Review
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Title: The New Testament Made Harder: Scripture Study Questions
Author: James E. Faulconer
Publisher: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship
Genre: Nonfiction
Year Published: 2015
Number of Pages: 518
Binding: Paperback (Kindle version is also available)
ISBN13: 978-0842528719
Price: $21.95
Reviewed by Trevor Holyoak for the Association for Mormon Letters
This is the last in a series of books by this author, published by the Maxwell Institute, covering the four Standard Works. The title suggests that perhaps the author considers them an antidote to another series of books out there that attempt to make the scriptures “easier.” But if such is the case, the author does not admit it. Instead, it is explained that he took a class where he was taught to look deeply at the words and the relationships between the words, “asking questions of the text that generated additional questions for me,” (pg. x) and coming out with a much better understanding. This literally forced him “to work harder as [he] read,” but he believes that “doing so will be profitable to you, not only intellectually, but spiritually.” (pg. xi)
The book is organized according to the LDS Gospel Doctrine Sunday School curriculum, with 46 lessons covering the same scriptural material as the teacher’s manual. But this is not a commentary. Instead, it is full of questions to make the reader think. And there are no answers provided – indeed, there may not be any right or wrong answers to many of these questions. Faulconer briefly explains that it is meant to help class members prepare ahead of time, but then he goes on for the next three pages explaining how the teacher could use his book. He then also has a brief suggestion about how one might use it to create a sacrament meeting talk.
The next section covers the history between the Old and New Testaments and discusses the idea of history and what it is or isn’t. A chronology is given from 606 BC to 19 BC. There is also a helpful explanation of the differences between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. “But,” he points out, “it is important to remember that our job as students of the New Testament is not that of the historian…. History is relevant to the degree that it helps us understand the meaning of what we read.” (pg. 8)
The last section before we get into the lessons is called “What is the New Testament?” It gives a good explanation of what it is made up of and talks a bit about disputes among scholars over authorship and the order in which the various books were written. A table is given of “one reconstruction of the chronological order,” (pg. 10) but then he goes on to say that most scholars don’t agree with it. He finishes by making it plain that “the questions in this book won’t be concerned about authorship. They will assume that the Christian tradition is correct in assuming [these writings] were inspired by the Holy Ghost and authentically testify of Jesus Christ.” (pg. 12)
It has actually been many years since I have had the opportunity to attend Sunday School. My wife and I currently teach a class of 12 Sunbeams. So I thought that this book would create a good opportunity for me to get some more grown-up scripture study done in parallel with the rest of the adults in the Church. I find that after the book of Acts, the remainder of the New Testament is the most difficult of all the Standard Works for me to understand. This book contains many helpful explanations in the form of notes, but the questions also call attention to things that I would not have noticed or thought about.
Apparently most Gospel Doctrine classes should be on Lesson 39 at the time of this writing, which covers Ephesians. The book begins this lesson by saying: “Many scholars doubt that the Apostle Paul was the author of the letter. The reasons for those doubts need not concern us here, and rather than deciding the question, the materials that follow will refer to Paul as its author for convenience’s sake.” This lesson actually turns out to be the longest in the book, at 16 pages.
Here are some of the questions for chapter 1, verses 3-6: “These verses are one long sentence. Consider parsing that sentence to see how its parts relate to one another. What makes a blessing spiritual (verse 3)? Is it that it has to do with our individual spirits (as opposed to our body or our body plus our spirit, our soul) or that it has to do with the Spirit? What does it mean to say that those blessings are given ‘in heavenly places’? What does ‘in Christ’ mean? When someone says, ‘We are brothers and sisters in Christ,’ what does the phrase mean? Does it mean the same thing here or something different? The phrase occurs very often in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, more often than elsewhere. Why do you think that might be? What does it mean that believers were chosen ‘before the foundation of the world’ (verse 4)? When was that foundation? Does this verse support the teaching of preexistence?” (pages 421-422)
This book should be helpful for anyone interested in getting more out of the New Testament from an LDS perspective. And since it correlates with the Gospel Doctrine curriculum, both teachers and class members should be able to use it the way the author intended. I plan to continue using it to help with my personal scripture study.