Review of: James D.G. Dunn, Romans 1-8 (WBC38A), Word, 1988 (ITQ)

James D.G. Dunn, Romans 1-8 (WBC38A), Word, 1988

Review in: Irish Theological Quarterly 1991 57: 167

Review door: Michael Neary
Gevonden op: http://itq.sagepub.com/content/57/2/167.2.full.pdf+html

Romans 1-8. Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 38A. By James D. G. Dunn. Texas: Word, Ward, 1988. Pp. lxxii+513. npg.

This is the first of a two-volume commentary on Romans. Word Biblical Commentary has been progressing with remarkable speed. The author, acknowledges that the opportunity of yet another commentary on Romans enables him to take account of the renewed understanding of Judaism and Paul’s relationship to it and to offer more than a disjointed verse-by-verse analysis of the epistle. Dunn has attempted to solve the problem of the rigid framework of Word Biblical Commentary by setting out in the “Explanation” sections a running commentary on the epistle. He wrote this first, consequently in some ways the “comment” sections appear as extensive footnotes to the “explanation”. The author’s aim is twofold: to trace the line of Paul’s thought in the letter and, by exploring the historical context, to discover what the apostle and his communities had taken for granted. This requires a sympathetic understanding of first-century Judaism. Dunn believes that careful attention to this epistle enables US to see the emergence of Christianity from Judaism as it takes place. He has mastered a massive amount of scholarly writing. The abundance of references occasionally gets in the way of grasping his exegesis, which makes it a book for scholars.

MICHAEL NEARY

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