This book is handy to have near the desk. I’ve used an older addition when Richard Soulen authored alone to great advantage in the past, but this view, fourth edition, now co-authored with R. Kendall Soulen is even better. Pretty much any term you may encounter in scholarly reading that is obscure to you will be explained succinctly in this book. They cover technical terms, names, tools, and interpretive approaches. I noticed this later edition covers even more interpretive approaches from other parts of the world that you especially might not be familiar with.

For me, the book’s value is in its quick explanation of terms that I just didn’t know. He further helps me in words I’m a little fuzzy on or that I hadn’t thought about in a long time. Even in words I knew well, it was a help to see their careful explanation in a small compass. In cases where the entry warranted, I noticed articles that were longer than in the previous edition.

The entries cover all the bases. Terms about various types of criticism, special grammatical terms, famous biblical texts, scholars who had a major impact in biblical interpretation, and the latest approaches are all covered. Several entries have helpful bibliographies attached.

Again, this is the perfect book to have on hand to grab for that quickly needed explanation while you’re in the middle of other study. I’m glad to have it near and I highly recommend it.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.