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296

BOOK REVIEWS

The lack of considerationof alternativeexplanations for the existence of a short

text of John's Gospel, as also for the striking agreement among some of its secondary witnesses, is one factor that renders Boismard's conclusions less convincing than they might otherwisehave been. Nevertheless, this should not be a reason
for simply dismissing the information that Boismard brings together in this book
for significant questions are raised about the early history of the Gospel text for
which answers are needed. It is to be genuinely hoped that further enquiry into
these questions from other perspectives may be prompted by Boismard's work.
J.

READ-HEIMERDINGER

Mission Strategy,Theology(Grand
R. RIESNER,
Paul's Early Period:Chronology,
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), xvi + 535 pages, ISBN 0-8028-4166-X.
This is the translation of Riesner's Tiibingen Habilitationsschriftof 1990-91,
published in 1994 under the title Die Frihzeit des ApostelsPaulus (WUNT); the
English edition has a few correctionsand minor additions.It is describedby Martin
Hengel on the front cover as 'a magisterialwork that will long remain the leading investigation of this heavily discussedsubject'. I do not at all dissent from this
evaluation, and any qualificationwill be modest.
Riesner begins by reviewing the earlier studies of Pauline chronology, particularly through the 20th century, from Harnack (1897) to Carson (1992). Among
other things, this highlights the sensitivity of the information provided by Acts,
and Riesner concludes with justification that the history of scholarship seems to
pose two alternatives:'either we can be certain regarding at least the relative reliability not only of isolated dates but also of the overall frameworkof Acts, or we
must give up the notion of ever attaining again any broader consensus regarding
Pauline chronology' (27-28). Accordingly, and despite the arguments of some who
want to give Paul's letters absolute priority over Acts, he proposes to give Paul's
letters only 'relative' priority over the information contained in Acts (30).
Riesner then subjects to analysis all the key chronological indicators: including
the crucifixion of Jesus (AD 30), the persecution of Stephen and the conversion
of Paul (31/32), the flight from Damascus, the beginnings of the mission to the
Gentiles, the famine prophecy of Acts 11:27-28, the Proconsul Sergius Paulus,
Claudius' edict concerning the Jews (49), and Paul and Gallio (51). I have nowhere
read such a careful documentation and analysis of the original sources related to
each point. The mastery of both ancient and contemporaryliterature seems to be
as complete, and as detailed as one could wish for (the bibliography runs to just
over 80 pages). Riesner has a conservative reputation, but he is scrupulouslyfair
in the weight he places or declines to place on the range of evidence assembled,
and though his conclusions are more in a conservative direction, the evidence
assembled makes one wonder far more at the radicalism of a Ludemann than at
the conservativism of Riesner. His discussion, for example, of the flight from
Damascus, of the question of Paul's Roman citizenship, and of Claudius' edict is
a model of thorough, careful scholarshipof the highest order.
Part II focuses particularlyon the geographic factors relevant to a reconstruction of Paul's mission. A major key for him is Rom. 15:19 (drawing on W. P.
Bowers unpublished Cambridge dissertationof 1976) and the likelihood that Paul
was influenced in his mission strategy by Isa. 66:19 (241-306). Here he had sur21 (1979)
prisinglymissed the important article by R. D. Aus in NovumTestamentum
(245 n. 55), and it was unfortunatethat the English edition has not been able to
take more account ofJ. M. Scott's Paul and theNations(WUNT 1995) (253 n. 96).
But it is a fascinating prospect which he opens up independently, especially as to
C KoninklijkeBrill NV, Leiden, 2000

Novum TestamentumXLII, 3

BOOK REVIEWS

297

the light which that verse sheds on Paul's vision of his mission and on several of
the options which the ambiguity of the evidence poses. The treatment of the old
chesnut regarding Galatia (south or north?) is very fine, and his quotation from
T. S. Mitchell to the effect that W. M. Ramsay's work 'should long ago have put
the matter beyond dispute' (289)just about sums it up. One of the problems which
the appeal to Rom. 15:19 and Isa. 66:19 causes Riesner, however, is that he is
pushed to look beyond 'Paul's early period', since the texts more obviously raise
the issue of 'Why Spain?' and he is not able to give the later period such close
attention. Nevertheless the value of bringing these texts in to explain the strategy
of the early period remains.
The final section (Part III) is also slightly awkwardlyincluded, since an attempt
to include treatment of Paul's early theology really requires a good deal more digging into Paul's theological background and influences. In fact, however, the discussion is mainly on the circumstances influencing Paul's initial visit and the
Thessalonian congregation. Even so, the study tails off rather unsatisfactorilyon
questions of theology rather than with the strong conclusions on chronology and
missionary strategy which the earlier parts warranted.
In short, I cannot recommend this book too strongly. It will provide the obvious starting point for future studies of Pauline chronology and an indispensable
reference work on most matters relating to Paul's early mission. Despite its detail
it is very readable, and the occasional touches of gentle sarcasm (as on 287 and
288 n. 44) help lighten the discussion.
D. G. DUNN
JAMES

University of Durham

R. MArrHEWS, The
FRAN9OISBOVON, ANN GRAHAMBROCK, CHRISTOPHER
Acts of theApostles:HarvardDivinitySchoolStudies(Cambridge Mass.:
Apocryphal
Harvard University Press, 1999), xxix + 394 pp. ISBN 0945454171 (hardback), 094545418X (paperback),$24.95 (hardback)(= HarvardUniversitCenter
Religionsof the World)
for the Studyof WorldReligions:
PIETER
J.

LALEMAN,

TheActs of John A Two-StageInitiationintoJohannineGnostisism

(Leuven: Peeters, 1998), vii + 309 pp. ISBN 9042905735 (= Studieson the
ApocyphalActs of theApostles4)
In recent years secondary literaturein English on the apocryphalActs has taken
great strides, and is at last introducing these important early Christian texts to a
wider public and alerting readers to the ongoing scholarly endeavours to establish critical editions. We had the SBL collection of essays in the Semeiaseries (no.
38 in 1986) and more recently several collections of essays edited by Jan Bremmer
Acts of theApostles.
in the series Studieson theApocryphal
Now we have an important assembly of essays initiated by Harvard Divinity
School, largely due to Francois Bovon's initiative. The opening essay in the present collection has Bovon share with readers and potential researchersin this field
his experiences in how one approaches and tackles the quest for new texts in this
area. The rest of the book, written by Bovon's colleagues and research students
is divided into three of the areas in which ongoing study of these apocryphaltexts
has been, and should continue to be, profitablypursued.
One, headed 'Performanceand Rewriting', looks at the sources of and the reediting of these texts. The first (by Christine Thomas) is on the 'pre-history'of
the Acts of Peter, showing the gestation of an early Christian narrative. Allan
Callahan then writes on the tradition, transmissionand translationof the Arabic
? KoninklijkeBrill NV, Leiden, 2000

Novum TestamentumXLII, 3