Some
books are a whole lot easier (and fun) to read and review than others. They’re a
pleasure to read and the review just flows from the keyboard. Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40Common Misconceptions by David A. Croteau is a case in point. Croteau is a
professor of New Testament and Greek in the Seminary and School of Ministry at
Columbia International University. With this volume he brings his Greek
scholarship to fore.
Urban Legends … When you read that
title applied to a volume relating to the Bible you might expect contents
reflecting myths, fables and fantasies found in the Good Book. Well, for Urban
Legends you would be tending in the right direction with a hermeneutical focus
in mind.
We all
have certain expectations and presuppositions that we anticipate for particular
passages in the Bible. We just assume they will be interpreted and preached in
a certain interpretive fashion. For instance, how many times have you heard a
sermon or sat in a Sunday School class with the subject matter focused on the
fact that Paul was a tentmaker? The passage was clearly explained and you had
no issue with accepting that Paul was not only a great missionary and
ambassador for God but a hardworking man as well plying his trade as a
tentmaker as he spread the Gospel. But, whoa; not so fast. Perhaps Paul’s trade
was more than just tentmaker. What if the Greek word and the interpreters of
history ascribe more to Paul? What if Paul was also a … ?
Croteau’s
volume contains 40 bite-sized encounters to the conventional wisdom (urban
legends) of interpretation. There are sixteen from the Gospels and twenty-four
from the remainder of the New Testament. Each one is short, about 4-6 pages,
but well explains Croteau’s reasoning for challenging the urban legend.
The
wonderful aspect of Urban Legends is
that it is a suitable read for every Christian. You don’t have to be an ivory tower,
Greek scholar to read, understand and appreciate Croteau’s hermeneutics. You
may not agree with everything he has to say, but you will be challenged.
The
bottom line: Invest in this volume and stretch your Christian thinking.
This book was provided to me by B&H
Academic for a fair, honest and impartial review.
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