A quick look at the title intrigued me: how do sanctification, interpretation, vocation, holiness, and scripture fit together? They’re all theologically loaded terms on their own. Chris E.W. Green connects the dots in such a way that they form a rich theological vision.

The book unfolds in three parts:

1. Vocation: “we are called to share in Christ’s vocation, joining him in bringing to bear God’s holiness for the good of creation” (125).
2. Holiness: “we cannot live out our vocation unless and until we dramatically reimagine the character of holiness and the sanctified life, seeing our set-apart-ness not as an end in itself, but as a call to live together with Christ in his radical openness to and intercession for our neighbors” (125).
3. Scripture: the way we read, interpret, and live scripture makes those first two perspectives possible.

This book is rich in concept and in prose. Conceptually, Green’s portrays the Christian’s vocation as priests and bearers of the holiness of God as the context for wrestling with the depths of scripture. The way that Green describes this concept is winsome, with quotable ideas and turns-of-phrase on almost every page. For example:

So, when all is said and done, what matters most is not that we hold a ‘high’ view of Scripture, but that we become intimately familiar with its depths. (182)

This is the sort of book that challenges the mind while inspiring the heart. It’s an important read for Christians who wish to wrestle with a deeper understanding of scripture’s formative power.

Green, Chris E.W. Sanctifying Interpretation: Vocation, Holiness, and Scripture. 2nd ed., CPT Press, 2020.