Book Review--A Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies: Understanding Key Debates by Nijay K. Gupta
My first year in seminary was a weird time filled with what the late Hunter S. Thompson would refer to as “fear and loathing.” I was more confused than Joel Osteen watching a Paul Washer video!
I remember thinking to myself things like: “Realized eschatology? Is that what happens when you realize you’re going to die?”; “Documentary hypothesis? Does it have something to do with Michael Moore?”; “Who is Karl Barth and how do you pronounce it?; And, most importantly, “Hey, when do we find out who the anti-Christ is?”
For the last twenty-one years, I have yet to see a clear and helpful introduction to the closed universe of graduate theological education. Oh, the seminary I attended had an orientation class but the instructor was so steeped in the specialized vocabulary of the guild that I thought I was listening to someone who spoke some secret language that twins teach to each other!
Luckily for those about to attend seminary a work has arrived that should clear some of that first year fog—A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies: Understanding Key Debates (Baker Academic, 2020) by Dr. Nijay Gupta.
Dr. Gupta states in his introduction that he experienced a lot of the same pain (he too journeyed from a secular university in Ohio to an out-of-state seminary; he to Massachusetts and me to Texas). He decided to do something about it. I decided to go to law school. He decided to aid the Kingdom of God, I decided to hedge my bets and insure that I had a special place in eternity no matter where I ended up!
Professor Gupta sets forth the following chapters dealing with each issue in a clear, concise matter complete with suggested reading for further study:
1. The Synoptic Problem
2. The Historical Jesus
3. The Fourth Gospel and History
4. Jesus and Paul
5. Paul’s Theological Perspective
6. Paul and the Jewish Law
7. Interpreting the Book of Revelation
8. Pseudonymity and the New Testament Letters
9. The New Testament and the Roman Empire
10. Women in Leadership in the New Testament
11. Justification by Faith and Judgment according to Works
12. The Old Testament in the New Testament
13. The Application and Use of Scripture
I bought the book for my wife via Logos. She recently earned an M.A. in Theology and is thinking about going on to pursue and M.Div. or possibly even a Doctor of Theology in Ministry via Northern Seminary where Dr. Gupta will be teaching with Scot McKnight on New Testament background, which is her passion.
BTW, I don’t brag enough on her. Do yourself a favor and check out her ministry, The Bold Movement, committed to teaching women how to study the Bible and where their motto is “Fluff is for pillows, not women’s ministry” or her monthly column in The Christian Standard. Oh, and sign up for her sessions at the International Conference on Missions next fall. Okay, enough of the plugs but, hey, I live with her!
While I purchased the book for her, I read through it in a day and a half. I don’t know whether to praise God for the tool new seminary students now have access to or find a Delorean with a flux capacitor and, like Biff in Back to the Future 2, go back and hand a copy of it to my 26 year old self.
Anyway, if you are thinking about seminary, in seminary or know someone in such a boat then buy this immediately.
I wrote this review without any contact with the author or the publishing company. The plugs for my wife and her ministry however were done in the hopes that it will buy me a day or so of favoritism. Hey, she’s an extrovert who has been quarantined with me since March 15th. I’m just happy there hasn’t been a reverse gender episode of “The Shining”!