I’ve been working on my review of Chris Tilling’s Paul’s Divine Christology for a few days now and I’m not even close to being done. I know exactly what I want to say but I just don’t know how I want to say it. Do I approach it like any other book and give a no-nonsense review? Should the review resemble the other reviews I’ve written for WUNT II volumes? Or should I personalize it since I’ve been personally involved with the project? Do I use humor or don’t I? Call Chris by his first name or not? (For the record; that’s a definite NOT! I’m adamantly against referring to authors by their first name only in book reviews; it seems untoward).
I don’t know how it’s all gonna turn out, but I do know that this isn’t the first time I’ve run into this problem. In fact, it happened recently when I went to review Mike Reeves’ brilliant little book on the Trinity. It’s like everything I want to say is right on the tip of my tongue and I just can’t get it to come out coherently or in a way that sounds like it sounds in my head. I have half a review of Nicholas Perrin’s book on the Gospel of Thomas from like 5 years ago sitting unfinished in my drafts because I could never get it quite right. I can’t say why this happens but it happens more often than I’d like it too.
B”H
I think you should just treat it like any other review. I have read many of your reviews, and I must say, they’re all excellent. I definitely plan on getting Tilling’s book now just because of what you wrote about it so far in other posts. You definitely have a gift Nick. I have been turned on to sooo much good material because of you. I really appreciate this blog. God willing, I will follow this blog until the day I pass away.
If you just relax and perform like you have in the past, I’m confident that the review will be amazing.
Good luck and God Bless.
EDH: Many thanks for the kind words; and I’m glad you’ve found some of my reviews helpful. I know that you’ll find Tilling’s book helpful; it’s sure to become a mainstay in scholarship on Christology.