This volume addresses an extremely important topic with a collection of essays by a variety of authors. Unfortunately, only four of the twenty-one authors write from places other than Australia, Canada, Europe, and the U.S.A. Brett’s own introduction provides a useful survey of the modern and ancient issues of ethnicity that dominate the volume. In many cases, the writers discern value on both sides of the issues, generally in terms of both drawing boundaries and defining different people groups and in terms of appreciating the ambiguity and intermixture between them (though, not all, for example Edelman object to any positive evidence for discerning early Israel despite the contrary conclusions of many archaeologists working in the field). Levenson’s essay is a particularly good one with its nuanced survey of the difficulties in defining universalism and particularism in Judaism and Christianity; a survey that concludes with a recognition of the need for the preservation of both. Despite Matthew’s accounts such as the one about the magi at Christ’s birth, Sim concludes that the Matthean community of Christ was exclusive to Jews. The remaining New Testament essays study the epistles. Paul’s views and especially his epistle to the Galatians attract two writers who consider multiculturalism (Barclay) and the creation of a new identity part from Jew and Gentile (Esler). For Stegemann, the statement about Cretans in Titus 1:12 is ‘an ancient form of racism’.

The second part of the volume considers the cultures of indigenous peoples and the politics of interpretation. Richard and Hawley speak for Latin American and outlines hermeneutical principles that not only describe the interpretation of the Bible but also serve as a basis for reconstructing both Christianity and society. Thanzauva and Hnuni examine the hermeneutics of tribal peoples in India and consider how laws such as those governing the alien might be used to protect and empower these minorities. Hume provides examples of the assimilation of Christian teaching into aboriginal traditions and beliefs. Jobling and Rose discuss stereotypes, including Philistiens and women, and then criticise the new literary critics (Polzin, Alter, but especially Sternberg) for exclusivist methodologies and assumptions. Apparently, none of these has the opportunity to respond in this book. Riches discusses some results of a project that examines Western and African readings of the Bible, although there is a distinct emphasis on evaluating Sanders’ method in relating Paul to Judaism. Craffert and Segovia conclude the essays with two contributions emphasising tolerance and openness to non-Western approaches of biblical interpretation and application. Like all collections of essays, this one is a mixture of quality and quantity. Nevertheless, it is one of the few substantial introductions to an increasingly relevant and important area of biblical the theological studies.