David M. Dobson, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Friends,

It is impossible to overstate the importance of Pat Miller to (Westminster John Knox Press) WJK, and indeed to the field of biblical studies. Pat was the editor or author of dozen of WJK books, from scholarly monographs to Bible studies for laypeople. All of his books were marked by his deep knowledge of scripture and his ability to convey that knowledge clearly and concisely in beautiful prose. He was, simply, a dream for an editor and a gift to the reader.

Of his work, none had a greater impact on the life of the church than the Interpretation preaching commentary series, developed by Pat and his then-Union Presbyterian Seminary colleagues James Mays and Paul Achtemeier. In their 1977 series proposal to John Knox Press, which included a masterful analysis of the five types of biblical commentaries, they wrote:

“At the present time there is not any recent set of commentaries which presents a finished, integrated interpretation that combines sound philological and historical criticism with a perception of the importance and significance of what the text is saying for Christian existence… The historical-critical commentary has an important and indispensable role in the study of the Bible. But there is a need for a resource written specifically for church professionals which offers a more finished theological interpretation, one from which the users can move more directly to the task at hand.”

Pat later developed the Westminster Bible Companion series with David Bartlett, and with Jim Mays, Ellen Davis, and Richard Hays, the topical extension of the Interpretation series, Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church (now edited by Sam Balentine, Susan Hylen, and Brent Strawn). This latter series included his monumental work, The Ten Commandments, which Theology Today called “a magisterial book destined to become the authoritative account upon which any future studies of the Decalogue must build.” We are grateful, too, that Pat recently gave his enthusiastic agreement to a forthcoming revision of the original Interpretation commentary series, to be edited by Brian Blount, Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Jacqueline Lapsley, and Samuel Adams.

In addition to appreciating his contribution to WJK as a press, those of us who were lucky enough to have known and worked with Pat will always have the fondest memories of our time together. Editorial board meetings, dinners at SBL, and later, time spent together when he and Mary Ann lived in Louisville after his retirement were always marked by much laughter and joy.

It seems fitting to close here with Pat’s own words—his last words in his last book, Lord of the Psalms (WJK, 2013):

“In the holy place, in our music, in the theater of God’s glory, and especially in God’s instructing word—we are led to praise and to find the deepest enjoyment of the Lord who made us and meets us, who hears us and calls us. That is our chief end. And I take it that such a claim is not only about why we are here but also about where we are going. Certainly the theology of the Psalter propels us toward the end, right from the beginning. The image of the way has no meaning if it is not a path that leads somewhere. When Psalm 1 announces that the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, it is possible to read that completely within the judicial procedures of ancient Israel. But it is hard not to hear a word at the beginning about the way things will end. So the literary end of the Psalter seems to carry us to the end of our existence, engulfed forever in the glory and joy of the Lord.”

With my deepest condolences,

David M. Dobson

President and Publisher

Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

--Westminster John Knox Press

--Flyaway Books

--The Thoughtful Christian