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Collected Writings on Scripture

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Both the subject matter and the author made me jump on the chance to request a review copy of this book. Dr. Donald A. Carson, research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, is a delight to read or listen to. And I always enjoy studying the doctrine of Scripture (not to be confused with Scriptural doctrine). The title reminded me of Sproul's Knowing Scripture, and I thought that perhaps this would be similar, but I was wrong.

Though the book under consideration is the subject of this review, it may help to know something about the reviewer. I am a layperson. Though I have taken a few courses related to the contents of this book, I have very limited knowledge or experience in the fields of textual criticism and the like. This book is not necessarily popular level reading, and it delves deeper into the doctrine of Scripture than some laypersons may want to go. I mention this, not as a criticism of Dr. Carson's excellent book, but as a qualification to my review. What I offer is a layperson's perspective, which, I hope, will be of value to other laypeople.

These previously published writings (compiled by Andrew David Naselli) fall into two main parts. Part 1, simply entitled "Essays," consists of five articles dealing with issues regarding the nature and interpretation of Scripture: "Approaching the Bible", "Recent Developments in the Doctrine of Scripture", "Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: The Possibility of Systematic Theology", "Redaction Criticism: On the Legitimacy and Illegitimacy of a Literary Tool", and "Is the Doctrine of Claritas Scripturae Still Relevant Today?" Dr. Carson's approach to the Bible is conservative. One quote serves to show the major difference between him and some of the biblical scholars he interacts with:

"[A] genuinely Christian understanding of the Bible presupposes the God of the Bible, a God who makes himself known in a wide diversity of ways so that human beings may know the purpose for which they were made-to know and love and worship God..."

Carson's presupposition of the God of the Bible, and his presupposition that Scripture is the inspired Word of God, are the controlling factors to his doctrine of Scripture, and are especially emphasized in the first essay. In "Approaching the Bible," Carson begins with a discussion of what Scripture is before moving into a summary of the basics of hermeneutics (interpretation). He discusses essentials such as good reading, paying attention to the context and genre, the analogy of faith, the value of historical and archaeological background information, and more. He concludes his advice appropriately:

"Because the Bible is God's Word, it is vitally important to cultivate humility as we read, to foster a meditative prayerfulness as we reflect and study, to seek the help of the Holy Spirit as we try to understand and obey, to confess sin and pursue purity of heart and motive and relationships as we grow in understanding. Failure in these areas may produce scholars, but not mature Christians."

In the next essays, Carson discusses innovations, methods, and debates regarding the study and interpretation of Scripture such as revisionist historiography, "qualifications of inerrancy," redaction criticism, etc. Though the author describes these essays as being scholarly yet "pretty accessible", I find them more in line with his description of a book he reviews in part two: an "intellectual challenge." But, whether or not one is tempted to use redaction criticism during one's personal quiet time, it is helpful to be familiar with these methods and the arguments for their usefulness and dangers. Carson explores the issues fairly, charitably, and thoroughly.

Part two is entirely made up of in-depth, mostly critical reviews of books from a wide and diverse perspective. These reviews, or debates, are also of a technical nature, and deal with books that I have not read (again, no fault of the author). Though the interaction would no doubt be more interesting for one familiar with the writings discussed, it is certainly valuable to read over the shoulder of Dr. Carson while he interacts with others of equal ability.

In working through this book, I often felt that it was too deep for me. But when I slowed down, paid closer attention, and retrieved my Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, I was able to paddle around fairly well. Though I had some difficulty, it is not because Carson's writing isn't clear. It's always beneficial and edifying to read anything written by Dr. Carson. And it is always good to read books that stretch us.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from Crossway.

New Testament scholar and theologian D. A. Carson is one of the foremost defenders of the inspiration and authority of Scripture in our generation. His Collected Writings on Scripture, a collection of essays and reviews on the doctrine of Scripture, is sure to become a classic work on this topic for serious students of Scripture, pastors and teachers. Carson's essay on "Approaching the Bible" is one of my favorites - an excellent study of the Word of God as divine revelation and how it should be interpreted. I also found Carson's essay on "Recent Developments in the Doctrine of Scripture" to be a helpful analysis of some of the more recent revisionist and higher criticism debates. Part Two of Collected Writings on Scripture contains Carson's reviews of nine important books on the doctrine of Scripture. These books, along with Carson's five essays in Part One of the book, represent some of the best scholarship over the last 30 years on the doctrine of Scripture. I commend it to serious students of Scripture, pastors and teachers.

[Disclosure of Material Connection: Crossway sent me a free review copy of this book. I was not asked to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.]

Greg Wilson
[...]

The book is divided into two parts: (I) Essays: 1. Approaching the Bible 2. Recent Developments in the Doctrine of Scripture 3. Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: The Possibility of Systematic Theology 4. Redaction Criticism: On the Legitimacy and Illegitimacy of a Literary Tool 5. Is the Doctrine of Claritas Scripturae Still Relevant Today? (II) Reviews: Abraham (1981), Barr (1980), Marshall (1982), Webster (2003), Enns (2005), Wright (2005), Sheler (1999), Padgett and Keifert (2006), Boer (2007).

Carson himself stands in the evangelical tradition, that is: accepting the canon of Scripture as we know it (pp. 28-31), Accommodation, Inspiration, and Inerrancy (pp. 82-89). In his essay on "Redaction Criticism," though suspicious of it as a literary tool, adequately demonstrating this, Carson highlights at least two benefits of it. In "Claritas Scripturae," that is the perspecuity of Scripture, Carson begins with what the Scripture says about itself, then moves to the Fathers to the Magisterial Reformers, and up to contemporary times and the challenge of postmodernism.

Worth mentioning are Carson's reviews of Peter Enns' Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problems of the Old Testament, and N.T. Wright's The Last Word (Scripture and Authority of God, British title). Regarding Enns, while he views his "Incarnational Analogy" as a good way to address the problem that Evangelicals face with the Old Testament and even the New Testament writers use of it, Carson offers points of both agreements and disagreements. Regarding Wright's The Last Word, Carson expresses strong disagreement with Wright's: "The authority of Scripture is thus a sub-branch of several other theological topics: the mission of the church, the work of the Spirit, the ultimate future hope and the way it is anticipated in the present, and of course the nature of the church" (pp. 299-300)--which has also led Carson to asks, among many other questions: Why then should Scripture's authority be diminished, demoted to a "sub-branch" of mission? (p. 300)

Professor Carson's view of Scripture may be summed up thus: "The traditional view of Holy Scripture, which in my view is correct, can withstand the roughest scrutiny, but even so, it must be remembered that this view holds that the Bible is the infallible word of God, not that our doctrine of the infallibility of the Word of God is infallible" (p. 178).

Collected Writings on Scripture There are certain authors that regardless of what you read by them you know it is going to be well worth your time and effort (and there will certainly be some of that)--Dr. Donald A. Carson is one of those men. He is among the premier scholars and most prolific authors in the evangelical world. On a side note--if you are one to do commentary shopping allow me to highly recommend his survey on New Testament Commentaries--it is indispensable for me.

Core to who we are as believers in Christ is the Bible. Christianity is among the three global religions that would be identified as "people of the book." Much is written about the reliability and historicity of the Scripture which would fall under the rubric of apologetics. While these are very important texts, that is not where our interest lies in this post as we are considering the present volume. Carson's book has more to do with why we believe what we believe and in light of that how do we understand it.

"Collected Writings on Scripture" by D.A. Carson is as it sounds--a series of essays and book reviews that Dr. Carson has written in professional journals of various kinds through the years. Allow me to add though that each of these essays/reviews is just as relevant as the day they were written.

The first part of the book is a series of five rather lengthy essays on issues like how we approach the Bible (Inspiration, Inerrancy, Authority, etc.), the Doctrine of Scripture, Systematic Theology, Redaction Criticism, and Claritas Scripturae. Obviously this book is not meant for the reader uninitiated in some of the current issues of Bibliology. However, if these issues are of interest to you, but you think it might be a bit of a stretch, I would encourage you to "take the plunge."

Part 2 is comprised of nine book reviews which differ in length, depth, and importance. Some of the texts are more compelling than others while some are given a very light treatment. I must admit that I was tempted to stop a couple of times in the midst of reading this section and then I would come across a gem that would encourage me to read on.

Each of the essays dealt with vital aspects in a continuing study of the Scripture, however the one that I found most useful was the fifth one entitled "Is the Doctrine of Claritas Scripturae Still Relevant Today?" The "relevant" question to me had to do, not so much when the Scripture is perspicuous, but when it, in fact, seems more obscure.

Allow me to encourage you to engage with this volume. While it is certainly a somewhat academic approach, Carson writes in an inviting and engaging manner. If you are familiar with him then you know that already--if not, this may be a good place to start.

I heard an interview Mark Dever did with D.A. Carson encouraging him to produce a work like this. All I can say is thank you Mark and to encourage anyone hovering over buying this work or not is to buy it! If you want a good biblical defense of the Word of God, buy this work!

This collection includes D.A. Carson's essays and book reviews which touch on a variety of Scripture-related subjects, from the use of redaction criticism to the pitfalls of postmodern hermeneutics. The book is intended for an academic audience, yet Carson's intricate argumentation is punctuated by his brilliant wit:

Reviewing a book by J.D.G. Dunn: "There is an important place for superficial books, but it is sad to see a superficial book claiming to present a profound argument." (126)
On the "spiritual benefits" of studying Bultmann: "I think it likely that few are spiritually uplifted in any distinctively Christian sense by being assured by Bultmann that angels, miracles, resurrection, and self-incarnating God are all impossible..." (217)
On a recent book that downplays propositional truth: "This book abounds in assertions about how unimportant assertions are." (313)

The best part of Carson's work is his insistence that students of Scripture seek not to master the text, but be mastered by the Bible.

D.A. Carson is one of my favorite authors and speakers, so if this book review sound a bit biased it's probably because it is. Crossway isn't paying me money to give a good book review, I'm just reviewing as I read. I'm also going to say that D.A. Carson is one of the most brilliant theologians of our day and age and this book shows it.

This book is a collection of essays and book reviews Carson has written during his career. The book begins with essays on the Bible and answering the questions "What is the Bible?" and "How do we interpret it?" It then moves to "Recent Developments in the Doctrines of Scripture" The next essay is "Unity and Diversity in the New Testament." This essay was one of my favorites because Carson really shows his love for the diverse church. He shows there are some fundamental portions on the doctrine of scripture that all Christians need to affirm, but that we need not say one person is not a brother solely because they don't agree with us completely.

The fourth essay is "Redaction Criticism": On the Legitimacy and Illegitimacy of a Literary Tool" in which Carson critiques some of the more modern tools of interpreting scripture. The final essay answers the questions whether or not the "Doctrine of Claritas Scripturae is still relevant today." In summary, the doctrine of Claritas Scripturae answers the question whether or not scripture is clear and understandable.

The second section are book reviews that Carson has done throughout the years. I would love to say more, but I have said too much already. This book was challenging for me, but also freeing considering how much of the doctrine of scripture is being questioned. This is a must read for any theologian studying the doctrine of the Bible.

This review originally appeared at Boston Bible Geeks on 11/15/10.

Special thanks to Connie at Crossway for a review copy of this book.

For all the time I've spent studying Scripture, I hate to admit that I have a fairly weak theology of Scripture itself. The truth is that I'm probably not alone. It had been a long time since I had read something about the nature of Scripture, particularly of a more technical bent. Enter D A Carson (I know, I've read a lot of Carson this year- I have many years of catching up to do).

Collected Writings on Scripture by D A Carson is just that, collected writings on Scripture written by D A Carson. Included are 10 articles; the first 5 covering a variety of topics related to the Bible and the study of it (originally published between 1983 and 1997), the last 5 being a collection of book reviews of 9 books released from 1981 to 2007. It may seem odd to some that one would include a series of book reviews in a collection of writings, but they reveal as much about Carson's understanding of Scripture.

The first chapter, "Approaching the Bible," is probably the only one that could be read with relative ease by a layperson (despite Carson's claim to the contrary in his preface). It was originally written as the opening essay for the New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, released in 1994. This essay would be the most broadly useful, one that could be passed around to church members wishing to understand better the nature of the Bible and how it is best interpreted (note: it can be downloaded as a pdf at The Gospel Coalition website, although it looks a bit awkward).

The next four chapters are a bit of a tougher read, though still quite rewarding. I'll admit that I found my eyes crossing a bit during chapter 2 ("Recent Developments in the Doctrine of Scripture")- though don't ignore the warning to evangelicals at the end of the chapter-, but was reinvigorated during chapter 3, "Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: The Possibility of Systematic Theology." The latter chapter is a must read for those of us who find ourselves suspicious of systematic theology (myself included). Pastors could easily take the insights from this chapter and make them more digestible to their congregations.

I found chapter 4, "Redaction Criticism: On the Legitmacy and Illegitimacy of a Literary Tool," to be my favorite, surprisingly so. "Surprisingly" because chapters on methodology, specifically a method I've found to be used with far too much confidence by some scholars, are rarely the most exciting. Yet after giving 20 reasons to be cautious of redaction criticism, Carson still argues that it has its place in Gospel study. (Side note: the extended Morna Hooker quote on page 160 is worth multiple readings.)

In the fifth chapter, entitled "Is the Doctrine of Claritas Scripturae Still Relevant Today?," Carson jumps into the worlds of historical theology and epistemology in admirable fashion. For those familiar with his works on postmodernity, such as The Gagging of God, this chapter will cover familiar territory.

The book reviews deal with a handful of books I've never heard of, and a few more well known authors (Marshall, Enns and Wright). After offering a summary of their contents, he interacts (often critiquing) their contents in rather entertaining fashion. For the most part his reviews would be seen as "negative," meaning he has serious concerns with the books reviewed. The notable except is Jeffrey Sheler's Is the Bible True?. His disagreements doesn't lead him beyond the bounds of appreciation, however.

One of my concerns about this book is in these book reviews. It's not that I find them unworthy of their inclusion in this collection of essays; on the contrary I find them to be brilliant. Carson writes with candor and wit, deconstructing false premises, refuting historical revisionist tendencies and kicking over sand castles built on bad logic. Considering the vast majority of book reviews I read in the world of biblical scholarship are formulaic and predictable, I appreciate Carson's willingness to forego convention and get to the heart of the matter.

My concern lies not with Carson's reviews themselves, but that readers from my generation (roughly 40 and below) may skip over the more dense chapters on methodology and the nature of Scripture to grab a ringside seat for the fight. My generation is one that loves to pump our fist in the air, rallying behind our champion as he goes toe-to-toe with the "bad guys." My concern is that the scholars, both actual and wannabe (my choice of the latter term over "aspiring" is intentional), of my age group are more adept at poking holes than patching them. We have been taught to think critically, engage thoughtfully, examine assumptions, etc. And I've seen firsthand many who were quite skilled at doing just that. Unfortunately, many of those in my generation are cowards. They can point out the flaws of others, but won't stick their neck out long enough for anyone to return the favor.

But Carson is not like my generation. To be sure, the first portion of the book devotes plenty of space to critiques. But the function is not merely negative (why so-and-so is wrong). Carson offers positive arguments for how to approach Scripture. In other words, he isn't simply arguing against something, he's arguing for something. Building a strong case often requires both, though I fear many can only do the former. Thankfully, Carson provides a model for making a case, not just deconstructing one.

I do recommend this book, particularly for students and pastors who need some assistance thinking through their understanding of Scripture, both its nature and the study of it. The first chapter and the review of Sheler's book would probably be the only sections easily read by a layperson, though with time and a knowledge of theological terms one would benefit greatly from it. In all, D A Carson's Collected Writings on Scripture is worth the time and effort.

Collected Writings on Scripture offers a fine inspirational survey of Christian scripture and provides scholarly spiritual collections with essays written on a range of themes involving interpretation of the Bible and modern Scripture analysis. Reviews of nine books covering the Scripture offer scholarly assessments in a collection especially recommended for pastors and scholarly collections focusing on Bible studies.

===From The Strasbourg Inn===

D.A. Carson's latest book, Collected Writings on Scripture, is fundamentally nothing new from the author. Just as the title indicates, this is a collection of his writings on the subject of Scripture. Section one is devoted to standalone articles that the author has written on various subjects within the field of the doctrine of Scripture. Section two consists of reviews Carson has written of other books on the doctrine of Scripture. With that in mind, let me introduce my review as follows:

The Don's latest book is split in two sections.
I shall do the same here, and I pray: No objections!

==PART 1==
--Summary--
Chapter one, "Approaching the Bible" presents a basic introduction to the doctrine of Scripture, addressing the questions What is the Bible? and How do we interpret the Bible? This chapter, I think, could easily be handed to any believer as a crash course on the doctrine of Scripture, and they'd be more thoroughly enriched to love and enjoy the Bible.

Chapter two, "Recent Developments in the Doctrine of Scripture" holds to its name and engages a wide range of issues stemming from postmodern affronts, addressing revisionist historyography to The New Hermeneutic and epistemological issues. Of the first section of the book, I think this might be the most immediately helpful chapter for readers, engaging a wide range of battle lines on the doctrine that are increasingly working their way into the normal life of the church, especially the younger generation as it realtes to the epistemology of postmodernism. However, if you think you're getting out of this chapter without a word to you, dear Christian, please remain in your seat. Carson has a challenging word for Evangelicals on the diminishing authority of the Scriptures in churches today.

We are experts, and we live in a generation of experts. But the cost is high: we gradually lose our sense of indebtedness to grace, we no longer cherish our complete dependence on the God of all grace, and we begin to reject themes like self-sacrifice and discipleship in favor of courses on successful living and leadership in the church...Mere conservatism must not be confused with godliness, mere discipline with discipleship, mere assent to orthodox doctrine with wholehearted delight in the truth. (107)

This illustrates the classic, clear-eyed Carson who sees issues, not in terms of polemics, but in terms of faithfulness. And he calls you to the same.

Chapter three opens up the issue of unity and diversity in the New Testament as it relates to the development of Systematic Theology. Here Carson gives interaction to the nuances of the New Testament in biblical theology and the summarizing work of systematic theology.

Chapter four engages the issues of redaction criticism and how it can be used helpfully, in spite of all the poor ways it has been used by scholars in the past. Redaction criticism should not be seen as the churches enemy, but a tool exegetes can use in how they understand the theological structures biblical authors are presenting.

And finally, Chapter five deals with the clarity of Scripture. Is it still relevant to us today? Has the church always held to it? Yes, and yes, and thank you Carson. While there are many authors in the Bible, there is one Author behind it all, using the Bible to edify and strengthen his church through the ages.

--Who Should Read This Book--
There are two categories of people who should read this book:

1. Pastors. For those especially called to the ministry of the Word, they need material that will keep them informed on what issues are at stake in our own times. The book itself isn't written as a comprehensive discourse on the doctrine of Scripture, but I think it is a helpful complimentary volume to those books to keep a pastor up to date and fresh in his thinking on the subject. Some articles are more difficult than others, but in typical Carson fashion, it doesn't stay like that for long and hanging with him will pay off in helping you think about the issue more clearly. I think every pastor should have a copy of this in their library because at some point they are going to be confronted with one or several of the issues Carson addresses in this book, and they will find it a dear friend indeed.

2. Lay students. The people I have in mind here are folks who are twofold: 1) People who not pastors or professional scholars, but are readers all the same; and 2) Students in higher education especially interested in figuring out these subjects. The literary world is rift with horrible books on this subject, and I think laymen and women who have the mind to engage these issues should read this book and have the material readily on hand to help those with questions in the church. Carson's material here will help people who enjoy scholarly commentaries that might use exegetical tools questionably be able to understand why they feel uncomfortable with the conclusions these scholars use and yet still be able to benefit from their resources.

==PART 2==
This section of Carson's book includes major book reviews he's done on works about the doctrine of Scripture. A summary here seems unnecessary since he has nine book reviews all addressing different areas. The two books that Carson does engage that I think people will find most relevant are his reviews of Peter Enn's Inspiration and Incarnation and N.T. Wright's The Last Word/Scripture and the Authority of God. These two have raised a lot of attention in America in the last few years, and Carson's insights and penetrating analysis give us helpful guides in thinking through the nature of Scripture in the modern debate. It is, for example, helpful to think through how the analogy of the Incarnation of the Son of God maps on to the word of God in human words. As Carson asks:

If the incarnation is to be our model for how we think of Scripture, or even of Scripture's humanness, how do such elementary distinctions as these play out? What might it mean to say that Scripture is composed of thoroughly human, but perfect, documents? Or does the analogy break down? If so, why and where? None of this is discussed. (269)

When it comes to addressing Wright's book, Carson is equally helpful and penetrating in the types of questions he prompts us to ask about what is being presented.

--Why You Should Read This Part--
In addition to my thoughts on who should read this book above, I'd like to give a further observation unique to this section. In this section, Carson teaches us how to think. In how he presents each book's material fairly and precisely, and then moves into how he picks up each issue, turns it around, and asks insightful questions, he's showing us how to process theological issues in the presence of God. One doesn't get the impression of arrogance or belittling. But neither does one get the impression of fluffy and easy appreciation. Carson sets out to show us what to appreciate, how to appreciate, and how to critically set aside and ask good, hard questions. What is presented in this section, I think, is a challenging and encouraging example of how a Christian mind should think through difficult issues with grace and conviction, under the authority of Scripture.

==Conclusion==
All in all, I think the book is an important supplementary read on the doctrine of Scripture that will keep the reader abreast of the major issues of our times in this field and give them guidance on how to think them through to the glory of Christ.

===From The Strasbourg Inn===
- I did receive this copy free from the publisher for review, but all thoughts are my own. -