Reading Revelation

In general, Revelation studies continue to favour going outside or behind the text (in search of its context of origin, via the historical-critical paradigm) or, more recently, in front of the text (to investigate the book's reception history, past and present). To date, relatively little synchronic exegetical work inside the text has been undertaken, with the aim of understanding the text as we have it and on its own terms. To facilitate such work, narrative criticism has supplied some much-needed tools and methods, although these are mainly used to explore the mechanics of how a text 'works' via an examination of its moving parts. Campbell uses this methodology in a way that respects Revelation's narrative verve, adjusting and supplementing it so as to take account of the book's sophisticated thematic content. The result is a coherent and satisfying account of how Revelation's complex parts fit together into a meaningful whole. Throughout, the author is motivated by the conviction that the Church requires a biblical-theological appreciation of Revelation's story, developed from inside the text.This involves relating Revelation adequately to the rest of Christian Scripture - both to the Gospels and Epistles and to the Old Testament, to which it so frequently alludes.

'...[Reading Revelation] provides many fresh insights. What Campbell has offered, is a complete and coherent biblical theology of Revelation, undoubtedly fruitful to use for theological students, teachers and researchers, so that contemporary readers become competent readers...' Rob Van Houwelingen, European Journal of Theology, April 2013. 'Gordon Campbell's impressive study... is a masterful interpretation, detailed and rigorous.' Ian Boxall, The Expository Times, Volume 125, No.2, November 2013 'Campbell's approach is to seek an understanding of Revelation from within the text itself, rooted as it is in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. [...] He discerns a number of themes running through Revelation which bind the book into a coherent literary work rather than a collection of disparate elements or detailed prophecy of the future.' David McKay, Reformed Theological Journal, 2013 Issue [Reading Revelation] offers fresh understandings of Revelation. Its copious endnotes, rich bibliography, indexes of Revelation passages, other biblical references, ancient Greco-Roman literature, and themes enable the reader to cross-check the meanings of a specific text or a vision or an event. Readers will find this carefully researched work enlightening and rewarding." Daniel Jeyaraj, Liverpool Hope University, in Theological Book Review (tbr), Vol. 25, No.1, 2013 "Gordon Campbell has written a comprehensive and useful analysis of John's Apocalypse [...] Campbell's reading of Revelation is intrusive at many points and will prove useful to students of the Apocalypse who have long pined for a fresh perspective on this perplexing book." Andrew R. Guffey, Modern Believing vol 56, issue 1, January 2015

Gordon Campbell is a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and principal of Union Theological College, Belfast, where he is also Head of Biblical Studies. The Book of Revelation has been the focus of much of his research and remains his special interest.