The New Testament

November 1, 2017

Hart (fellow, Notre Dame Inst. for Advanced Studies; The Experience of God; Atheist Delusions; The Story of Christianity) produces a one-person translation of the New Testament that attempts to capture the immediacy and nuances of the original Greek. The stated intention is to produce a translation unaffected by later church doctrine. Rather than a committee determining a common denominator, the author's singular voice and decisions come through clearly. For instance, Hart has chosen to render a common Greek phrase in its literal form as "the life of the age" rather than eternal or everlasting life. He also captures the choppiness of the narrative rather than smoothing it out as a literary production. His introduction, footnotes, and postscript reveal some of the thinking behind his language decisions, but the majority of the text remains undeclared owing to space constraints. Readers who are familiar with other translations will find a fresh voice in this version. VERDICT Academic readers, particularly those with some knowledge of Greek, will find this a useful resource, as will readers looking for another source on the Bible beyond the common translations. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.--Ray Arnett, Fremont Area Dist. Lib., MI

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Starred review from August 14, 2017
Patristics scholar Hart (Atheist Delusions) explains in a lengthy introduction his reasons for what he calls a “reconstructive” translation of the New Testament: “to help awaken readers to mysteries and uncertainties and surprises” that he has found. The resulting text is indeed different; gone are many familiar terms, such as Messiah and devil. Hart also occasionally switches to present tense in gospel narratives, following the original Greek. From a literary point of view, the text is graceless, as the translator almost cheerfully admits. From the point of view of biblical studies, Hart has produced a deconstructive challenge to much received theological and hermeneutical wisdom, particularly about Paul’s letters; on that topic Hart joins a large and lively scholarly conversation. Another distinctive aspect of this translation is Hart’s insistence that scriptural condemnation of wealth is a consistent theme meant to be taken seriously. This necessary, brilliantly presented translation reads like taking a biblical studies class with a provocative professor.