Paul Elbert, Ed., Essays On Apostolic Themes Studies In Honor Of Howard M. Ervin, Peabody, MA Hendrickson Publishers, 1985) Xix + 225pp. $14.95, ISBN 0 913573 14 0

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189

Paul

Elbert, ed., Essays

on Apostolic Themes: Studies in Honor

of Howard M. Ervin,

Peabody,

MA: Hendrickson

Publishers, 1985) xix

+ 225pp.

$14.95,

ISBN 0-913573-14-0

Reviewed

by Ralph

P. Martin*

Advice

given recently by

the

playright

Terence

Rattigan

to his biographer

is worth

quoting

when one has to review a book like this. “When

you’re writing

about

something you

like … the

proper thing

is to

put your approval

at the

top

of

your

notice and then bring

out the reservations afterwards.”

The desire to mark the

sixty-fifth birthday

of Howard M. Ervin was well-conceived and a laudable

project.

A broad

spectrum

of contributors has been enlisted to offer their

thoughts

on some wide-ranging topics, loosely brought together

under the rubric of “Apostolic

Themes.”The

adjective

is obviously stretched to include several historical studies from Irenaeus

(Cecil

M.

Robeck),

to Lewi Pethrus

(Ivar Lundgren)

and Donald Gee

(Lois Gott),

both active in the

present century.

There are several

exegetical studies, notably

the

expositions

of the

Holy Spirit

in Galatians

(F.F. Bruce)

and the

apostolic

self- consciousness in Romans 7

(J.D.G. Dunn),

in which we detect spin-offs

of these authors’

previous

works. The Old Testament is served

by

John Rea’s

study

on the

relationship

between believer and the

Spirit

under the old covenant. Nor are

ancillary disciplines such as

Preaching (Howard Yim, Jerry Horner),

the Ecumenical Movement and Sacramental

Theology (Donald Gelpi)

and the role of the

Spirit

in the

missionary

call as heard in the church

growth movement

(John Amstutz)

overlooked.

We have still to mention studies on Calvin

(by

the

Editor)

and the chronicle of modern

Pentecostal/

Charismatic influence in main- stream

denominationalism, beginning

with Dennis Bennett in 1960 to the

present

time

(by

James T.

Connelly).

Several

essays

tackle the issues

provoked by

the

hermeneutical question.

William Menzies considers modern Pentecostalism as an

experience

in search of a theology, while

George

Allen Turner treats the matter from the

viewpoint

of the

Reformation,

both centralist and

.

.

left-wing.

For

good measure,

Gordon Strachan

gives

us a distillation of his larger opus

on Edward

Irving

and seeks to show how the twentieth century

charismata

may

be traced back to what occurred in Scotland in the

previous century,

with John McLeod

Campbell’s role

being

assessed as influential. This

study

offers a new window on an old

debate,

and raises all kinds of questions when we seek the fons

et

origo

of what is

loosely

dubbed the “charismatic revival.”

1

190

the

birthday

book

gets thoughts

raised

by

reader, however, may

production

The reservations which animates

Hermeneutics of

course,

do

spirit

Also,

if all this rich fare were not

enough

to

satisfy,

the honoree of

a slot, and

presents

himself with a series of

on “Hermeneutics: A Pentecostal

Option” (note

the indefinite

article,

a sign of

becoming modesty.)

It is plainly

impossible

for one who stands outside the charismatic circle to deal

critically

or even

adequately

with the manifold issues

these

thoughtful

and

provocative essays.

The would-be

be assured that there is here

something

for all tastes and interests. To have secured such a distinguished cadre of writers

is, in itself,

no mean

fact,

and the Editor is to be applauded. He is less well served

by

his

publishers, however,

whose book

is less than

satisfactory,

and whose

proofreaders

have dozed off

occasionally.

I have

mainly

center in the

crusading

some of the

essays.

For that reason the

proposals

to do with Reformation studies, Ecumenical interests and Pentecostal

are less

likely

to win friends. Reformed

theologians,

need to scrutinize their

past history

and current theology,

but I doubt whether

many (or any)

will be persuaded by what

they

read here.

Reviewers of

Festschriften

often

complain

impossible

task on their hands. Sometimes

Steiner’s

cynicism.

“Book

reviewing (he wrote)

but rather a

technique

committed to the

implausible theory

is

published

each

morning.”

I do not share this

negativism

as I commend this

volume,

but the

thought did cross

my

mind.

something

worth

reading

that

they

have an they

share

George is not

really

an

art,

that

.

*Director of Graduate Studies

Program

and

Fuller

Theological

Professor of New

Testament,

Seminary

2