Martin Bucer has usually been portrayed as a diplomat who attempted to reconcile divergent theological views, sometimes at any cost, or as a pragmatic pastor who was more concerned with ethics than theology. These representations have led to the view that Bucer was a theological light-weight, rightly placed in the shadow of Luther and Calvin. This book makes a different argument.

Bucer was an ecclesial diplomat and a pragmatic pastor, yet his ecclesial and practical approaches to reforming the Church were guided by coherent theological convictions. Central to his theology was his...

The essays in this volume engage specific New Testament texts and theological doctrines through the lens of one or more of the following questions: Should systematic theology dominate biblical theology or the reverse? Should they form a partnership of equals? How would such a partnership function? Is theology necessary or harmful for exegesis? Should theological peculiarities in the New Testament be considered in exegetical study? The contributors include both systematic theologians and New Testament scholars, and each explores their respective topics with a concern for reconsidering the...