Commentary on Romans

Rating:
Summary: Considerable Rewards for Maximum Effort
Review: Ernst Kasemann's Romans is not for the faint of heart. His scholarship is heavy and his language is thick. A thorough knowledge of Greek and history of interpretation is advised if not prerequisite. It takes considerable effort to wade through his acumen, but it is not without signficant rewards for the scholarly reader. His notes and bibliography are extensive and helpful; and his interaction with the history of interpretation is helpful--often the key to understanding his own position.

Kasemann acknowledges Barth, Bultmann, Nygren, Calvin, and Luther as primary influences in his treatment of Romans, drawing from and amalgamating a number of interpretive traditions; but it is where he contributes his own provocative and original insights that his commenatary is most rewarding. Kasemann views the overarching theme of the book of Romans as the eschatological revelation of the righteousness of God. 'With recourse to the Kurios acclamation we may summarize the whole message of the epistle in the brief and paradoxical statement that the Son of God is as our Kurios the one eschatological gift of God to us and that herein is revealed simultaneously both God's legitimage claim on us and also our salvation.' (p. 29) Where he follows this key strand through the epistle his commenatary is wonderfully acute and compelling. But where he digresses he often ends up in a quasi-mysticist vein, compromising if not outright contradicting his original premises; and one begins to wonder if Kasemann has truly comprehended the mind of the Apostle.

Overall Kasemann's Romans is a very important exposition, historically pertinent and original. The scholarly reader, firm in his convictions, will have to sift through this book with great caution; but will find it in the end to be one of the most inspiring (and at times confusing) works on Romans of this century.

Rating:
Summary: Considerable Rewards for Maximum Effort
Review: Ernst Kasemann's Romans is not for the faint of heart. His scholarship is heavy and his language is thick. A thorough knowledge of Greek and history of interpretation is advised if not prerequisite. It takes considerable effort to wade through his acumen, but it is not without signficant rewards for the scholarly reader. His notes and bibliography are extensive and helpful; and his interaction with the history of interpretation is helpful--often the key to understanding his own position.

Kasemann acknowledges Barth, Bultmann, Nygren, Calvin, and Luther as primary influences in his treatment of Romans, drawing from and amalgamating a number of interpretive traditions; but it is where he contributes his own provocative and original insights that his commenatary is most rewarding. Kasemann views the overarching theme of the book of Romans as the eschatological revelation of the righteousness of God. 'With recourse to the Kurios acclamation we may summarize the whole message of the epistle in the brief and paradoxical statement that the Son of God is as our Kurios the one eschatological gift of God to us and that herein is revealed simultaneously both God's legitimage claim on us and also our salvation.' (p. 29) Where he follows this key strand through the epistle his commenatary is wonderfully acute and compelling. But where he digresses he often ends up in a quasi-mysticist vein, compromising if not outright contradicting his original premises; and one begins to wonder if Kasemann has truly comprehended the mind of the Apostle.

Overall Kasemann's Romans is a very important exposition, historically pertinent and original. The scholarly reader, firm in his convictions, will have to sift through this book with great caution; but will find it in the end to be one of the most inspiring (and at times confusing) works on Romans of this century.

Rating:
Summary: Get ready to rumble ...
Review: This work is filled with utterly brilliant one line insights that need a commentary of their own. If you can get beyond the frustrating format of this work (references interspersed with text) you will find great gain). Kasemann is probably the greatest german scholar after Bultmann.