Reviews

"[Allison] is one of the foremost interpreters of Matthew's Gospel in the English-speaking world. He demonstrates his remarkable erudition and careful interpretive skills in this collection of essays. The book includes six new essays that not only examine detailed yet important features of Matthew's Gospel . . . but tracks their interpretation in subsequent Christian history. The remaining essays are thorough revisions of earlier articles. This is a work that will be warmly appreciated by serious students of the New Testament who want to explore in depth both Matthew's Gospel and the significance of ongoing interpretation."--Donald Senior, CP, Bible Today

"Provide[s] substantive discussions of exegetical history involving both giants like Chrysostom and lesser-known figures like Cosmas Indicopleustas. Allison's mastery extends also to Reformation and post-Reformation theologians and scholars as well as figures from other fields. . . . Allison's references are intrinsic to his arguments and often aid in subverting unhelpful interpretive assumptions. The results are fresh, compelling readings of selected Matthean texts. Further, Allison displays newfound postmodern interpretive sensibilities. . . . This wonderful collection is certainly worth the purchase price. . . . Allison [is] a brilliant, erudite scholar."--Leroy Andrew Huizenga, Journal of Biblical Literature

"Having spent the last few years studying the Gospel of Matthew, I have repeatedly found the writings of Dale Allison to be some of the most stimulating, fair-minded, and insightful works available. . . . His scholarship is marked by lucidity, erudition, and a refreshing even-handedness. The present volume is no exception. . . . Woven throughout all of the essays is a sensitive appreciation of the comments and insights of the history of interpretation and especially the Church fathers. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed this book and benefited greatly from it. It is so chock full of insights that one can rarely make it through a page without having to stop and jot down quotes and spin-off thoughts. . . . [Allison] has such a masterful grasp of the secondary literature, and more importantly, the text of Matthew, that his conclusions are never simplistic. Instead, when explaining complex and profound insights, he writes with a lucidity that comes only from having worked through the complexities to the point of simple and convincing elucidation. Beyond gaining insight into particular passages in Matthew, readers of this book will also learn much about how to read well, particularly as it relates to the reality of intertextuality and intratextuality. . . . We can all especially profit from Allison's model of learning to read Scripture with the Church fathers. . . . This is a volume to be read and owned. I plan not only to read it again but also to use it as a supplemental textbook in more than one class."--Jonathan T. Pennington, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

"[Allison] presents a collection of essays on the Gospel of Matthew. One has high expectations, since Allison is one of the best American exegetes of his generation. Appropriately for a specialist in Matthew, Allison brings forth treasures new and old. For Allison, unlike many other biblical scholars, the new outweighs the old: all six essays in the first part, titled 'The Exegetical Past,' appear here for the first time. . . . The wealth of materials that Allison presents in his case studies from all periods, including the recent past, is superb: one repeatedly encounters rare observations in the history of interpretation and references that cannot be found anywhere else. . . . This collection is a treasure chest in which one encounters an endless abundance of sources in the history of religions and the history of interpretation that have not previously been utilized in scholarly discussion. The theses that the author builds on the basis of his material are for the most part plausible. The volume truly enriches Matthean studies."--Ulrich Luz, Theologische Literaturzeitung

"The discussions are interesting, the scholarly range impressive, and the arguments are carefully marshalled . . . by one of the cleverest Matthew scholars of our generation. The book will prove of enduring worth for those interested in the history of the interpretation of Matthew."--Peter M. Head, Journal for the Study of the New Testament Booklist

"[Allison] is known as one of the foremost modern authorities on the Gospel of Matthew; to that reputation he adds this volume on exegesis, literary and historical studies. . . . Allison's latest work is a timely reminder to scholars and laypersons alike to continually search the scriptures by way of the history of interpretation as well as translations of the various Hebrew and Greek texts. . . . This volume should be on every Matthean scholar's shelf, if not on her desk! The Index of Names and Scripture Index are thorough."--Glenna S. Jackson, HTS Theological Studies

"This collection of studies by Dale C. Allison is a superb example of Matthean scholarship and innovative interpretation. . . . This is a wonderful book, revealing an erudite biblical scholar at work, one whose exegetical judgments are full of common sense and whose sensitivities to the contours and meaning of Matthew's text are extraordinarily fruitful."--Donald Senior, CP, Catholic Biblical Quarterly

"These essays . . . are richly rewarding fresh studies of key passages and topics. . . . These carefully crafted essays are packed with historical learning and theological insight. Allison is refreshingly cautious in his refusal to run beyond the evidence. Above all, he encourages his readers not merely to engage with the text of Matthew's Gospel at a distance but to appropriate it for oneself."--Graham N. Stanton, Review of Biblical Literature

"It can be said with confidence that Wirkungsgeschichte--usually rendered into English as 'reception history'--has become recognized as a legitimate and necessary part of biblical studies. . . . Studies in Matthew offers an excellent contribution to this field. Of course, those interested in Wirkungsgeschichte are not the only ones with cause to celebrate the publication of this fine volume of biblical exegesis. The large section of 'Literary and Historical Studies' (roughly the second half of the book) contains a series of articles combining--characteristically, for Allison--erudition and insight, exhaustive survey of scholarship and theological reflection. . . . For this reviewer, however, the main value of this book lies in its first part, entitled 'The Exegetical Past,' which contains five new studies illustrating the contribution of reception history to biblical scholarship and a concluding essay of methodological reflections. Allison typically sets the stage by laying out the exegetical problem . . . and presenting the current state of scholarship. At this point, commentaries are usually ready to move on. For Allison, however, this is only the beginning of a journey through the history of interpretation, in which the reader is presented with an exhaustive survey of the exegetical options proposed by interpreters along the centuries."--Bogdan G. Bucur, Review of Biblical Literature

"[The] essays [in part 1] are both fascinating and illuminating because they discuss how difficult exegetical questions arising from Matthean texts have been answered through the history of their interpretation. . . . [The essays in part two] offer fresh perspectives on other challenging topics in Matthean studies. . . . Though I do not necessarily agree with Allison on every conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone working in the Synoptic Gospels generally and Matthean studies specifically. Allison is a thorough scholar and a lucid writer. This book should appear in the bibliographies of future Matthean studies as a key reference."--James D. Dvorak, Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism