"To Recover What Has Been Lost": Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr. ed. by Tucker S. Ferda et al.

Abstract

Reviewed by: "To Recover What Has Been Lost": Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr. ed. by Tucker S. Ferda et al. Olegs Andrejevs tucker s. ferda, daniel frayer-griggs, and nathan c. johnson (eds.), "To Recover What Has Been Lost": Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr. (NovTSup 183; Leiden: Brill, 2021). Pp. xx + 450. $159. One of the household names in NT studies, Dale C. Allison Jr. is presented with a remarkable volume. The twenty essays are arranged in three groups reflecting "areas of Allison's scholarship" (p. 2). Part 1 is devoted to "Eschatology"; part 2 to "Intertextuality"; and part 3 to "Reception History." Of course, these research areas are not the only building blocks in Allison's still growing legacy. Both the collection's list of contributors and the topics they have chosen frequently reflect other principal areas of Allison's academic impact. One of Allison's major contributions to NT scholarship is his and W. D. Davies's monumental ICC commentary on Matthew's Gospel (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1988–1997), which, more than two decades after the closing volume's publication, remains a standard reference in the field. It is no surprise that a number of fellow Matthean specialists contribute to the present collection (Foster, Gundry, Konradt, and Evans). Overall, a quarter of the volume's essays direct the readers' attention to Matthew's Gospel: Paul Foster, "The Eschatology of the Gospel of Mathew"; Mark Goodacre, "The Orthodox Redaction of Mark: How Matthew Rescued Mark's Reputation"; Robert H. Gundry, "Topographical Christology in Matthew's Narrative of Jesus' Birth and Infancy"; Chris Keith, "The Book of the Genesis of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1)"; and Lidija Novakovic, "Matthew and Paul on Torah Observance: Is Matthew's Gospel Anti-Pauline, Pro-Pauline, or Un-Pauline?" Two more essays focus on Synoptic texts that have parallels in Matthew: Brant Pitre, "From Reimarus to Allison: The Quest for Jesus and the Christological 'Thunderbolt' (Matt 11:25–27 // Luke 10:21–22)"; and Rafael Rodríguez, "Your Will Be Done: Remembering Jesus' Submission [End Page 536] to the Father." Gundry's essay develops a proposal introduced in his own commentary on the First Gospel. Another major building block of Allison's legacy, one for which he is equally well known, is his work on the historical Jesus. This broad area is engaged by seven contributions: James Hamilton Charlesworth, "Clarifying the Background of Jesus' Eschatological Parables (4Q541)"; James Crossley, "Jesus and John Ball: Millenarian Prophets"; Paula Fredriksen, "Al Tirah ("Fear Not!"): Jewish Apocalyptic Eschatology, from Schweitzer to Allison, and After"; Stephen J. Patterson, "Bultmann's Jesus in America"; Pitre (see above); Rodríguez (see above); and Gerd Theissen, "The Peril of Modernising and De-modernising Jesus: A Cognitive Perspective." Highlighting the volume's elegant design, its bookends connect Allison to towering figures in twentieth-century biblical research: Albert Schweitzer (Fredriksen) and Rudolf Bultmann (Patterson). Fredriksen's contribution opens by juxtaposing Allison and N. T. Wright: "Much is gained when Second Temple Jewish apocalyptic is denied, redefined, or quietly discarded" (p. 17). She concludes her essay with a quotation from Allison (p. 33): "To do history is not to do theology" (Dale C. Allison Jr., Constructing Jesus: Memory, Imagination, and History [Grand Rapids: Baker, 2010] 462). These two statements capture well what Allison's work is and is not like, what elevates him to the level of Schweitzer and Bultmann, what will require future scholarship to interact with his work. That interaction will not be limited to Jesus and the Gospels. Further prominent areas of Allison's research include the epistle attributed to James of Jerusalem, the brother of Jesus (ICC commentary; London: T&T Clark, 2013), and the Testament of Abraham (CEJL commentary; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2003). Four of the volume's essays address James and the Testament of Abraham: Alicia J. Batten, "The Letter of James and the Divine Liturgy"; Craig A. Evans, "James and Paul on the Works of the Law and the Pure Food of 4QMMT"; John S. Kloppenborg, "Verbatim Citations in James"; and Jared W. Ludlow, "Untimely Death: Is There a...