book review: a theology of luke and acts

Lets be honest from the outset, many biblical theology texts are downright dry. How often do you open up a massive book with some formulation of “biblical theology” in the title, only to find yourself falling asleep no more than three pages into the text? Oh you don’t? It must just be me then…hmmm  

With that being said, I had mixed expectations for Darrell Bock’s newest entry, A Theology of Luke and Acts, into the Zondervan series on New Testament Theology. While I always enjoy Bock’s writings and commentaries, I couldn’t help but expect this biblical theology to be like most others in terms of enjoyability. Yet, I must admit, while there are some weighty sections in Bock’s work, it actually flows quite well. Rather than being consumed with nitpicking theological particulars that may or may not be present in a given chapter, Bock presents a compelling framework by which to understand the entirety of Luke’s narrative from Gospel message to historical account. The way in which this volume remains readable while being quite scholarly is both a tribute to Darrell Bock’s abilities as a writer but also to series editor Andreas Kostenberger’s influence.

While there are the occasional dispensational hints in the text, I found Bock’s presentation to be theologically balanced by attempting to argue for the essential theological elements that all interpreters (regardless of their “school” of theology) must hold. This is no easy task but Bock does a masterful job at finding (as best one can) a middle road. Thus, I consider A Theology of Luke and Acts a welcomed addition to my library and I would encourage you find it a spot in your own collection.