From the Inside Flap
Praise for previous volumes in the series
"This remarkable project is especially lucky in its inaugural volume on Acts of the Apostles by the noted historian of dogma, Jaroslav Pelikan. If the rest of the commentators live up to the high standard set by Pelikan . . . the series could end up marking a turning point in the history of biblical hermeneutics. . . . One finishes this marvelously lucid book not only excited at the prospect of future volumes, but also wondering if this series will be revolutionary in another sense: Could this be a set of commentaries on the Bible that people will actually read?"
--Edward T. Oakes, SJ, First Things
"Pelikan's inaugural volume on Acts sets a high and honorable standard for the series. . . . Pelikan's interpretive focus on creeds and other church traditions results in an evocative network of conceptual associations, linking words and ideas in Acts to doctrines from church history. . . . The reader's theological understanding of Acts is enriched by Pelikan's successful effort to place Acts in theological conversation with centuries of Christian creeds and other rules of faith."
--John B. Weaver, Calvin Theological Journal
"Jaroslav Pelikan is a good choice to help launch a series like this. He moves through the Acts of the Apostles, commenting astutely on the theological implications of key passages."
--Donald Senior, CP, The Bible Today
"The comments that Pelikan has to offer on each point [in Acts] are truly valuable, insightful, and clearly articulated, a masterful treatment from a true master of his discipline. . . . [The series editors] have invited a diverse range of theologians and historians of theology to this project: We await with anticipation the wide range of offerings that are sure to emerge."
--John Behr, Pro Ecclesia
"What's nice to see is that the individual commentators have been allowed to retain their own voices in this series; [in Matthew, Stanley] Hauerwas is as delightfully irascible and hard-hitting as ever. . . . Hauerwas attends to the Gospel chapter by chapter, teasing out theological themes while resisting the temptation to create a systematic Christology. He draws on theologians like Barth, Augustine, Origen and especially Bonhoeffer, whom he quotes and paraphrases often, as well as New Testament scholars and eclectic writers like Wendell Berry. Insightful and provocative, Hauerwas adds a valuable theological perspective to the Gospel of Matthew."
--Publishers Weekly
From the Back Cover
The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible enlists leading theologians to read and interpret scripture for the twenty-first century, just as the church fathers, the Reformers, and other orthodox Christians did for their times and places. Ezra & Nehemiah is the fourth volume in the series. This commentary, like each in the series, is designed to serve the church--through aid in preaching, teaching, study groups, and so forth--and demonstrate the continuing intellectual and practical viability of theological interpretation of the Bible.
Praise for previous volumes in the series
"The editors could not have found a more qualified person to probe the thick pages of the history of interpretation and Christian doctrine [in Acts]. One might expect a wooden catalog of ancient comments . . . but Pelikan serves up richer fare. Drawing on a stunning array of theological writings, he looks beyond the text of Acts to themes and ultimately dogmas hovering over the text. . . . For many [readers], general editor Reno's vision for the Brazos series will be satisfied: 'We must rehabilitate our exegetical imaginations.'"
--James Howell, Christian Century
"[Acts] has all the marks of Pelikan's scholarship: a close reading of the Greek text; a verse-by-verse commentary on that text studded with references to the great patristic commentators; and a constant eye on the theological and homiletical possibilities of the text itself, as well as its place in the liturgical life of the church both West and East."
--Lawrence S. Cunningham, America
"What Jaroslav Pelikan offers us [in Acts] . . . is neither a commentary nor a book of homilies, but rather a set of observations on what phrases and passages in Acts might remind us of in the later history of Christian doctrine. As a sampler of vintage Pelikan tidbits, it is a scintillating piece of work, a tour de force in the history of dogma, a kaleidoscope of brilliant reflections by a generous and faithful Christian scholar."
--Brian E. Daley, SJ, Pro Ecclesia
General editor: R. R. Reno (Creighton University)
Series editors: Robert W. Jenson (Center of Theological Inquiry)
Robert Louis Wilken (University of Virginia)
Ephraim Radner (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto)
Michael Root (Catholic University of America)
George Sumner (Wycliffe College, University of Toronto)
About the Author
Matthew Levering (PhD, Boston College) is the James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology at Mundelein Seminary, University of Saint Mary of the Lake, in Mundelein, Illinois. He previously taught at the University of Dayton. Levering is the author of numerous books, including Engaging the Doctrine of Revelation, Engaging the Doctrine of Creation, Engaging the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Proofs of God, The Theology of Augustine,and Ezra & Nehemiah in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series. He serves as coeditor of the journals Nova et Vetera and the International Journal of Systematic Theology and has served as chair of the board of the Academy of Catholic Theology since 2007.
