Mark A. Seifrid

The volume contains a series of essays examining Second Temple literature in light of E.P, Sanders' landmark work on Palestinian Judaism and his formulation of covenantal nomism. The core essays each examine a selection of typical literature across a wide variety of genres, from psalms and prayers, additions and expansions of Biblical accounts to wisdom literature and apocalypses. Literature from Qumran is also considered along with the writings of Philo and Josephus. An essay focuses on the Pharisees and their place within normative Second Temple Judaism and a linguistic examination of the relevant Hebrew terms surrounding righteousness and covenant. Overall, the majority of the authors found that, with some qualification, covenantal nomism was a broad, but fair statement of the representative literature. Surprising in the light of the consistent affirmation of Sander's proposal was D. A. Carson's concluding summarizing essay which seems to ignore the conclusions of the previous essays and assert the insadaquancies of the concept.… (mehr)