Peter Enns
Encyclopedia
Peter Eric Enns is a Evangelical
Christian
and a biblical
scholar.
, (January 2, 1961) to German American
immigrant parents. He grew up in River Vale, New Jersey
and graduated from Pascack Valley High School
(Hillsdale, New Jersey
) in 1978. He is married to Susan (1984) and has three children, Erich (1987), Elizabeth (1990), and Sophia (1993). He holds a B.A. in behavioral science from Messiah College
in Grantham, Pennsylvania
(1982), an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(1989), and an M.A. (1993) and Ph.D. (1994) from Harvard University
(Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations).
Enns returned to Westminster Theological Seminary
in 1994 to begin his teaching career. He was tenured in 2000 and promoted to full professor in 2005 as Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Hermeneutics. Among other duties, he served as Associate Academic Dean from 1998-2001, chair of the Hermeneutics (Ph.D.) Field Committee (1997-2000), and edited the Westminster Theological Journal
(2000-2005).
Enns is formerly Senior Fellow, Biblical Studies with The BioLogos Foundation
, a Christian organization that "explores, promotes, and celebrates the integration of science and Christian faith". He wrote nearly 100 blog posts at The BioLogos Forum, "Science and the Sacred." He also has begun writing frequent articles for the religion
section of The Huffington Post: Religion.
Enns is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature
and has served on the Wisdom in Israel and Cognate Literature Session steering committee since 2006. He is also a member of the Institute for Biblical Research
, where he served on the board of directors from 2004-2007 and the editorial board for the Bulletin for Biblical Research from 2002-2004.
theology
, Biblical Theology
, Wisdom Literature
(especially Ecclesiastes
), the New Testament
use of the Old Testament, Second Temple
literature, and the general issue of how the historical context of the Bible affects how we understand the nature of Scripture within Reformed and Evangelical
commitments. He has written many articles, essays, dictionary and encyclopedia entries, and book reviews on varied topics surrounding the Old Testament and its interpretation (see "Books" and "Articles and Essays" below). His 2008 edited volume (with Tremper Longman III), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry, and Writings (IVP), won the Christianity Today
“Award of Merit” for 2009 and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
’s “2009 Christian Book of the Year” award in the Bible Reference and Study category.
Enns’s current writing projects include a Bible curriculum for grades 1-12 Telling God's Story, and a book on the hermeneutical implications of the discussion between Christianity
and evolution
, The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human origins. He has also taught courses at Princeton Theological Seminary
, Harvard University
, Fuller Theological Seminary
, Eastern University (United States), and Biblical Theological Seminary
.
Enns looks at three issues raised in modern biblical scholarship that he feels are mishandled by Evangelicals: (1) the strong similarities between the Old Testament and the literature of other ancient societies; (2), theological diversity among the Old Testament authors; (3) how New Testament writers interpreted the Old Testament in inventive ways that reflect Jewish practices of the time.
In all three cases, the Bible behaves in ways that don’t seem very “inspired,” but rather very “human.” Enns argues for an “incarnational” understanding of the Bible as a way to take seriously these types of challenges. This model draws an analogy between Jesus and the Bible: “In the same way that Jesus is—must be—both God and human, the Bible is also a divine and human book”. The Bible is not “an abstract, otherworldly book, dropped out of heaven. It was connected to and therefore spoke to those ancient cultures….precisely because Christianity is a historical religion, God’s word reflects the various historical moments in which Scripture was written”. Enns feels that the problems raised by the “human dimension” of the Bible for many evangelicals “has less to do with the Bible itself and more to do with our own preconceptions” of how the Bible “ought” to be). Enns advocates an incarnational model to help evangelicals reorient their expectations of Scripture and so come to peace with new developments in their understanding of the Bible.
Inspiration and Incarnation has been endorsed by such notable scholars as H.G.M Williamson, Bill T. Arnold, Bruce K. Waltke, David W. Baker, Tremper Longman III, Joel G. Green, and others, for its creative approach to solving the modern problem of the Bible. Among scholars, it has also met with criticism by D. A. Carson, Paul Helm, and G. K. Beale
, who claim it abandons the traditional evangelical doctrine
of biblical inerrancy
. For links to these reviews and Peter Enns's responses to them, as well as his general defense of the books' thesis, see iandibook.com, the official web site of the book.
The general content of Inspiration and Incarnation was taught by Enns over his fourteen year teaching
career at Westminster Theological Seminary. It was only after the book’s publication in 2005 that a
lengthy controversy ensued in the wake of major administrative changes, most notably the
election of Peter Lillback as president in 2005. The main point of contention
was whether the book was within the theological boundaries of the Westminster Confession of Faith
. Westminster faculty members take an oath that their teaching will be in line with that confession.
Lillback initiated a series of regular faculty meetings ("Faculty Theology Fellowship") to discuss Enns and his book. Those meetings, moderated by Lillback, took place over a two-year period and led to the preparation of two written reports, at Lillback's direction, to aid the faculty in determining whether or not Enns was in violation of his oath. (It should be noted that, although Westminster has had a Board of Trustees for some time, it has historically been governed by its faculty, particularly in theological matters.) These reports were written by the two field committees: the Historical and Theological Field Committee, composed of faculty members generally opposed to Enns's book, and the Hermeneutics Field Committee, composed of members generally favorable towards Enns's ideas. After both committees reported their findings in the form of written reports, as well as written response by each committee to the other's report, faculty members William Edgar and Michael Kelly prepared a motion (known as the Edgar-Kelly Motion) declaring that Enns's writing and teaching were within the bounds of his faculty oath. All official documents used in these faculty debates, including both field committee reports and the Edgar-Kelly Motion, can be downloaded from the Westminster Theological Seminary web site here http://www.wts.edu/about/beliefs/statements/theological_discussion_documen.html. The motion was approved by the faculty, 12-8, in December 2007. Despite the work of these committees and the resulting faculty vote, President Lillback referred the matter immediately to the Board of Trustees.
On March 26, 2008, the Board of Trustees at Westminster Theological Seminary voted 18–9 to suspend Enns from his position effective May 23, 2008. Though the faculty voted 12–8 that the work falls within the parameters of the Westminster Confession of Faith
, the chairman of the Board said that a majority of the members on the Board at that time felt the book was incompatible with the Confession. As of August 1, 2008, Enns and the seminary agreed to part ways. Following the Board's vote, nine trustees resigned from the board.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and a biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
scholar.
Biography
Peter Enns was born in Passaic, New JerseyPassaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
, (January 2, 1961) to German American
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
immigrant parents. He grew up in River Vale, New Jersey
River Vale, New Jersey
River Vale is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 9,659. The community was ranked #29 on the 100 Best Places to Live 2007 survey published by CNN/Money magazine....
and graduated from Pascack Valley High School
Pascack Valley High School
Pascack Valley High School is a four-year regional public high school located in Hillsdale in Bergen County, New Jersey, one of two high schools in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District...
(Hillsdale, New Jersey
Hillsdale, New Jersey
Hillsdale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,219.The populated area today known as Hillsdale took form in the mid-to-late 19th century as land speculators, led by David P. Patterson, developed subdivisons to profit from the...
) in 1978. He is married to Susan (1984) and has three children, Erich (1987), Elizabeth (1990), and Sophia (1993). He holds a B.A. in behavioral science from Messiah College
Messiah College
Messiah College is a private Christian college of the liberal arts and applied arts and sciences located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, near the capital city of Harrisburg...
in Grantham, Pennsylvania
Grantham, Pennsylvania
Grantham is an unincorporated community in Upper Allen Township, Cumberland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, best known today for the Christian liberal arts college, Messiah College, whose students make up most of its population....
(1982), an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
(1989), and an M.A. (1993) and Ph.D. (1994) from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations).
Enns returned to Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary
Westminster Theological Seminary is a Presbyterian and Reformed Christian graduate educational institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, with a satellite location in London.-History:...
in 1994 to begin his teaching career. He was tenured in 2000 and promoted to full professor in 2005 as Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Hermeneutics. Among other duties, he served as Associate Academic Dean from 1998-2001, chair of the Hermeneutics (Ph.D.) Field Committee (1997-2000), and edited the Westminster Theological Journal
Westminster Theological Journal
Westminster Theological Journal is a theological journal published by Westminster Theological Seminary....
(2000-2005).
Enns is formerly Senior Fellow, Biblical Studies with The BioLogos Foundation
BioLogos Foundation
The BioLogos Foundation is a Christian advocacy group established by Francis Collins in 2007. BioLogos aims to address the core themes of science and religion, and emphasize a compatibility between science and Christian faith....
, a Christian organization that "explores, promotes, and celebrates the integration of science and Christian faith". He wrote nearly 100 blog posts at The BioLogos Forum, "Science and the Sacred." He also has begun writing frequent articles for the religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
section of The Huffington Post: Religion.
Enns is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature
Society of Biblical Literature
The Society of Biblical Literature, founded 1880, is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies , with the stated mission to "Foster Biblical Scholarship"...
and has served on the Wisdom in Israel and Cognate Literature Session steering committee since 2006. He is also a member of the Institute for Biblical Research
Institute for Biblical Research
The Institute for Biblical Research established in 1973 is an academic scholarly organisation with the goals of "fostering the study of Scripture within an evangelical context, establishing facilities for the furtherance of biblical studies, and encouraging university and college students toward a...
, where he served on the board of directors from 2004-2007 and the editorial board for the Bulletin for Biblical Research from 2002-2004.
Academic Work
Enns's academic interests include Old TestamentOld Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, Biblical Theology
Biblical Theology
Biblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament...
, Wisdom Literature
Wisdom literature
Wisdom literature is the genre of literature common in the Ancient Near East. This genre is characterized by sayings of wisdom intended to teach about divinity and about virtue...
(especially Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes
The Book of Ecclesiastes, called , is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The English name derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title.The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qoheleth , introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal...
), the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
use of the Old Testament, Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
literature, and the general issue of how the historical context of the Bible affects how we understand the nature of Scripture within Reformed and Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
commitments. He has written many articles, essays, dictionary and encyclopedia entries, and book reviews on varied topics surrounding the Old Testament and its interpretation (see "Books" and "Articles and Essays" below). His 2008 edited volume (with Tremper Longman III), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry, and Writings (IVP), won the Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
“Award of Merit” for 2009 and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association
The is an international non-profit trade association whose member companies are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide...
’s “2009 Christian Book of the Year” award in the Bible Reference and Study category.
Enns’s current writing projects include a Bible curriculum for grades 1-12 Telling God's Story, and a book on the hermeneutical implications of the discussion between Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human origins. He has also taught courses at Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
, Eastern University (United States), and Biblical Theological Seminary
Biblical Theological Seminary
Biblical Theological Seminary is located in Hatfield, PA, in the United States. Biblical is an interdenominational graduate school of theology known for its Missional emphasis. The seminary is located in suburban Philadelphia at the former Hatfield High School campus.-History:Biblical Seminary...
.
Inspiration and Incarnation
Enns garnered significant attention for his 2005 book Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament. His stated purpose for writing the book is “to bring an evangelical doctrine of Scripture into conversation with the implications generated by some important themes in modern biblical scholarship—particularly the Old Testament—over the past 150 years”. Enns’s primary audience is those readers who find it difficult to maintain their faith in God because “familiar and conventional” evangelical approaches often mishandle the challenges raised by modern biblical scholarship. Enns writes that evangelicals commonly take a defensive posture to new ideas, and that such defenses are “exercises in special pleading, attempts to hold on to comfortable idea despite evidence that makes such ideas problematic. It is precisely the ineffectiveness of certain ways of thinking about the Bible that can sometimes cause significant cognitive dissonance for Christians who love and want to hold on to their Bible, but who also feel the weight of certain kinds of evidence”Enns looks at three issues raised in modern biblical scholarship that he feels are mishandled by Evangelicals: (1) the strong similarities between the Old Testament and the literature of other ancient societies; (2), theological diversity among the Old Testament authors; (3) how New Testament writers interpreted the Old Testament in inventive ways that reflect Jewish practices of the time.
In all three cases, the Bible behaves in ways that don’t seem very “inspired,” but rather very “human.” Enns argues for an “incarnational” understanding of the Bible as a way to take seriously these types of challenges. This model draws an analogy between Jesus and the Bible: “In the same way that Jesus is—must be—both God and human, the Bible is also a divine and human book”. The Bible is not “an abstract, otherworldly book, dropped out of heaven. It was connected to and therefore spoke to those ancient cultures….precisely because Christianity is a historical religion, God’s word reflects the various historical moments in which Scripture was written”. Enns feels that the problems raised by the “human dimension” of the Bible for many evangelicals “has less to do with the Bible itself and more to do with our own preconceptions” of how the Bible “ought” to be). Enns advocates an incarnational model to help evangelicals reorient their expectations of Scripture and so come to peace with new developments in their understanding of the Bible.
Inspiration and Incarnation has been endorsed by such notable scholars as H.G.M Williamson, Bill T. Arnold, Bruce K. Waltke, David W. Baker, Tremper Longman III, Joel G. Green, and others, for its creative approach to solving the modern problem of the Bible. Among scholars, it has also met with criticism by D. A. Carson, Paul Helm, and G. K. Beale
Gregory Beale
Gregory Beale is a Christian scholar, currently a Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He has made a number of contributions to conservative Biblical hermeneutics, particularly in the area of the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament...
, who claim it abandons the traditional evangelical doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
of biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is accurate and totally free of error, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact." Some equate inerrancy with infallibility; others do not.Conservative Christians generally believe that...
. For links to these reviews and Peter Enns's responses to them, as well as his general defense of the books' thesis, see iandibook.com, the official web site of the book.
Controversy
Enns's book, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, proved controversial at Westminster Theological Seminary (WTS). WTS President Peter Lillback expressed that it "has caught the attention of the world so that we have scholars that love this book, and scholars who have criticized it very deeply…. We have students who have read it say it has liberated them. We have other students that say it's crushing their faith and removing them from their hope. We have churches that are considering it, and two Presbyteries have said they will not send students to study under Professor Enns here."The general content of Inspiration and Incarnation was taught by Enns over his fourteen year teaching
career at Westminster Theological Seminary. It was only after the book’s publication in 2005 that a
lengthy controversy ensued in the wake of major administrative changes, most notably the
election of Peter Lillback as president in 2005. The main point of contention
was whether the book was within the theological boundaries of the Westminster Confession of Faith
Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
. Westminster faculty members take an oath that their teaching will be in line with that confession.
Lillback initiated a series of regular faculty meetings ("Faculty Theology Fellowship") to discuss Enns and his book. Those meetings, moderated by Lillback, took place over a two-year period and led to the preparation of two written reports, at Lillback's direction, to aid the faculty in determining whether or not Enns was in violation of his oath. (It should be noted that, although Westminster has had a Board of Trustees for some time, it has historically been governed by its faculty, particularly in theological matters.) These reports were written by the two field committees: the Historical and Theological Field Committee, composed of faculty members generally opposed to Enns's book, and the Hermeneutics Field Committee, composed of members generally favorable towards Enns's ideas. After both committees reported their findings in the form of written reports, as well as written response by each committee to the other's report, faculty members William Edgar and Michael Kelly prepared a motion (known as the Edgar-Kelly Motion) declaring that Enns's writing and teaching were within the bounds of his faculty oath. All official documents used in these faculty debates, including both field committee reports and the Edgar-Kelly Motion, can be downloaded from the Westminster Theological Seminary web site here http://www.wts.edu/about/beliefs/statements/theological_discussion_documen.html. The motion was approved by the faculty, 12-8, in December 2007. Despite the work of these committees and the resulting faculty vote, President Lillback referred the matter immediately to the Board of Trustees.
On March 26, 2008, the Board of Trustees at Westminster Theological Seminary voted 18–9 to suspend Enns from his position effective May 23, 2008. Though the faculty voted 12–8 that the work falls within the parameters of the Westminster Confession of Faith
Westminster Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith, in the Calvinist theological tradition. Although drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, largely of the Church of England, it became and remains the 'subordinate standard' of doctrine in the Church of Scotland, and has been...
, the chairman of the Board said that a majority of the members on the Board at that time felt the book was incompatible with the Confession. As of August 1, 2008, Enns and the seminary agreed to part ways. Following the Board's vote, nine trustees resigned from the board.
Books
- The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins, Grand Rapids: Brazos, forthcoming, 2012.
- "The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously" (co-written with Marc Brettler and Daniel Harrington); Oxford University Press, forthcoming, 2012
- Baker Bible Dictionary (Co-editor with Tremper LongmanTremper LongmanTremper Longman, III is an Old Testament theologian, professor and author of several books, including 2009 ECPA Christian Book Award winner Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. He serves as Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara,...
and Mark L. StraussMark L. StraussMark L. Strauss is an American Biblical scholar and professor of the New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, of Bethel University.-Background and education:...
; Grand Rapids: Baker, forthcoming 2012) - Ecclesiastes, (Two Horizons Commentary Series) Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011
- Telling God's Story (children's BIble curriculum; Parent Guide and 1st grade lessons) Olive Branch Books, 2010
- Three Views on the New Testament’s Use of the Old Testament (Co-written with Walter KaiserWalter Kaiser, Jr.Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. is an American evangelical Old Testament scholar, writer, public speaker, and educator. Kaiser is the Colman M. Mockler distinguished Professor of Old Testament and former President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, retired June 30, 2006...
and Darrell BockDarrell BockDarrell L. Bock is a New Testament scholar and research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, United States...
; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008) ISBN 9780310273332 - Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry, and Writings (Co-editor with Tremper LongmanTremper LongmanTremper Longman, III is an Old Testament theologian, professor and author of several books, including 2009 ECPA Christian Book Award winner Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. He serves as Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College in Santa Barbara,...
; Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2008) ISBN 9780830817832 - Invitation to Genesis (Disciple Bible Study; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006) ISBN 9780687494927
- Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005) ISBN 9780801027307
- Exodus (NIV Application Commentary; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000) ISBN 9780340756607
- Exodus Retold: Ancient Exegesis of the Departure from Egypt in Wis 10:15-21 and 19:1-9 (Harvard Semitic Museum Monographs 57; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1997) ISBN 9780788504037
- Poetry and Wisdom (IBR Bibliographies. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997) ISBN 9780801021619
Articles and essays
- "Pseudo-Solomon and His Scripture: Biblical Interpretation in the Wisdom of Solomon," CBIEJ, Ed. M. Henze, Eerdmans, forthcoming, 2008.
- "Preliminary Observations on an Incarnational Model of Scripture: Its Viability and Usefulness," Calvin Theological JournalCalvin Theological JournalCalvin Theological Journal is an academic journal published by Calvin Theological Seminary....
, forthcoming fall 2007. - "Exodus, the Problem of Historiography, and Some Theological Reflections," Act 3 Review 15/4 (2007): forthcoming.
- "Response to Professor Greg Beale," ThemeliosThemeliosThemelios is a peer-reviewed international evangelical theological journal that expounds on the historic Christian faith. Its primary audience is theological students, pastors and scholars...
32/3 (2007): 5-13. - "Bible in Context: The Continuing Vitality of Reformed Biblical Scholarship," Westminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological Journal is a theological journal published by Westminster Theological Seminary....
68 (2006): 203-18. - "Response to G. K. Beale’s Review of Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament," Journal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyThe Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society is a refereed theological journal published by the Evangelical Theological Society. It was first published in 1958 as the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, and was given its present name in 1969.- External links :* ** in PDF format;...
49/2 (2006): 313-26. - "Some Thoughts on Theological Exegesis of the Old Testament: Toward a Viable Model of Biblical Coherence and Relevance," Reformation and Revival Journal 14/4 (2005): 81-104.
- "col haadam and the Evaluation of Qohelet’s Wisdom in Qoh 12:13, or The ‘A is so, and What’s More, B’ Theology of Ecclesiastes," The Idea of Biblical Interpretation (James Kugel FS; Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2003), 125-37.
- "Apostolic Hermeneutics and an Evangelical Doctrine of Scripture: Moving beyond the Modernist Impasse," Westminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological Journal is a theological journal published by Westminster Theological Seminary....
65 (2003): 263-87. - "William Henry Green and the Authorship of the Pentateuch: Some Historical Considerations," Journal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyJournal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyThe Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society is a refereed theological journal published by the Evangelical Theological Society. It was first published in 1958 as the Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society, and was given its present name in 1969.- External links :* ** in PDF format;...
45/3 (September 2002): 385-403. - "Matthew and Hosea: A Response to John Sailhamer," Westminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological Journal is a theological journal published by Westminster Theological Seminary....
63 (2001): 97-105. - "Wisdom of Solomon and Biblical Interpretation in the Second Temple Period," The Way of Wisdom (B. K. Waltke Festschrift), eds. J. I. Packer and S. Soderlund, Zondervan, 2000, 212-25.
- "Expansions of Scripture," Justification and Variegated Nomism, ed. D. A. Carson. J. C. B. Mohr/Baker, 2000, 73-98.
- "Yankees and Westminster: Personal Reflections on Tradition," unpublished paper (1998).
- "The ‘Moveable Well’ in 1 Cor 10:4: An Extra-Biblical Tradition in an Apostolic Text." Bulletin for Biblical Research 6 (1996): 23-38.
- "A Retelling of the Song at the Sea in Wis 10,20-21." BiblicaBiblica (journal)Biblica is an academic journal published by the Pontifical Biblical Institute. The editor-in-chief is Dean Béchard....
76 (1995): 1-24. Republished in The Function of Scripture in Early Jewish and Christian Tradition, eds. C. A. Evans and J. A. Sanders, 142-65. JSNTSup 154/SSEJC 6. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1998. - "Creation and Re-creation: Psalm 95 and its Interpretation in Hebrews 3:7-4:13," Westminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological JournalWestminster Theological Journal is a theological journal published by Westminster Theological Seminary....
55 (1993): 255-80. (Partially republished as “The Interpretation of Psalm 95 in Hebrews 3.1-4.13.” Early Christian Interpretation of the Scriptures of Israel: Investigations and Proposals, eds. C. A. Evans and J. A. Sanders, 352-63. JSNTSup 148/SSEJC 5. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997.)
External links
- a time to tear down : A Time to Build Up - Peter Enns' official website
- Enns' blog
- Official Site of Inspiration and Incarnation - The Book - Official site of the book Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns
- Peter Enns: Inspiration and Incarnation, updated listing of links related to the Enns controversy by Art Boulet
- WHYY-FM Radio Times interview with Peter Enns by Marty Moss-Coane, audio interview (downloadable mp3 file)
- Bible Professor Suspended Over Teaching, article in Philly.com (July 10, 2008) - online version of the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper