In this book, a revised version of his PhD thesis, David M. Shaw interprets the uses of “calling” (καλέω) in 1 Peter through the lens of Narrative Transportation Theory (NTT) and Social Identity Theory (SIT). Shaw contributes to recent scholarly discussions on mission in 1 Peter (and in the New Testament more broadly) by using NTT and SIT as dual lenses for explaining “how Old Testament narrative underpinnings of 1 Peter work themselves out regarding the church’s corporate identity, and how that subsequently impacts its mission in the wider community” (p. 4). After briefly summarizing NTT and SIT, Shaw exegetes the use of καλέω in 1 Peter 1:13–21; 2:4–10; 2:18–25; 3:8–17; and 5:6–14.

After reviewing recent 1 Peter scholarship in chapter 2, Shaw succinctly surveys NTT and SIT in chapter 3. According to NTT, “a story well-told and subsequently imbibed by its recipient(s) has the power to shape one’s beliefs, identity, actions, and way of life” (p. 29). Through his uses of the Old Testament, Peter calls his audience “to share in both the history of Israel and the person and work of Christ,” in order to shape their “identity and mission without seeking escape from the ‘real-world’” (p. 37, emphasis in original). According to SIT, “(1) categorisation, (2) identification, and (3) comparison” inform how a person identifies himself or herself to others (p. 39). Since these factors are foundational to SIT, Shaw defines them as follows: “Categorisation is simply how one organizes their social world into various and recognizable group entities” (p. 39). Identification refers to the process by which a person identifies himself or herself within a group, often based on shared values of ideal characteristics (pp. 39–40). Comparison is the activity of distinguishing the in-group from the out-group (pp. 40–41). For members of socially low groups, “social creativity” is necessary for maintaining and enhancing group identity, particularly through “(1) redefining the comparative criteria between the in-group and the out-group; (2) inverting previously negative comparisons and claiming them as positive; or (3) selecting a new out-group with which to compare the in-group” (p. 43). Peter engages in each of these socially creative activities at various points in 1 Peter, around occurrences of the notion of God’s “calling” (καλέω).

Shaw is a pastor-scholar, and his analysis of καλέω in 1 Peter follows an alliterative, narratival structure. Peter’s description of the calling’s character (1:13–21) leads to his presentations of its commission (2:4–10), consequences (2:18–25), commitment (3:8–17), and finally, its consummation (5:6–14) (pp. viii–ix). Through the lens of SIT, Shaw understands 1 Peter 1:13–21 to portray the character of God’s calling of Christians: they are to share in His holiness. According to Peter, Christians are distinct more from their former way of life than from their fellow countrymen who are yet non-Christians (whether Gentiles or Jews). Likewise, in 1 Peter 2:9–10, Christians’ former status as “not a people” versus them now being “the people of God” has not only vertical implications regarding their relationship to God but also horizontal implications regarding their relationships with one another (pp. 98–99). These disparate groups of people, once separated by social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, have been united into the single people of God by virtue of him calling them to himself. In 1 Peter 2:18–25, Christ is the perfect exemplar for Christians that they should trust God in the midst of unjust suffering, and the socially lowest members of the congregations to whom Peter wrote are also exemplars for their fellow Christians who are socially higher than they are. Shaw’s SIT lens shows the significance of Peter “bringing the servant to the forefront as the exemplar for the whole congregation,” not the paterfamilias of upper-class Christian families within the congregation (p. 132). Peter further subverts Greco-Roman cultural norms when he says that God has called Christians to bless their enemies rather than curse them (1 Pet 3:8–17). Finally, SIT points out the distinction between καλέω in 1 Peter 5:6–14 and its earlier occurrences. “Identity formation grows out of both retroactive memory (remembering where one has come from); and proactive memory (remembering where one is going)” (p. 183). The final instance of καλέω is the only use of it as proactive memory, rather than retroactive memory.

Shaw compellingly demonstrates the utility of NTT and SIT for reading 1 Peter, by means of testing these theories on Peter’s use of καλέω throughout the epistle. Furthermore, pastoral suggestions lie openly among the numerous scholarly insights of this work. Commenting on 1 Peter 2:9, Shaw connects Christians’ proclamation to the spiritual sacrifices they are to offer (2:5), and suggests that “to offer ‘spiritual sacrifices’ to God through Jesus Christ, then, is to offer one’s whole life—body, soul, mind, and strength; blood, sweat, and tears; work, rest, and play—in complete devotion to the glory of God” (p. 95). Following the lead of 1 Peter, Shaw consistently says that the church’s mission is both verbal and behavioral. The broader significance of Shaw’s work on 1 Peter based on NTT and SIT is to suggest that 1 Peter is a missional document of the apostle Peter for the universal church. “Fundamentally, the church’s missional posture is to be characterized by blessing, which demonstrates itself in (1) the active absorption of evil, (2) the pursuit of the oppressor’s shalom, and (3) a readiness to testify to the hope that Christ gives (3:9, 11, 15)” (p. 216, emphasis in original). The church has a message to proclaim that is truly good news: those who receive it by faith gain a new identity within the one people of God, who though they suffer now will enjoy eternal life forever when Jesus comes again.

Of course, no one will agree with everything in any book. Shaw’s applications of SIT to 1 Peter were most persuasive. His uses of NTT, though compelling in broad strokes, were occasionally weaker. For example, he suggests that 1 Peter 1:13–19 is “an abridged history of Israel’s most identity-defining moments from the Exodus-wilderness narrative,” based on echoes of the Exodus-wilderness narrative surrounding the explicit citation of Leviticus 19:2 in 1 Peter 1:15–16 (p. 70; cf. 68–70). This point seems overly subtle. If Peter depends on this narrative sequence, why does he return to Exodus 19:5–6 in 1 Peter 2:9 at the end of the opening of the letter body? More persuasive is Shaw’s proposal that God’s calling of people to be his children (1:13–21) results in them becoming priests (2:4–10) (p. 84). Not only does this claim follow Peter’s logic within the letter, but the intervening verses (1:22–2:3) almost make this argument for Shaw by progressing from Christians’ regeneration by God to growth in Christ after tasting his goodness!

Overall, this book is a treasure trove of exegetical riches on prominent paragraphs in 1 Peter. Shaw shows what an important role καλέω plays in Peter’s theology. Would that this volume were more accessibly priced for pastors to avail themselves of its wisdom! As it is, every institution of higher education should procure a copy of this book for their faculties and students to consult. Specialists working on 1 Peter will find it a must read, but biblical scholars seeking to further plow the field of biblical studies using NTT or SIT should also consult this use of these methods.