Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Revised Edition [Hardcover]

William W. Klein (Author), Craig L. Blomberg (Author), Robert I. Hubbard Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2004

The authors of this book have combined years of expertise and devotion to Scripture to provide a truly unique volume that sets forth concise, logical, practical guidelines for discovering the truth in God's Word.  Ten years after its initial publication, the authors now have thoroughly updated it in light of the latest scholarship.

"This is a remarkably comprehensive study of the whole area of biblical interpretation.  Thoroughly evangelical, it also interacts with nonevangelical interpretational stances.  No other volume available on biblical interpretation does so much so well."- Douglas Stuart, Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DR. WILLIAM W. KLEIN, both edited and contributed to this volume.  He is Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary.  He previously wrote The New Chosen People:  A Corporate View of Election.

DR. CRAIG L. BLOMBERG is Distinguished Professor of New Testament.  His previous books include The Historical Reliability of the Gospels and Interpreting the Parables.

Dr. Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. is Professor of Old Testament.  He authored the volume on Ruth in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament, and served as editor for Studies in Old Testament Theology.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Revised & Updated (2004) edition (July 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785252258
• ISBN-13: 978-0785252252
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 58 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Very good for what it attempts to do, but... September 20, 2004

By R. Briggs

Format:Hardcover

This revised and expanded version of a trusted evangelical favourite is, despite what some reviews here suggest, very good at what it does. And what it does is not really what these other reviewers want to call hermeneutics. Fair enough. I actually agree that this is not really a book about hermeneutics, and credit to the authors for keeping that word out of the book title. This is 'steps to biblical interpretation' aimed at people whose default setting is to open the Bible at random and seek 'a word from the Lord'. Compared to that, this book will do much good, and I think it deserves a welcome.

On the other hand, the reviewers who point out the lack of a clear presentation of hermeneutical thinking (esp philosophical hermeneutics) are right, and while I too agree that James Smith's 'Fall of Interpretation' is a great book I simply think that it is trying to do something completely different from this one (and it requires wrestling with Heideggerian ontotheology into the bargain, from which Klein et al mercifully spare us.)

So if you want a sophisticated hermeneutical treatment of the legitimacy and limits of an evangelical approach to scripture then you will not find it here, and I recommend going elsewhere (indeed to Kevin Vanhoozer's 'First Theology'). But if you already know that you want to interpret the Bible within a certain framework (viz the evangelical one) then this is a wonderful compendium of practically-orientated good advice, with an excellent reading list.

So, three stars for what it is good at. Two stars short because the framework and worldview questions really do require something this book does not have.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Advanced Graduate Level Work on Hermeneutics January 17, 2009

By A. Hebert

Format:Hardcover

Klein, et al's Introduction to Bibilical Interpretation is a wonderful book that does exactly what it was designed to do - provide the best possible education experience on Biblical interpretation and hermeneutics for advanced Bible students. And when I say advanced, I am referring to students who are in seminary and studying for a Master's degree in Theological Studies, Biblical Studies, or Apologetics.

This is how I was introduced to this text. It was one of my main textbooks in a high level (700 level) graduate course at a big evangelical seminary. The book is awesome, but sometimes is it just hard to read because there is just so much information the human mind can handle and comprehend at one time. In other words, this book is written at an advanced level. Just to give you an idea of the level of scholarship that supports this text, in the second chapter about the History of Interpretation, there were 160 footnoted references pointing to external sources, more information, or information that just had to be followed up on by the reader in order to get a full understanding of what was being introduced in the book.

Don't misunderstand me, this book is the best, but it assumes it's audience is an audience composed of advanced bible readers, and advanced students of the Scriptures. That's is not to say anybody can't buy this book and read and understand it. But unless you are used to reading scholarly journals, you are not going to be reading this book like a novel and be done with it in a weekend. If you do get it, you will definitely have in your hands one of the best books on Biblical Interpretation and Hermeneutics that has ever been published.

27 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The best evangelical work on the subject that I have seen June 29, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

All in all, very good. From a conservative perspective the authors discuss the major issues of biblical interpretation, including applying hisorical criticism and modern hermeneutical theories to the Scriptural text. Though conservative, it is not fundamentalistic. The authors provide a balanced treatment of most subjects and give good principles and examples of doing careful exegesis. This would be an excellent work to use in an intro. to biblical literature class. My one reservation is that not enough attention was given to Patristic and medieval exegesis and its modern day application to Scripture. Also, the Treatment of the Deutero-Canonical books and the question of the Canonicity of Scripture was superficial and inaccurate. Catholic and Orthodox readers should keep this in mind when reviewing this book. To conclude, though it has the deficiencies mentioned above and could not serve as a standard for Catholic and Orthodox exegesis, it is a refreshing work that shows that not all evangelical protestants are biblical obscurantists who are unable to engage in dialogue with modern biblical scholarship and present well-reasoned opinions.