SUBSIDIA BIBLICA - 25

O'TOOLE Robert F.

Luke’s Presentation of Jesus: A Christology

2004, pp. XIV+286

This study uses composition criticism to consider everything that Luke wrote about Jesus. His was no easy task since Luke was not writing about an ordinary being; the earthly Jesus was the same person who was raised from the dead. Jesus was a human being and a prophet, yet Luke wished to say much more. He has a very extensive and developed portrayal of Jesus as savior. His roles as Servant of Yahweh and Son of Man play a real part in explaining a number of Jesus’ experiences and actions, including his passion. Jesus’ identification as the Christ can be associated with his being Son of God, but each of these identifications has its own nuances. Luke 1:35 proves crucial for a correction understanding of “Son of God” and guides the reader’s comprehension of Jesus’ identity. Some passages surely communicate the mystery of Jesus’ divinity; others are open to this understanding. The OT background of “Lord” leads to a correct interpretation of this title when applied to Jesus, and Luke willingly predicates similar things of God and of Jesus. True, there is some unevenness in his composition, but Luke has a clear vision of whom he believes Jesus to be.

Fr. Robert F. O’Toole, S.J. was born and raised in St. Louis and entered the Jesuits in 1954. He holds an M.A. in Greek and Latin and licentiates in both philosophy and theology. He did his doctorate in Sacred Scriptures at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Fr. O’Toole taught at St. Louis University for 17 years and in 1991 moved to the Biblical Faculty at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, where he was also Rector of the Institute. In September of 2003, he was named the President of the Gregorian University Foundation. Fr. O’Toole has published extensively. Most of his publications are studies on Luke-Acts, and he has also done numerous book reviews. This, his fourth book, addressed a topic that for years has captured his intellectual interest.