Getting into the Text: New Testament Essays in Honor of David Alan Black

by Daniel L. Akin (Editor), Thomas W. Hudgins, Maurice A. Robinson (Contributor)

David Alan Black has been one of the leading voices in New Testament studies over the last forty years. His contributions to Greek grammar, textual criticism, the Synoptic problem, the authorship of Hebrews, and many more have challenged scholars and students to get into the text of the New Testament like never before and to rethink the status quo based on all the evidence. The present volume consists of thirteen studies, written by some of Black's colleagues, friends, and former students, on a number of New Testament topics in honor of his successful research and teaching career. Not only do they address issues that have garnered his attention over the years, they also extend the scholarly discussion with up-to-date research and fresh evaluations of the evidence, making this book a valuable contribution in itself to the field that Black has devoted himself to since he began his career. "Getting into the Text, the work of great world specialists, comprises studies on New Testament Greek, the choice of the manuscript variants, the semantic analysis of aletheia and pistis, the synoptic issue in Mathew and Luke with respect to Jesus' childhood, the connection between the apocryphal Gospel according to Thomas and the canonical text, the origin of Jesus' speeches in John, Hebrews as a reaction to Wisdom of Solomon, and a comparative study of syntax in Greek and Spanish. The content of the Festschrift is worthy of Professor D.A. Blacks' scientific merits, and its more than appropriate title does not disappoint the reader's expectation."  --Luis Gil, Catedratico Emerito de Filologia Griega, Universidad Complutense, Madrid "As a whole, Getting into the Text is a skillfully edited collection of essays in honor of Black's work." "...the editors have coherently brought together essays from numerous disciplines, making it easier for the reader to digest the volume's broad content." ---Jacob N. Cerone, Ludwing Maximilians Universitat, Munchen, Deutschland Daniel L. Akin is the President, Ed Young, Sr. Chair of Expository Preaching, and Professor of Preaching and Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. Thomas W. Hudgins is Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Capital Seminary and Graduate School in Washington, DC.

Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2018

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The influence of David Alan Black is observed far and wide in New Testament studies. Black is professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as the Dr. M. O. Owens Jr. Chair of New Testament Studies. Black is author, editor, and contributor to numerous influential works, including Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek, It’s Still Greek to Me: An Easy to Understand Guide to Intermediate Greek, and Learn to Read New Testament Greek. Recently, the legacy of David Alan Black was honored with the publication of a well-deserved and long-coming festschrift.

Getting Into the Text: New Testament Essays in Honor of David Alan Black edited by Daniel L. Akin and Thomas W. Hudgins is an attractive collection of essays by a top-tier list of scholarly contributors. The contributors include Stanley E. Porter, Constantine R. Campbell, J. K. Elliott, Tommy Wasserman, Maurice Robinson, and Steven H. Levinsohn. Most of the essays focus on aspects of New Testament Greek or textual criticism, but there are a few essays on the Synoptic Gospels and other areas of interest. The editors did an exceptional job in this volume selecting the contributors to ensure that the topics covered would reflect the longstanding academic career of David Alan Black.

The festschrift begins with a brief introduction to the life and ministry of David Alan Black by Thomas W. Hudgins. Hudgins orients readers towards Black and the impact of his work, which is followed by an 8-page listing of his published works. Each of the essays that follow do well to honor Black in the topic discussed. This is especially present in the methodology used to arrive at various conclusions. The essays were fairly balanced in their worth, but readers are going to be drawn to specific areas of interest and determine such value for themselves. I enjoyed most of the essays for different reasons. But, I was especially encouraged by the essays related to textual critical matters. Elliott, Wasserman, and Robinson offer important contributions worth the price of the book alone. I looked forward to reading Levinsohn’s essay, as I have appreciated his work in the past, but unfortunately was unable do to it being written in Spanish. Christian-B.Amphoux also has a Spanish essay.

Festschrifts tend to be hit or miss. It’s extremely difficult to get a capable group of contributors together to offer an adequate representation of a figure such as David Alan Black. The influence and legacy of this man is far-reaching and instrumental. Getting Into the Text: New Testament Essays in Honor of David Alan Black edited by Daniel L. Akin and Thomas W. Hudgins is not only a great representation of Black’s lifework, it’s a wonderful sample of how he has graciously served the academic community. If you are a fan of Black, a student of New Testament Greek, or an avid enthusiast on matters pertaining to textual criticism, then there is little reason to overlook this volume. It’s wonderfully done and thoroughly contemplated, and I couldn’t recommend it more strongly!