

Communio is a responsible and scholarly journal representing conservative Catholics disturbed by the blurring, by many of their co-religionists, of distinctions between Catholics and non-Catholics and non-Christians. Since far more publicity is given to Catholic innovators, this quarterly belongs in college and public libraries for the sake of balance. (Gonzaga University, Spokane, Wash. 99202; $8/year.)

Incite is an English-language periodical started in August, 1974, in Europe with what appears to be a Francis Schaeffer-like approach to understanding the world so as to facilitate better communication of biblical truth. The first issue includes five reprints (the largest excerpted from Os Guinness’s The Dust of Death) plus a study of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet. Subscriptions currently are free. (Box 10035, Amsterdam, Netherlands.)

Christianity Applied is more than just a new name (and larger size) for Applied Christianity (and before that Christian Economics). Before, the political-economic opinions fell within a fairly narrow range (staunchly conservative of the libertarian variety). Now the views promise to be somewhat more diverse (though it is not likely to be confused with Post-American), with the intention of motivating and guiding Christians to apply biblical principles to current questions in society. The first issue, October, 1974, focused on politics (and included a major reprint from Eternity). The November issue dealt with abortion. (7960 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, Cal. 90620; 75¢ per copy or $7/year.) (Post-American, by the way devoted its August–September issue to a consideration of feminism from an unconventionally evangelical perspective. [1105 W. Lawrence, Chicago, Ill. 60640; 50¢ per copy or $5/year.])

Religion in Communist Lands, the bi-monthly launched in 1973 by the highly respected British student of the subject, Michael Bourdeaux, now has a sponsor in America, the Society for the Study of Religion and Communism. This is an essential source for accurate information. Subscriptions are $10/year. Write the society at Box 601, Elgin, Illinois 60120.

Family Life Today is a monthly launched by Gospel Light in December, 1974, containing brief articles on the home and ideas for family activities. Features guidelines for a weekly “family night” to promote a neglected aspect of Christian life. (110 W. Broadway, Glendale, Calif. 91204; $7.25/year, also bulk rates and heavy promotion through bookstores.)

Origins is the semi-annual journal of the Geoscience Research Institute, which is based at two Seventh-day Adventist universities. The first two issues contain eighteen articles, reports, and reviews of interest to those with a special concern for the relationships of current geology and biology with biblical revelation. (Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, Calif.) 92354; $4/year.)

Church Missionary Helps Quarterly is a very helpful resource and idea interchange to enable congregations to find out what others are doing that might work for them in promoting mission-mindedness. (Box 66, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050; $3.75/year.)

The first is a series of GrafikTrakts, handsome folders of poetry and graphics, is entitled “Rumors of Light” and contains eleven poems by Eugene Warren, editor of the series; several of them appeared first in CHRISTIANITY TODAY. (Warren’s poem in the September 14, 1973, issue was named best poem in the annual periodical competition of the Evangelical Press Association.) The second GrafikTrakt will be “The Weight of Resurrection” by Lionel Basney. (75¢ for GrafikTrakt 1, $3.50 for a series of six; 107 South Rolla, Rolla, Mo. 65401.)

Currents in Theology and Mission began bi-monthly publication in August as the journal of Concordia Seminary in Exile. This is an important first-hand source for hearing the views of those out of favor with the current Missouri Synod leadership. The aim is to present scholarly articles so that pastors and laymen, not just other scholars, can understand them. (1205 Manchester Rd., St. Louis, Mo. 63131; $7/year.)

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