by Justo L. González
Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Mich. 129 pages
Justo González is an exemplary church historian. Untold numbers of seminary students, now pastors, have been influenced by his long and distinguished work. Now he turns his considerable skills to explore the theology that undergirds the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. It is not unusual to consider both of these as a single volume, but in this little book González gives sustained attention to Luke’s theological intent. He argues that Luke has not received due attention compared to Paul, John and even the other Gospel writers. One has the sense that González is carefully bringing his years of scholarship to a laser point in this exploration of Luke. Close attention is given to the main themes of Luke including food and drink, worship, salvation, “the great reversal,” gender and the history of Israel. (There are also tantalizing biographical hints about Luke himself.)
This is not only church history, it’s also a theological commentary. González is not content to let Luke’s story end. He argues that it is a story without a conclusion, thus welcoming the reader to enter into the continuing saga of the Spirit at work in the world. Teachers and preachers should add this one to your Luke shelf and refer to it often.
