The Theology of the Letter to the Hebrews (New Testament Theology) [Hardcover]

Barnabas Lindars (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521354870 | ISBN-13: 978-0521354875 | Publication Date: May 31, 1991

The Letter to the Hebrews is of particular significance for the most important explanation of the sacrificial death of Christ contained in the New Testament. In this book, Barnabas Lindars explains the circumstances in which Hebrews was written, and expounds the writer's argument at length. At each stage of the survey, the writer's ideas are related to the main topics of New Testament theology. Special attention is paid to the rhetorical style of Hebrews, which marks it out as having been written in response to an urgent practical situation. The concluding chapters show the place of Hebrews in the context of the development of early Christianity, and indicate the lasting value of Hebrews for theology today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...this volume is a significant pedagogical aid for the study of Hebrews." Religious Studies Review

"They are very useful volumes produced in the best tradition of British scholarship: lucidly written and argued without any claims the text cannot bear....the collected volumes belong on every reference shelf." Lawrence S. Cunningham, Commonweal

Book Description

The Letter to the Hebrews is of particular significance because of its explanation of the sacrificial death of Christ. This explanation of the circumstances under which Hebrews was written reveals its role in the context of the development of early Christianity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 172 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 31, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521354870
• ISBN-13: 978-0521354875
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,967,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brings the document to life, October 13, 2003

By 

Brian Gamel - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Theology of the Letter to the Hebrews (New Testament Theology) (Paperback)

Barnabas Lindars masterfully surveys the theological ground covered in the letter to the Hebrews.

While focusing on all the dominant themes (e.g. the preisthood of Christ, the way of perfection, the dichotomy of old and new convenants), Lindars makes a marked contribution in his way of expositing such themes.

First, he claims that the situation to which Hebrews was written was viewed by the author as critical and urgent - Christian believers were in danger of reverting to Judaism because they had no practical (tangible) way of dealing with their consciousness of sin as before under the Jewish cultic system of sacrifice. Setting the letter in view of such a situation brings to light the entire thought-world in which the letter breathes and moves and Lindars is quick to return to the issue at hand as he wades through the letter's theology; this is much preferred to breaking a letter artificially into categories and then treating each subject as distinct.

Secondly, Lindars maintains that the whole of the letter is a concerted argument designed to persuade his readers to avoid the very step he thinks they are in danger of taking. This is really the other side of the coin of the first point, but in turn this allows one to understand that the whole letter is a build up to his main exhortation at the end and see in it the fusion of theology and practice. Furthermore, this has the added benefit of being able to study and unravel the subjects and themes within the letter in linear form, following the arugment of the letter rather than just covering each item in isolation.

The theology in Hebrews is both rich and original and untangling it into a readable format is no easy job, but Lindars does it more than adequately. In the end, he is able to help me see the situation the author's readers faced and understand why his theology was both relevant for them in their day and for us in ours.