Thursday, May 08, 2014

Book Review of Feasting on the Gospels: Matthew Vol. 2 (Chapters 14-28)--A Feasting on the Word Commentary



Feasting on the Gospels: Matthew Vol. 2 (Chapters 14-28)
ed. by Cynthia Jarvis & E. Elizabeth Johnson
IBSN 978-0-664-23394-5
WJK Press
Reviewed by Clint Walker

It is year A on the liturgical calendar. We are now in Eastertide. Easter Sunday is gone, and Pentecost in rapidly approaching. And after Trinity Sunday the lectionary will lead liturgical teachers and worship leaders through much of the latter part of the gospel of Matthew. There is no better time, then, to both post a review for and recommend that you go out and get Feasting on the Gospels: Matthew Vol. 2 (Chapters 14-28) --A Feasting on the Word Commentary. NOW!

The folks on Feasting on the Word originally drafted a lectionary commentary that overviewed the lectionary texts for each text in the three year cycle. With this follow up set of commentaries they have taken on the task of doing a thorough commentary through the Gospels as a whole, allowing the preacher and teacher of the gospel texts a commentary that is both friendly to lectionary concerns, but one that also puts the gospel texts in canonical and literary context.

Each pericope of Scripture is interpreted through four lenses--theological, pastoral, exegetical, and homiletical. This means that the reader is prepared to use the text in preaching and teaching from the text or in the context of the broader picture of Scripture and what God is doing in this world. The variety of methods of interpretation and interpreters is really quite impressive. You may not always agree with how a particular passage is being handled by a specific person, but you will be challenged to interact with the passage in a number of different ways and encouraged to think more deeply.


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