I. Howard Marshall edited the work New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Principles and Methods (Grand Rapids: Eedmans, 1977). This book was published in the year I was born. It has been reprinted by Wipf & Stock but not redone. Howard Marshall provides the introduction. The book is divided into 4 parts: (1) background to interpretation, (2) use of critical methods in interpretation, (3) the task of exegesis, (4) the new testament and modern readers.
Part 1: Background of Interpretation.
This section contains two chapters. One is by F. F. Bruce, “The History of New Testament Study.” This focuses literally on the history of intepretation (Luther, Calvin, etc.): (1) the early church and middles ages, (2) renaissance, reformation, and counter-reformation, (3) post-reformation period, (4) nineteenth century, (5) twentieth century. Graham Stanton did the second chapter “Presuppositions in the New Testament Criticism.”
Part 2: The Use of Critical Methods in Interpretation.
Many methods are covered: semantics (Thisleton), questions (Donald Guthrie), religious background (Drane), historical criticism (Marshall), source criticism (David Wenham), form criticism (Stephen Travis), tradition history (David Catchpole), redaction criticism (Stephen Smalley).
Part 3: The Task of Exegesis
Three chapters on the New Testmanet use of the Old (Ellis), approaches to NT exegesis (Ralph Martin), and exegesis in practice (R. T. France).
Part 4: NT and Modern Readers
James Dunn wrote a chapter on demythologizing. Thiselton did one on “the new hermeneutic.” Robin Nixon did the “authority of the NT.” John Goldingay wrote one on “expounding the NT.”
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