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October 2001 |
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The Prophetic
Books and Their Theological Witness
by Odil Hannes Steck
Translated by James D. Nogalski. Chalice,
St. Louis, 2000. 246 pp. $29.99. ISBN 0-8272-2957-7.
Steck proposes an approach for determining the theological message
of Old Testament prophetic books and applying them to contemporary
spiritual life. One must begin with the prophetic book in its
final form, and read it in sequence from beginning to end, assuming
it is coherent until proved otherwise. For example, Isaiah 1–66
presents the work of the eighth-century b.c.e. prophet in its
entirety. This book presents a metahistorical perspective on yhwh’s
intentions, characteristics, and actions in Judah and Jeru-salem
during the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian eras. Later readers
should see themselves included in the far-reaching historical
context of the book without identifying themselves in every way
with addressees of the periods transmitted in the book.
At the same time, Steck advocates that one also examine prophetic
books diachronically. His model for accomplishing this is “the
book-specific redactional model” (pp. 91–92). It begins
with the final form of the book and moves backward through the
various stages of the book’s development. Each stage combines
traditional material with new material to produce a unity, and
the concern is always yhwh’s intentions, characteristics,
and actions in behalf of the people. Each redactional stage preserves,
reshapes, expands, and reapplies the received material in a new
final version for a contemporary audience. Its tradents regard
the new product as the message of the original prophet for the
new situation. Since the God of the Bible is dynamic, God can
be perceived only in history, life, and experience, not in timeless
doctrinal affirmations.
Steck’s work is essentially theoretical. He champions the
recent scholarly emphasis on examining biblical books in their
present (final) form. At the same time, he observes (correctly)
that no prophetic book (except possibly Jonah?) was a new creation,
that each is the product of a long, complex history. But how does
one reconstruct the history of transmission of traditions through
its various stages? Steck admits that scholars stand at the threshold
of this endeavor, and calls for extensive work in this area (p.
131). Steck’s theory is intriguing, and should stimulate
careful work on the history of transmission of prophetic materials.
John T. Willis
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, Texas
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The Blood of Abel:
The Violent Plot in the Hebrew Bible
by Mark McEntire
Mercer University Press, Macon, 1999.
181 pp. $18.00. ISBN 0-86554-629-0.
Joining a growing number of scholars whose concern with the problem
of biblical violence is informed by the work of René Girard,
McEntire traces the role of violence in the Hebrew Bible. Following
the order of the Hebrew canon, he finds the narrative to be permeated
by aggression and bloodshed, beginning with the murder of Abel
in Gen 4 and ending with the destruction of Jerusalem in 2 Chron
36. Other key texts examined within this frame are the Egyptian
oppression of Israel (Exod 1); the Passover slaying of the Egyptian
first-born (Exod 11–12); the Israelite conquest of Jericho
(Josh 6); the Israelite defeat by the Philistines (1 Sam 4); and
the revolt of the Northern Kingdom (1 Kgs 12). Such events are
so typical of the biblical narrative that McEntire concludes:
“violence is the issue with which the whole of the Hebrew
canon, not just certain traditions within it, grapples” (p.
125). Even prophetic passages offering alternative visions of
peace and restoration, such as Hos 11:1–11; Ezek 37:1–14;
and Isa 11:1–9, McEntire argues, are grounded in the violence
of divine judgment and destruction.
This study is helpful in its willingness to confront honestly
the issue of divine complicity in biblical violence. The book
is not without its shortcomings, however. The claim that violence
is the central issue of the Hebrew Bible is overdrawn, and the
discussion lacks the sustained engagement with Girardian theory
that the introduction seems to promise. Few readers will find
this text alone sufficient for dealing with the problem of violence
in the Hebrew scriptures, but non-specialists may find here a
useful, critically informed introduction to some of the pivotal
texts.
Harold C. Washington
Saint Paul School of Theology
Kansas City, Missouri
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Wise, Strange, and Holy:
The Strange Woman and the Making of the Bible
by Claudia Camp
JSOTSup 320, Sheffield Academic Press,
Sheffield, 2000. 372 pp. $84.00 (cloth). ISBN 1-84127-166-7.
Strangeness, whether it exists in the form of gender, ethnicity,
sexuality, or cultic activity, is the core concern of this book.
How did the post-exilic Israelites determine who a “true”
Israelite was, and how did they determine who could truly claim
to be a priest? Camp argues that by “(e)stranging” women
in the biblical narratives of this period the authors of the Bible
were able to create identity by symbolically placing the strange
woman at the boundary, thus helping to define the true Israelite.
In the end, however, this is done at the expense of making all
women “(e)strange(d).”
Camp’s launching point is the pairing of Wise Woman/Strange
Woman in Prov 1–9. She shows that the dichotomy of this pairing
is not just wisdom/strangeness as improper sexuality but also
wisdom/strangeness as improper cultic practice. In the second
section she discusses the first pairing of wisdom/strangeness
as it is found in the narratives of Samson and Solomon. Samson
is a trickster figure whose story is defined by his encounters
with “strange” women. Solomon is the supreme wisdom
figure who is ultimately brought low by strangeness in the form
of foreign wives, but who lives on in the form of (woman?) wisdom.
In the third section the author reads the priestly narratives
of Exodus and Numbers to show how the proper lines between the
priesthood and the laity are drawn using the defining symbols
of wrong sex=wrong nationality=wrong god.
Many of Camp’s ideas are fascinating, and she often has
excellent insight into the biblical text. However, the surfeit
of details is daunting to all but the most technical reader. Furthermore,
at times she makes connections between texts and within texts
that a more cautious reader might not be willing to make. Those
interested in feminist readings of the text, as well as those
interested in the post-exilic period, a highly significant time
for the formation of the Bible, will find this a helpful and challenging
book on the creation of identity in the Bible.
Kathryn Muller Lopez
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
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The Hospitality
of God: A Reading of Luke’s Gospel
by Brendan Byrne
Liturgical Press, Collegeville, 2000.
209 pp. $19.95. ISBN 0-8146-2390-5.
Byrne offers an interpretation of Luke that lifts up God’s
generous hospitality toward humankind as the narrative’s
overarching motif. He notes the prominence of this theme in the
inauguration of Jesus’ mission at Nazareth (4:14–30),
the anointing of Jesus’ feet by an unnamed woman at Simon’s
house (7:36–50), Zacchaeus’s encounter with Jesus (19:1–10),
the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper (22:14–20),
and the Emmaus appearance story (24:13–35), and concludes
that God’s hospitality suffuses and unifies Luke’s entire
narrative. Many episodes occur in the context of hosts and guests,
providing and accepting meals and lodging, and other expressions
of hospitality. On a deeper level, Luke portrays Jesus as both
visitor and host, the incarnation of God’s visitation to
Israel and the world who is able to bring those who welcome him
into the sphere of God’s ultimate hospitality, salvation.
Salvation is a multifaceted concept in Luke. It involves transformation
of humanity’s present condition—from dehumanization
and rejection to welcome and honor. Although completion of this
process must await God’s full establishment of the kingdom,
it is partially available now to those open to Jesus’ announcement
of God’s hospitality.
Byrne successfully combines narrative, redaction, and historical
approaches with theological concerns in a coherent reading of
Luke’s narrative and, in so doing, has contributed a valuable
study of the Third Gospel. Although not a commentary in the traditional
sense, Byrne’s interpretation incorporates views from major
commentators in ways that permit more than a glimpse of the variety
of views, as well as consensus, that exists on many issues in
Lukan scholarship. He also provides pastoral reflections that
demonstrate the applicability of this gospel’s message to
the twenty-first century church. This is an excellent resource
for students, teachers, and pastors interested in Luke’s
gospel or in search of a helpful perspective for pastoral and
homiletic reflection and preparation.
William Sanger Campbell
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey
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Colossians and Ephesians
by Margaret Y. MacDonald
Sacra Pagina 17. Liturgical Press, Collegeville,
2000. 390 pp. $39.95 (cloth). ISBN 0-8146-5819-9.
Biblical commentaries drawing insights from the social sciences
are entering the mainstream, and this volume is a fine example
of the genre. The author consistently probes what these two strangely
similar letters imply about the social life of their addressees,
though she recognizes that their references to intended readers
are often vague or general. She argues that Colossians (probably
pseudonymous) and Ephesians (written about 90 c.e. by someone
who depended on Colossians) both sought to bolster the authority
of church leaders after Paul’s death. Her exegesis is fortified
by discussions of the ideas of Max Weber on charismatic leadership,
Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann on the sociology of knowledge,
and Clifford Geertz on ritual and belief. Yet the appeals to sociological
and anthropological theory are suggestive and exploratory rather
than dogmatic.
MacDonald maintains that both letters expand Pauline ideas in
cosmic and universalistic directions. Colossians, she concludes,
seeks to counter a “false teaching” that drew ascetic
conclusions from baptismal experiences, and the letter advocates
a missionary openness to the non-Christian world. Ephesians has
a more sectarian or “introversionist” orientation and
seeks, without deifying the church, to reassure believers fearful
about external forces of evil. Occasionally MacDonald discusses
how the letters affect modern believers. Thus the household code
in Eph 5:21–6:9 offers a vision recognized today to be both
patriarchal and unjust, though that passage also contains elements
of “timeless value” (p. 341).
In general this volume offers solid, nuanced interpretations
of both letters. Its pressing of social-scientific questions should
help readers rethink the relation of theology and ethics to historical
context.
David M. Hay
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Honor, Patronage, Kinship
and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture
by David A. deSilva
InterVarsity, Downers Grove, Ill., 2000.
336 pp. $24.99. ISBN 0-83033-1572-4.
DeSilva explores the cultural context of the New Testament to
arrive at “more authentic” readings that enable us to
discern “more richly and reliably” what these scriptures
might mean today (p. 19). DeSilva proceeds by alternating chapters
on the ancient social values of honor, patronage, kinship, and
purity with chapters showing how these are represented and reconfigured
in early Christian writings. For example, deSilva compares the
Greco-Roman notion of honor based on the approval of others to
the contemporary phenomenon of peer pressure (p. 26). Early Christian
writers presented Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection as
evidence that “God’s perspective on what kind of behavior
merits honor differs exceedingly” from that of humans (p.
51). The honorable Christian lives for God’s approval, not
society’s; seeks to honor God, not self; and assists others
to do the same (p. 84). DeSilva argues that this perspective can
help churches today resist becoming mirrors of a majority culture
defined by pluralism and materialism (pp. 84–87).
DeSilva accurately portrays ancient social values, showing how
these lead to a deeper understanding of New Testament texts. His
discussion of grace as a circle of giving and receiving that involves
generosity, gift, and gratitude (pp. 104–19) is particularly
valuable. This book, however, fails to mention the roles of shamed,
shameful, and shameless women in the Jesus movement and the early
church. Equally alarming is deSilva’s claim that a historically
contextualized reading of scripture can be easily translated into
models for “social engineering” in today’s church
(p. 86). Similarly, regarding everyone outside the church as preferring
vice to virtue (p. 64) may have helped solidify group boundaries
in the past, but it is unlikely to encourage productive outreach
today. DeSilva is not completely unaware of the dangers of his
approach. He warns us that “shaming techniques must be employed
only with great care” (p. 90), and that the New Testament
is not God’s final word on the role of women (p. 237). What
deSilva’s work lacks is a coherent and consistent means of
moving from exegesis to application without uncritically re-inscribing
the prejudices of the past.
Ritva H. Williams
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois
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Decolonizing Biblical
Studies: A View from the Margins
by Fernando F. Segovia
Orbis, Maryknoll, N.Y., 2000. 177 pp.
$24.00. ISBN 1-57075-338-5.
This volume gathers eight previously published essays, providing
one of the best available overviews of the changing landscape
of biblical criticism. Segovia plots the development of biblical
criticism in the last quarter of the twentieth century in terms
of four different paradigms or umbrella models of interpretation:
historical criticism, literary criticism, cultural criticism,
and cultural studies or ideological criticism. He provides a perceptive
comparative analysis of six basic elements operative in each (location
of meaning, reading strategy, theoretical foundations, the role
of the reader, theological presuppositions, and pedagogical implications).
The still emerging paradigm of cultural studies, where Segovia’s
own commitments lie, is “a child of mixed parentage—on
the one hand, a product of the profound methodological and theoretical
shifts introduced into the discipline by both literary and cultural
criticism; on the other hand, and above all, the result of certain
crucial demographic and sociocultural changes at work in the discipline,
that is, an ever-growing presence of outsiders (Western women;
non-Western critics and theologians; and non-Western minorities
residing in the West) in the discipline, who have entered what
had been a thoroughly clerical, male, and Western domain”
(p. 56). The explosion of disciplinary perspectives and interpretive
voices represents a gradual process of liberation and decolonization.
The most intriguing aspect of Segovia’s analysis is his
explicit articulation of the largely implicit pedagogical discourses
and practices that underlie each paradigm. He proposes a compelling
model “that calls for abandonment of long-established practices
of learned impartation and passive reception in favor of self-conscious,
highly critical, and global dialogue involving unceasing and ever-shifting
processes of impartation and reception” (p. 90). The volume
also includes a description of Segovia’s own stance within
the paradigm of cultural studies—that of postcolonial studies;
a chapter on the question of “personal voice”; and a
significant chapter on racial and ethnic minorities in both the
discipline and the profession. This exceptional volume should
be required reading for all engaged in the practice and teaching
of biblical criticism, for it articulates the challenges and opportunities
that a diversity of approaches and practitioners represents.
Frances Taylor Gench
Union-PSCE
Richmond, Virginia
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God Who Creates:
Essays in Honor of W. Sibley Towner
Edited by William P. Brown and S. Dean McBride,
Jr.
Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2000. 273 pp.
$24.00. ISBN 0-8028-4626-2.
Brown and McBride have brought together a wide array of perspectives
on the presence and significance of creation in the Bible. After
a brief review of the major shift in recent biblical studies from
a fascination with historical concerns to a more balanced discernment
of the roles of nature and creation in the Bible, the editors
state their goals. Instead of reading the biblical texts in relation
to ancient Near Eastern creation stories or to modern ecological
concerns, “the essays presented in this volume explore the
various perspectives of creation within their native theological
contexts, including literary and historical” (p. xvi). The
editors have also included “homiletically oriented essays
. . . to provide a well-rounded, accessible volume for theological
use and discussion” (p. xvi). This is arguably the weakest
aspect of the book.
Among the many commendable features of the volume is the discussion
of creation motifs in texts typically read historically. Notable
examples are the essay by McBride, which reads the cov-enantal
structure of the Pentateuch in light of Gen 1:1–2:3; Walter
Brueggemann’s discernment of the foundational character of
creation thought for judgment and hope in Jeremiah; and David
Petersen’s sketch of creation traditions in the Book of the
Twelve that “emphasize the permanence but fragility of the
created order” (p. 214). Also noteworthy is the inclusion
of two essays that advance the exploration of creation themes
in New Testament texts. John Carroll offers a reading of the Apocalypse
that resonates well with Towner’s own evocative work: “the
life of faith sustained by this book [Revelation] will express
itself in faithful, responsible, and creative care of the earth”
(p. 260)—a fitting conclusion to a fine volume that contributes
to the growing discussion of creation theology in the Bible.
V. Steven Parrish
Memphis Theological Seminary
Memphis, Tennessee
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Deus Trinitatis:
The Doctrine of the Triune God
by David M. Coffey
Oxford University Press, New York, 1999.
204 pp. $35.00 (cloth). ISBN 0-19-512472-3.
Coffey does not consider this ecumenical study a comprehensive
statement on the doctrine of the Trinity but the logical extension
of his previous work on christology, pneumatology, and grace.
He argues that the renaissance in trinitarian theology is caused
by a renewed appreciation of the vital connection between theology
and soteriology. How Coffey understands this connection finds
expression in his “return” model of the Trinity, which
is constructed to complement a “processional” model.
His “return” model begins with the life and death of
Jesus as recipient and then sender of the Spirit upon the church.
The Spirit is seen as the objectivization of the mutual love of
the Father and the Son. Coffey presents this understanding of
mutual love as an explanation of both “the origins of the
Son and the Spirit and of the manner of operations of the Trinity
in the economy” of salvation (p. 5). From this model, Coffey
suggests a possible resolution to the ecumenical problem of Filioquism
vs. Monopatrism: “the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father
and receives from the Son” (p. 5; cf. pp. 53–54, 154–55).
Other issues addressed by Coffey include the concept of “person”
in trinitarian discourse, the challenge of process theology to
trinitarian concepts of divine immutability, and the theology
of the cross in trinitarian thought.
Coffey’s engaging work draws on insights from both Western
and Eastern theological traditions and offers a possible solution
to the filioque controversy that warrants consideration. However,
there are problems with Coffey’s understanding of the Trinity.
Coffey makes a cumbersome and confusing distinction between the
biblical Trinity and the economic Trinity that complicates his
argument. While he correctly understands the New Testament language
of God as functional rather ontological, Coffey uses the problematical
phrases “biblical doctrine of the Trinity” and “New
Testament doctrine of the Trinity.”
Methodological difficulties lead Coffey to posit, in effect,
an ontological distinction between the economy of salvation and
the immanent Trinity that favors an ontologically distinct “God
in Godself.” Such a distinction only serves to highlight
the very problems with trinitarian theology that LaCugna, Moltmann,
and others have attempted to correct.
Coffey’s contribution to contemporary trinitarian discourse
will spark conversation. Because the work requires a fairly deep
grounding in the technical aspects of trinitarian doctrine, it
is mainly intended for advanced graduate students and scholars.
Mark Medley
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, Kentucky
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Recovering the Scandal
of the Cross: Atonement in New Testament and Contemporary Contexts
by Joel B. Green and Mark D. Baker
InterVarsity, Downers Grove, Ill., 2000.
229 pp. $15.99. ISBN 0-8308-1571-6.
Green and Baker address a formidable topic: how to interpret
the significance of the cross for contemporary culture. Their
thesis is that one view of atonement has been regnant among evangelical
interpreters, a penal substitutionary view. Throughout this carefully
argued, richly documented, and accessible text, the authors contend
that the Western church, by privileging this one view, has misinterpreted
the meaning of Jesus’ death in a way that alienates persons
from the genuine good news that a scandalous cross offers. By
restricting the images of atonement, biblical interpreters have
not only neglected the metaphorical nature of biblical language,
but also rendered a caricature of God that has repelled many a
seeker of forgiveness and wholeness.
This text has several strengths. The authors are perceptive biblical
exegetes. They realize that the New Testament authors seek to
communicate the death of Jesus in a way that is both culture-specific
and attuned to the mission of the church. They respond to the
searing critique of feminist theologians that the cross not only
legitimates a violent view of God, but also ensures that human
relations will emulate this pattern of abuse. The authors rightly
note that many of these criticisms are leveled at a view of atonement
that cannot be sustained by careful biblical interpretation. Green
and Baker offer a thoughtful revisioning of the problematic notion
of the wrath of God (pp. 53–58). The authors review the classic
models of atonement and find creative ways to make them relevant
for today.
I commend this text for pastors and teachers. In brief compass
can be found the witness of the varied New Testament interpreters
of the cross and the historic models of atonement. Both are judiciously
evaluated and extended to help the church understand its cruciform
identity today.
Molly T. Marshall
Central Baptist Theological Seminary
Kansas City, Kansas
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Theology and the Arts:
Encountering God Through Music, Art, and Rhetoric
by Richard Viladesau
Paulist, New York, 2000. 270 pp. $17.95.
ISBN 0-8091-3927-8.
Viladesau quickens the conversation between theology and art,
aesthetics and concrete religious life. Through the mediation
of beauty, the arts, says Viladesau, are central to the human
spirit’s ascent to God. Ultimate beauty (God), the desire
of the human mind and heart in all its aspects—intellectual,
moral, interpersonal, and aesthetic—is mediated through God’s
self-giving (revelation) vis-à-vis the arts. Through the
experience of beauty, we are led to the implicit knowledge of
God as Maker and Goal, presence-in-absence and absence-in-presence.
In five chapters, issues of aesthetics, philosophy, and theology
are traced through numerous historical frameworks, commencing
with the ancient Greeks. Through illustrations drawn from sacred
music (vocal and non-vocal), pictorial art, and preaching, Viladesau
shows us their coherence, while occasionally issuing practical
suggestions. Thoughtful discourse draws interesting correspondences
and analogies between paradigm changes in art and theology.
The neglect of art in Western theology due to its logocentrism—preoccupation
with the verbal, especially the written word—is a concept
that winds its way through the book. The expression of these tensions
is highlighted in the thought of the Church Fathers and Protestant
Reformers. This book challenges Western theology’s prejudice
for doctrinal statements and theological texts as the primary
means for elucidating truth and challenges theological education
to reconsider its method and content. Art may serve as a text
of and a text for Christian theology. The implications for the
church are great.
Three chapters are enhanced by a discography of illustrative
musical works and lists of Internet sites of sacred art and art
history resources—a virtual museum. I will require my students
to read this book.
Catherine A. Kapikian
Wesley Theological Seminary
Washington, D.C.
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Recreating the Church:
Communities of Eros
by Pamela Dickey Young
Trinity Press International, Harrisburg,
2000. 158 pp. $17.00. ISBN 1-56338-320-9.
This book arises out of the crisis of churches at the turn of
the century. The author’s concerns emerge from the experience
of teaching theology and address the struggles of contemporary
seekers for whom the church has become a dragging anchor, straining
against their voyage into the future.
Young is at her best as she reshapes theological categories around
her central themes: the church is to be characterized by passion;
the criterion for healthy church life is the promotion of “flourishing”
(activities and concepts affirm human development) and “right
relationship” (the affirmation of the flourishing of the
other occupants of the planet, both human and non-human); the
centering of Christology on the relationships Jesus formed with
those who encountered him; and her exploration of a panentheistic
understanding of God. (This last theme is not developed as satisfactorily
as are the others.)
The survey of the present ecclesiological situation has been
done with more insight by others, as has treatment of what the
church “could be.” The section that deals with sin is
cursory, lacking the depth needed to justify some of the positions
taken on theodicy. One of the most intriguing ideas of the book
is the substitution of eros for agape. It would have been helpful
if this substitution had been better supported from the perspectives
of biblical linguistics and historical theology.
Young tackles a worthy task. Her solutions to the problem of
the viability of the church at the turn of the millennium are
thought-provoking and insightful. She touches base with the best
feminist thinkers and interacts with several of the traditional
theologians whose thought is helpful to her project. I found myself
engaged in a lively dialogue with the author, a dialogue in which
her ideas stretched and guided my own thinking.
R. Lee Gallman, Jr.
Ginter park Baptist Church
Richmond, Virginia
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Parables for Preachers:
The Gospel of Luke. Year C
by Barbara E. Reid
Liturgical Press, Collegeville, 2000.
351 pp. $11.95. ISBN 0-8146-2552-5.
When preaching a parable, Reid urges in this resource for Year
C of the common lectionary, one does not stop with exegetical
research that explains the meaning of the parable for its original
audience. Instead, the sermon should re-create for contemporary
hearers the dynamic experience of a parable’s first hearing.
Since the aim of Jesus’ parables is to persuade the listener
“to adopt a particular view of God and life in God’s
realm,” that is, “to convert the hearer” (p. 14),
preaching the parables has the same purpose.
The book considers each passage in the Gospel of Luke in which
the word parabole appears, unless (like the vineyard and the tenants
in 20:9–19) the parable is missing from the lectionary. Typically,
the biblical text (NAB translation) is followed by a discussion
of the passage’s literary structure and narrative context,
a survey of significant interpretive options, and attention to
key images and terms. Reid’s primary concession to the central
task of the preacher is a brief concluding discussion of “preaching
possibilities” for each parable treated. Frequently, the
author’s feminist perspective alerts readers to potential
dangers in a passage or its conventional interpretation. Nevertheless,
Reid offers suggestions for proclamation rather than sustained
and in-depth conversation between a coherent reading of the Lukan
parables and the contemporary scene.
Reid connects the parables to prominent Lukan motifs (e.g., possessions,
repentance, and embrace of the marginalized). The parables are
presented in the order of their appearance in the lectionary,
not their narrative sequence; an unfortunate consequence is that
at several points the presentation of exegetical detail is repetitive.
Sometimes Reid reads a parable through the interpretive lens Luke’s
narrative supplies, but on occasion she advocates hearing the
parable as Jesus’ original audience might have heard it—against
the grain of the gospel. There is little here that is innovative
or ground-breaking. In addition to other limitations, the book
would have benefited from more careful copyediting. Nevertheless,
this will be a helpful resource for the preacher.
John T. Carroll
Union-PSCE
Richmond, Virginia
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