The Beatitudes through the Ages

by Rebekah Eklund, Dale C. Allison (Foreword)

The Beatitudes are among the most influential teachings in human history. For two millennia, they have appeared in poetry and politics, and in the thought of mystics and activists, as Christians and others have reflected on their meaning and shaped their lives according to the Beatitudes’ wisdom.  But what does it mean to be hungry, or meek, or pure in heart? Is poverty a material condition or a spiritual one? And what does being  blessed  entail?  In this book, Rebekah Eklund explores how the Beatitudes have affected readers across differing eras and contexts. From Matthew and Luke in the first century, to Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham in the twentieth, Eklund considers how men and women have understood and applied the Beatitudes to their own lives through the ages. Reading in the company of past readers helps us see how rich and multifaceted the Beatitudes truly are, illuminating what they might mean for us today.

Genres: Theology, History, Christian, Christianity, Biblical Studies, New Testament, Religion

352 pages, Hardcover

Published April 27, 2021

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible work of reception history. If biblical studies has a future, surely books like this are the model. Incredibly well done!

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It won't tell you how to interpret the beatitudes but it will peel back the curtain on two thousand years of conversations about the beatitudes.

[Sanjuro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eklund has offered a real gift to all interpreters of the beatitudes. Although it is a reception history, it's also more than that, both because it's more insightful than most reception histories, and because it's organized differently. Rather than strict chronology, the book tracks topics of discussion as its point of departure and then only describes the history of reception within each topic before moving on. For example, if a reader wanted to ask: "What is the total thinking of interpreters of the beatitudes in the Patristic era?" - you would not find this book all that helpful unless you were willing to read the whole thing. It is not organized chronologically, so the thinking of scholars and theologians within certain eras are spread throughout the book as each topic is tackled. Want to know what the Patristics thought of one specific issue? That's easier to find in one place.

It should be noted that, although the book is erudite, well written, and packed full of insights on reception history - it is not a commentary. Eklund spends very little time on issues important to most post-enlightenment scholars. Want to know how scholars view the Jewish or Greek or Roman background of Jesus' word choices? Eklund has not gathered much of that material here, and her goal is not to propose new solutions to old problems. In fact, she rarely even discloses her own positions. This book exists to highlight the views of others on broad topics concerning the beatitudes, and she commits most of her discussion to pre-enlightenment interpreters.

The book certainly has its limitations, especially regarding Matthew's use of his own antecedent traditions, but it's hard to be too picky about what is on offer here. The book is a treasure trove of information and insight and a joy to read.

[Bryce Beale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really excellent example of reception history, dealing with how the beatitudes have impacted Christian readers over the last two thousand years.

After a long season within New Testament scholarship of historical criticism ad nauseum (sorry, there are benefits to historical criticism, but not as many as the rate of publications would suggest!), many scholars are looking for a life after Q. One example of this reaction is seen in narrative criticism or text-heavy approaches; another is found in reception history. These breathe fresh air on a discipline in danger of stodginess.

Eklund's book is a premier example of what reception history can do. She interacts with all the "major" players in the Christian tradition for the last two millennia as they tried to understand and apply the (four, seven, eight, nine, or ten) beatitudes.

Since the Enlightenment and the dominance of critical study of Scripture in the 1800's onward, we have been tempted to dismiss all premodern interpretations as naïve, overly allegorical, childishly fideistic. Thankfully this temptation is lessening. Premodern Christians held a faith like ours, and although we have the benefits of hindsight, the history of knowledge is not a linear progression in all cases. We have much to learn from the giants on whose shoulders we stand.

[Ben Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a day when book titles may or may not accurately summarize a book, let alone describe the purpose of a book, Ecklund's title sufficiently does both. This is a theological/historical gem, a treasure trove of data covering one of the most debated passages in scripture. I found this book helpful and approachable. This is very thorough and unbiased, which is difficult considering the massive amount of research Eklund poured into this work. Anyone interested in church history and hermeneutics will find this to be a favorite.

[Scott Rushing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone who wants to study the history of interpretation of the Beatitudes. Many years ago I participated in a fairly in-depth Sunday School study of Matthew 5, but it only scratched the surface of this text from the Sermon on the Mount. I found it helpful that Eklund explores how interpreters throughout the centuries have explained each Beatitude and how interpretations have evolved. I was often challenged in my own personal thinking. This book will now serve as a valuable reference tool.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Beatitudes are in some ways the 10 Commandments of the NT, except there aren't 10 of them. However, whether we take the Matthew or Luke versions they speak to the way live as Christians in the world.

Rebekah Eklund has done a great job of laying out the Beatitudes in conversation with the history of interpretation. She reminds us that it's important to listen to more than simply the modern voices. Thus, it is a most helpful book and one preachers ought to keep handy.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t finish this one completely but used it as a resource the past few months. A helpful and well-researched look into the ways that the Beatitudes have been interpreted and taught over the centuries. Scholarly but accessible.

[Nathan Ownbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and got a lot out of it, but I would probably not recommend it to anyone unless they were going to preach a sermon series on it or something like that.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of deep, rich thinking we need to do with Scripture. It's exegetical, theological, historical, pastoral and culturally aware - all at once. Superb.

[Van Robarts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Shows how the Beatitudes have been understood in not only Christian discussion, but also in art and other ways that these sayings can be appropriated.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A study of the Beatitudes through the ages bringing new insight to these cherished passages.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erudite and meticulously researched while also accessible and even contemplative. Those interested in pre-modern biblical interpretation, the beatitudes, and/or biblical hermeneutics rooted in the church, will be especially blessed by Eklund’s fascinating work.