The Historical Handbook of Major Biblical Interpreters is a unique reference work that recognizes that the history of Christian theology is fundamentally the history of the church's interpretation of the Bible. In this book contributors from both historical and biblical studies meet and create a reference book that will be valuable for all students and teachers of theology, church history and biblical studies. The methods, perspectives and seminal works of major biblical interpreters are placed in historical perspective and assessed by scholars who are experts in their subjects. Over one hundred biblical interpreters have been selected for their individual contributions or their representation of approaches to biblical interpretation.

This handbook is organized by historical periods, from the second century to the late twentieth century, with each period introduced by an overview essay and followed by articles on the major interpreters of the period. A final section is devoted to twentieth-century North American interpreters. Valuable bibliographies include the significant works of each interpreter as well as studies of the interpreter and important studies of each period under review.

"I am more than glad to commend this Historical Handbook. Biblical interpretation becomes impoverished if the history of the reception of texts is ignored, since each reading shapes subsequent expectations and thereby the agenda which interpreters bring to the text. This reference work provides easy access to material which is otherwise scattered and time consuming to track down. With helpful bibliographies, it provides a valuable tool for students of the Bible and of hermeneutics. Virtually all articles are useful, and some by well-known specialists on their subject are outstanding."

Anthony C. Thiselton, professor of Christian Theology and head of department, University of Nottingham

"Donald McKim has assembled a team of experts to write sympathetic yet critical descriptions and assessments of the major figures in biblical interpretation from the early church to the present day. The articles are full enough to be informative but not so detailed or technical as to be beyond the reach of the undergraduate reader. Together with the survey articles on specific periods, this collection of over one hundred articles on individual scholars offers an unrivaled overview of the history of biblical scholarship in all of its developments and vicissitudes. It is not only a valuable resource for the student; it is also intensely interesting."

"This volume provides a thorough introduction to most of the major figures in the history of exegesis. It is a useful resource both as a work of reference and as a guide to further reading."

"This is an instructive, thought-provoking, generous-minded, reliable, absorbing, illuminating and imaginative work, often elegant, entertaining, incisive and provocative. It covers a remarkable galaxy of names, and it is written by people from a wide range of backgrounds, many of them world experts on their subject. Why did no one think of writing it before?"