2/27/15

"Entering the Fray" Reviewed in RBL

In today's edition of the Review of Biblical Literature, my book, Entering the Fray: A Primer on New Testament Issues for the Church and Academy, received an outstanding review. This is especially encouraging since, in certain circles on the internet, arguments have been raging about so-called "evangelical scholarship" and its value (or lack thereof) in the scholarly realm. Here's the final paragraph from the review but if you want to read the entire thing click HERE:

"Halcomb seeks to provide an accessible entry into an extensive, not comprehensive, array of issues debated in the field of New Testament studies. He did so in the hope of bridging the gap between scholarly conversation and church devotion. Halcomb succeeded. The book is understandable, to be sure. More than this, however, the book is inviting, respectful, and open. Finding texts that open up an already-intimidating scholarly world to those with little to no prior knowledge of biblical scholarship, much less any understanding of how that scholarship relates to conceptions of themselves as persons of faith, is difficult. Halcomb’s work is important on that front alone. In addition, Entering the Fray portrays scholarship at its best. Without becoming bogged down in the unnecessarily controversial, Halcomb shows the reader how biblical scholarship is an essential conversation partner with the church."