A cracking read: Luke Timothy Johnson’s autobiography as a scholar

31 October 2022 by Steve Walton
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Luke Timothy Johnson, The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a ScholarGrand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2022. ISBN 978-0-8028-8011-6. I read Luke Timothy Johnson’s book with great appreciation over the weekend. It’s clear, lucid, engaging, and very encouraging and stimulating. I’ve long been an admirer of his work: his published PhD dissertation, The Literary Function of Possessions in Luke-Acts (SBLDS 39; Missoula, MT: Scholars, 1977) was a pioneering ‘narrative’ reading of Luke-Acts which I found very helpful in my own PhD work a few years later, Continue reading →

A new book on baptism

14 October 2022 by Steve Walton
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Pontien Ndagijimana Batibuka, Baptism as an Event of Taking Responsibility: A New Reading of Romans 5:12 to 6:23, Langham Monographs, Carlisle: Langham Publishing, 2022. ISBN 9781839732348. £24.99. Dr Pontien Batibuka has just published a revised version of his fine doctoral study of Romans 5:12–6:23, focusing on the meaning of baptism in that section of the letter. It’s well worth reading. He is a professor of New Testament studies and the Library Director at Shalom University of Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo. He co-founded the NGO, Continue reading →

My commentary on Acts 2:42-47

31 August 2022 by Steve Walton
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As many of my readers will know, I’m working on the Word Biblical Commentary (WBC) on Acts. My friend Andrew Roberts recently asked me to contribute to his Holy Habits blog on Acts 2:42-47, and I gave him the ‘Explanation’ section of my commentary on that passage—that’s the part of the WBC which focuses on pulling the threads of a passage together to give an overall interpretation of it. Here’s a link to that blog—you’ll find lots of other good stuff there too! Comments and Continue reading →

My new book: Reading Acts Theologically

4 August 2022 by Steve Walton
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I’m delighted to say that my new book is now available. It’s a ‘collected essays’ volume, bringing together thirteen essays about Acts that I’ve written over the last twenty years as I’ve worked on my Word Biblical Commentary on Acts. Most have been published elsewhere; two are published for the first time here. Alas, it’s not cheap in the hardback which now appears, but there will be a paperback in 18–24 months, so be patient—and please, in the meantime, ask your library to get the Continue reading →

Review: Your PhD Survival Guide

14 July 2022 by Steve Walton
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I’ve greatly appreciated this practical and thoughtful book, and have already made use of a number of its key ideas in leading a session on the ‘final year’ (quotation marks since for part-time PhD students, it’s frequently more than 12 months)—see my slides here. This review will sketch its key features and themes, and highlight how it can be helpful to both students and supervisors in the final stretch towards submission and the viva/oral defence. The authors are a trio of people who work in Continue reading →