Revelation
About
This practical commentary on Revelation is conversant with contemporary scholarship, draws on ancient backgrounds, and attends to the theological nature of the text. Sigve Tonstad, an expert in the early Jewish context of the New Testament, offers a nonretributive reading of Revelation and addresses the issue of divine violence. Paideia commentaries explore how New Testament texts form Christian readers by attending to the ancient narrative and rhetorical strategies the text employs, showing how the text shapes moral habits, and making judicious use of photos and sidebars in a reader-friendly format.
About the Series
Paideia commentaries explore how New Testament texts form Christian readers by
• attending to the ancient narrative and rhetorical strategies the text employs
• showing how the text shapes theological convictions and moral habits
• commenting on the final, canonical form of each New Testament book
• focusing on the cultural, literary, and theological settings of the text
• making judicious use of maps, photos, and sidebars in a reader-friendly format
Editorial Board
†Paul J. Achtemeier (emeritus, Union Theological Seminary in Virginia), Loveday Alexander (University of Sheffield), C. Clifton Black (Princeton Theological Seminary), Susan R. Garrett (Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary), Francis J. Moloney, SDB (Salesian Province of Australia)
Endorsements
"Tonstad's remarkable commentary offers a comprehensive reading of Revelation that is both literarily sensitive and theologically incisive. With careful attention to the text's engagement with Israel's scriptures, Tonstad interprets Revelation as a christologically centered disclosure of the astonishing, counterintuitive triumph of God's love over the cosmic power of evil. This deeply intelligent commentary challenges historicist readings of the book as a simple document of political resistance to the Roman Empire. At the same time, it grapples thoughtfully with pervasive misreadings of Revelation--both in the Christian theological tradition and in Western literary culture more broadly--as a fountainhead of resentment and violence. All who read this commentary will be forced to reconsider what they think they know about the Apocalypse. Let anyone who has an ear listen."
Richard B. Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Duke Divinity School
"Well-written, accessible, and wise, Tonstad's commentary navigates a myriad of issues that either put off or entice readers about the enigma that is Revelation. Situating Revelation among its Reformation skeptics, its modern naysayers, and its more sensationalist interpreters, Tonstad reads the Apocalypse in terms of the cosmic conflict in which God's decisive response to the evil of the great Deceiver is to offer revelation and witness as the antidote. Full of macro- and micro-level insights along with clear and helpful theological analysis, this volume is a welcome addition to the Paideia series."
Darian Lockett, associate professor of New Testament, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
The Author
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Sigve K. Tonstad
Sigve K. Tonstad (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is professor of religion and assistant professor of medicine at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California. He is the author of several books, including The Scandals of the Bible,...
Continue reading about Sigve K. Tonstad
Reviews
Praise for the Paideia series
"The Paideia commentary series has established itself as a solid series of concise works that focus on the final form of the biblical text, highlighting narrative flow, rhetorical devices and structure, and commenting particularly on relevant historical background and theological significance."
Craig Blomberg,
Denver Journal
"[I] continue to be impressed by the contributors' skill in combining academic rigor with accessibility. . . . The [series] authors . . . combine historical and linguistic analysis with theological reflection, which makes these commentaries useful for those interested in bridging the gap between the ancient world and contemporary Christianity (seminarians, clergy). . . . Frequent inserts with asides [offer] additional explanations or attempts to relate ancient texts to contemporary issues."
Michael Gilmour,
Catholic Biblical Quarterly