Frank J. MATERA. A Concise Theology of the New Testament. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2021, pp. 120. $19.95 pb. ISBN 978-0-8091-5433-3. Reviewed by Dolores L. CHRISTIE, Cleveland, OH.

As a believer and a longtime student of theology, it was refreshing to read a serious book on scripture that limits ponderous footnotes and avoids distracting discussions of Greek words. While essential to the biblical scholar, such tomes cause even the academically trained reader to glaze over and wish for a Cliff Notes version. Here instead is a treatment of the Christian biblical tradition that is accessible to a general audience. Yet it is constructed on a secure scaffold of excellent scholarship and an understanding of not only the writers’ intent but the nuances of the culture from which the books arise.

Professor Matera brackets his discussion of the individual books of the New Testament with a discussion of what New Testament theology is and how it contributes integrally to the life of the church. The individual books are diverse in their intent and context, but they exhibit a coherence that points to a single person and a constant message. In his treatment of each book, the author notes its place in the corpus as well as its unique contribution. He dismisses common misunderstandings of biblical passages. He debunks, for example, the assumption that the resurrection of Jesus is the same as the resuscitation of Lazarus. He contradicts the convenient prejudice, drawn from John, that all “the Jews” are the murderers of Jesus. The term, he notes, “refers to the leadership group hostile to Jesus.” And we know, of course, that the communities from which much of the New Testament comes were Jewish or composite groups with some Jewish members.

The author’s treatment of John’s gospel is particularly good, especially his comments on the I AM references. Perhaps my one negative comment, albeit a personal issue, is that he highlights John the Baptist as the witness to Jesus in John and does not mention the enduring testimony of the anonymous Beloved Disciple.

The letters in the Christian testament, of course, are not all Pauline nor or of one piece. Professor Matera’s concentration is not on authorship but rather on Paul’s career and the theology present in this diverse collection. In this section especially, bullet point summaries are helpful in capturing the meat of the evolving message of the life and legacy of Jesus for the church.                                                                                                         

The book is technical in the sense that the author knows the subject in and out. Yet he demonstrates the ability to express it in a manner that the “ordinary” reader can understand.  He offers summaries of what he has covered as well as recapitulation of earlier conclusions. For the lazy reader, bullet points of major conclusions are located throughout the text. Likewise, the author summarizes his conclusions frequently and offers—much like President Biden—logical “first, second, third” notations of what he thinks. There are a few end notes and only a short list of references, including Rudolf Bultmann and the author himself.

Clearly the author has wedded his long experience as a university professor to his pastoral life. The work is bolstered by a rigorous framework of decades of study on his part. Yet this structure serves a greater purpose: the strengthening of faith. “We learn who God is by hearing the story of Jesus.”

Professor Matera has prepared a book that might be offered confidently to a friend who wants to know more about Christian writings. It is rigorous enough to satisfy the professional but clear enough to be read by the theological novice.  It could be used as a reference for those working in RCIA programs or students, certainly those in college but accessible even for those in high school. It is not a trivial book, but it can be read easily by anyone.

He demonstrates that biblical theology nourishes church unity, faith, worship, and practice. It enriches other theological endeavors, systematic, pastoral, and moral. As he notes in his final paragraph, “More than an academic disciple and historical study of the Bible, NTT [New Testament theology] is a theological discipline that has the promise of enriching, and being enriched by the life of the believing community.”