Asbury New Testament Scholar Publishes New Book

October 20, 2023

Professor of Bible and Theology Dr. Kevin Anderson recently published “Hebrews and the General Epistles,” a new book in the “Reading and Interpreting the Bible Series” (The Foundry Publishing): https://www.thefoundrypublishing.com/ministry-resources/academic/hebrews-and-the-general-epistles-9780834141711.html. Anderson’s volume of the series approaches Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude from a canonical perspective.

“Hebrews is a book I love, and I will wrestle with it for the rest of my life,” said Anderson. “This was a challenging book to write, since I had to grapple with an interpretive method that I have been warming up to increasingly over the past decade or so. Paradigm shifts are difficult to make.”

Anderson hopes that those interested in Hebrews and James will be able to utilize this resource as an introduction to “the challenges of interpreting this part of the canon.”

“I offer viewers a method of interpretation that will help them dig into each book individually, as well as get a theological vision of how they have been providentially placed together to communicate truths about Christian discipleship,” said Anderson. “This contrasts with a historical-critical approach to these books, which has treated them in a way that disconnects and isolates each book from the others. Each volume provides a methodology for approaching a respective part of the canon, along with representative samples of how to interpret a passage within it.”

Anderson received his Ph.D. in New Testament from the London School of Theology/Brunel University. His research interests surround studies in Luke-Acts and Johannine literature. Anderson serves as a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Wesleyan Theological Society. Learn more: https://www.asbury.edu/about/directory/kevin-anderson/.

“Reading Hebrews and the General Epistles canonically means taking seriously where they are placed within the New Testament canon, as well as how they are sequenced in such a way as to interact with one another,” said Anderson. “My work is unique in that it argues that the Letter to the Hebrews acts as a kind of canonical bridge between the Pauline Epistles and the General Epistles.”

In the spring of 2023, Anderson published “The Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu,” an in-depth resource for adult Sunday school teachers (Illustrated Bible Life). Anderson also plans to publish a seven-part commentary on 1 Corinthians, which will be published in the Spring 2024 issue of Illustrated Bible Life.

The Asbury University Christian Studies & Philosophy Department offers seven majors and six minors for traditional undergraduate students, including youth ministry, Bible-theology, intercultural studies, and pastoral ministries. The Online program offers a major in Leadership and Ministry: https://www.asbury.edu/academics/degrees/online/leadership-ministry/.

**Contributor Credit: Sara Clark ’26 (The Asbury Collegian)