Patrick Schreiner. Transfiguration of Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Reading

Every Christmas season, religious and nonreligious people are reminded of the important moment of the Annunciation to Mary. Throughout church history, artists took the liberty to give the moment a place (the temple, outside, in the home, etc.), though we have no record of where it happened. However, this religiously significant moment is only recorded in a single Gospel (Luke 1:26–38). Its oversized impact on history, art, scholarship, and Christianity is curious. Yet, the same could not be said about the Transfiguration. This moment takes place in all three Synoptics (Matt 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36) and is referred back to in the Catholic Epistles. Where does the Transfiguration sit in the realm of Christian thought, and why isn’t it considered one of the most vital and essential moments in the ministry of Christ? Enter Patrick Schreiner’s The Transfiguration of Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Reading. Schreiner is a talented young scholar who has published excellent books and commentaries at both the lay and scholarly levels at an impressive rate, and this work only adds to that list. In this work, Schreiner helpfully fills a gap in the literature, as rarely has a book or a scholarly article been dedicated exclusively to Christ’s Transfiguration (especially recently). In this short but exegetically and theologically dense book, Schreiner argues that the Transfiguration is not only an exciting moment in the life of Christ—but a necessary one.The book begins with Schreiner’s plea to make the Transfiguration great again in the Western tradition. In the introduction, he states that his bare assertion is that the Transfiguration reveals both the “future glory of the earthly and suffering messianic Son and the preexistent glory of the heavenly and eternally begotten Son” (emphasis original, p. 4). The former proves not to be an issue, but the latter pits Schriener against christological heavyweights like James Dunn and Larry Hurtado. The introduction serves as Schreiner’s pitch that the Transfiguration is more than a past event in Jesus’s ministry, but one of the defining moments in Jesus’s life. The book is outlined in three main chapters on the glorious setting, glorious signs, and glorious sayings, and each chapter is accompanied by a grammar: hermeneutical, trinitarian, and christological. Beginning with the glorious setting, Schreiner wrings dry the aspects of the physical setting of the Transfiguration. He analyzes the day(s), the place (mountain), and the people (Peter, James, and John) all through the lenses of literal, spiritual, and analogical meanings. This first chapter sets the tone for Schreiner’s arguments, alerting the reader that nothing in the text is “wasted.” According to Schreiner, everything mentioned should be analyzed through Christ’s messianic and eternal sonship.Moving toward the signs, Schreiner, using trinitarian grammar, helpfully makes meaning and significance of the signs, such as Jesus’s shining face and clothing, as well as the bright cloud and the appearances of Moses and Elijah. While analyzing the signs, Schriener does an exceptional job of taking all the elements present at the Transfiguration (items, sayings, and signs) and weaving them together in a seamless storyline. For example, Schriener convincingly argues that the mention of the “bright cloud” at the Transfiguration (Matt 17:5) is likely the Holy Spirit, which creates a “triple three” of attendances, “the triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the triptych of Moses, Jesus, and Elijah; and the triad of Peter, James, and John” (p. 72). Schreiner’s knack for finding purpose in every aspect of Transfiguration makes the book read like the work of Malcolm Gladwell, where the reader appreciates previously overlooked and misunderstood things.In the last section, Schreiner focuses on the glorious sayings at the Transfiguration. Here, he uses christological grammar to understand the significance of the statement uttered at the Transfiguration of Jesus being the son. This section is completed with helpful comparison and connections through Old Testament sayings of sonship and ultimately leads to Schriener arguing that the Transfiguration is a new type of Shema (pp. 122–24). The book’s last two chapters focus on connecting the Transfiguration with prominent moments and themes of the entire canon and a brief biblical theology of the Transfiguration.There are many strengths of this book that are worth noting. First, Schreiner does a masterful job of using ancient and modern sources. Almost every moment, as the reader, I wanted to see Athanasius or Simon Gathercole mentioned (or even Harry Potter!) I would be delightfully met with a footnote of that exact work. Second, whenever a scholar of texts ventures into systematics, theology departments everywhere shutter. Many New Testament scholars often quiver at delving into systematics, but Schreiner does so with caution and excellence. Schriener’s clarity regarding the Trinity, the double sonship of Christ, and the use of historical theology is exceptional and done smoothly. He often interacts with multiple disciplines in single sentences but keeps the work readable and engaging. Something that isn’t often seen.With such an excellent resource, I only have a few minor critiques. Because Schriener often looms over every detail of the Transfiguration, I was surprised by several issues that were not covered. For example, Schreiner doesn’t deal with the use of the demonstrative pronoun “this” (οὗτός) in “this is my son” at the Transfiguration as opposed to the use of the personal pronoun of “you” (σὺ) at Jesus’s baptism. Adoptionistf scholars, such as Bart Erhman, like to argue that the change from “you” to “this” indicates that Jesus was adopted at his baptism, and his adoption was re-announced at the Transfiguration to the attendees. Second, in the conclusion, Schreiner acknowledges that some might think he pushed too much meaning onto the text, and he is correct. At moments, it feels like Schreiner could find eternal sonship out of nearly anything. For example, in his reading of the beginning of the Transfiguration, it says (depending on the Gospel) that, either six or eight days after Jesus said, “there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” Schreiner finds loads of meaning in the idea of six/eight days after stating that “they are vital for rightly understanding [the Transfiguration]” (p. 38). It would be an understatement to say that this statement is an overstatement.Overall, Schriener’s work is an excellent resource. It’s a moving piece of scholarship that calls its readers to not only notice the work at the Transfiguration but to be changed and challenged by it. Schreiner should be commended for the brevity and density of this little book. It will serve many purposes; one could see it having a place in a hermeneutical course, systematics course, or a Gospel class, and it will benefit students and scholars alike.