Customer Reviews

The Wandering People of God

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Great study showing that, as I understood it, the Christian life is following Christ in terms of wandering, a progression of perfecting faith as we follow the Pioneer of our faith; and if there is no progress, apostasy results.

Admittedly, this book is very technical and I had an arduous time reading it, going back and forth through my interlinear Greek NT in order to ascertain the Greek words he makes reference to without an English translation provided by the editors.

Kasemann also makes the case that the book of Hebrews was written under Hellenistic Gnostic influences, although its theology was not determined by them. Again, unfortunately, not being familar with Gnostic writings, the reading was difficult for me. That said, I did find it illuminating and interesting to see the wider scope of understanding by which the epistle was written.

However, I'm not sure that such influences as the author contends, if there was any, was as great as he contends. I'm more under the persuasion that the Hebrew (OT) texts and traditions informed the writer's theological understanding of salvation in Christ and the Christian life as a wandering, and these are the major influences that inform and are reflected in the writing of the epistle to the Hebrews.