Baker Gospel Studies Collection (25 vols.)
Overview
The Baker Gospel Studies Collection brings together 25 commentaries, exegetical works, and background studies by top New Testament scholars. You’ll learn about the historical and cultural context in which the Gospels were first written, go deeper into the writings with verse-by-verse commentaries, and strengthen your understanding of the Bible’s credibility. This collection is essential for New Testament scholars and students, and anyone else interested in furthering their study of the Bible.
- Collection of commentaries and studies on the Gospels
- Works by leading New Testament scholars
- Historical and cultural context of the Gospels
- Title: Baker Gospel Studies Collection
- Publisher: Baker
- Volumes: 25
- Pages:15,266
Partially includedThe Logos Bible Software edition of the Baker Gospel Studies Collection is designed to encourage and stimulate your study and understanding of the Gospels. Scripture passages link directly to your English translations and to the original language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. In addition, you can perform powerful searches by topic to find what other authors, scholars, and theologians have to say about the Gospels, Jesus’ miracles, and his parables.
Crucial to a proper understanding and interpretation of Scripture is an awareness of the historical, cultural, and religious context in which the Bible was written. But the passing of two millennia often prevents the modern student from fully understanding the significance of various actions and teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. For instance, the controversy over Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath must be understood against the backdrop of the Mishnah’s detailed list of forbidden Sabbath activities.
The diligent researcher can cull such information by poring through numerous early Jewish and Christian texts or by referencing Strack and Billerbeck’s six-volume Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch. But in Jesus in Context, Darrell L. Bock and Gregory J. Herrick have identified and compiled into one handy volume the key extra-biblical texts that provide the necessary cultural background for understanding passages in the Gospel narratives. Brief comments from the editors precede each selection, noting its relevance to the biblical text.
This very useful book is full of information for the readers of the Gospels. Jesus in Context matches Gospel texts with interesting parallels from other ancient Jewish and early Christian sources, illuminating the biblical texts. It is indispensable for pastors and students of theology.
—Martin Hengel, former emeritus professor of New Testament and early Judaism, University of Tübingen
Students of the Gospels will find this collection invaluable. It will be a crucial tool for those who do not work regularly with ancient Jewish sources and should also prove useful for those who do.
—Craig S. Keener, professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY
How often, when reading a commentary or work on the historical background of a portion of Scripture, have you seen a plethora of references to ancient extra-biblical sources and wondered what they actually said? Few readers, even scholars, have the time to look up many of these, even if they have access to the primary literature. Bock and Herrick have supplied scholars and laypeople alike with an invaluable tool. Jesus in Context introduces and presents the full texts of all the extra-biblical references in Bock’s Jesus According to Scripture. One gets almost an entire course in the ancient historical, religious, and philosophical thought outside the Bible that is most relevant to interpreting the Gospels
—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
The more a person understands the first-century Jewish world, the more easily he or she can understand Jesus and the Gospel writers. Bock and Herrick have given readers one of the quickest and easiest paths into that world, and they have done so by showing systematically how specific Jewish, Greco-Roman, and early Christian texts throw light on the Gospel narratives.
—Klyne Snodgrass, Paul W. Brandel Professor of New Testament Studies, North Park Theological Seminary
Current historical Jesus research rightly emphasizes the importance of the background of Jesus and his followers. Bock and Herrick have assembled the essential material and have presented it in an attractive and accessible format. This book will serve well both student and scholar.
—Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
Darrell L. Bock (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of many books, including the volume on Luke in The IVP New Testament Commentary Series.
Gregory J. Herrick (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a researcher and writer with the Biblical Studies Foundation.
The problematic literary relationship among the Synoptic Gospels has given rise to numerous theories of authorship and priority. The primary objective of Rethinking the Synoptic Problem is to familiarize students with the main positions held by New Testament scholars in this much-debated area of research.
The contributors to this volume, all leading biblical scholars, highlight current academic trends within New Testament scholarship and update evangelical understandings of the Synoptic Problem.
An exciting and readable overview of the present state of the Synoptic problem. The entries are balanced, probing, and incisive, making the volume a valuable introduction for all who would learn more about the knotty but inescapable enigma at the heart of the Gospels.
—David Dungan, professor of religion, University of Tennessee
This set of essays by first class conservative New Testament scholars constitutes a fine case study of competing views on the Synoptic debate. This volume is eminently fair and helps the reader sort out complex evidence in the study of Gospel parallels. A commendable attitude of humility attends the discussion, but all participants reject postmodern deconstruction of the Gospels’ historicity.
—Royce G. Gruenler, professor emeritus of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
David Alan Black (DTheol, University of Basel) is professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also author of New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide.
David R. Beck (PhD, Duke University) is associate professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
People of the Spirit examines Luke’s understanding of the Church as found in both his Gospel and the book of Acts. Topics such as Luke’s view of salvation, worship of Jesus amongst the first Christians, Pentecost, mission, and the structure of the early church are examined in order to challenge the contemporary church to remain true to the Gospel.
Graham Twelftree is a distinguished professor of New Testament at Regent University’s School of Divinity in Virginia Beach. He is a member of the international Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas and of the editorial board of the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus.
While noting how details of the canonical presentation of Jesus relate to first-century Palestinian culture, Jesus According to Scripture is not a historical study of Jesus. Instead, it seeks to show the coherent portrait of Jesus that emerges from the Gospels, a portrait that is rooted in history and yet has produced its own historical and cultural impact.
Bock begins his work with a brief overview of each Gospel, surveying its structure, themes, authorship, setting, and date. He then offers an examination of Jesus as portrayed in the Synoptic Gospels presented together. Bock, however, does not attempt to harmonize them but leaves their narrative lines intact, allowing events to be repeated. In this way readers are invited to appreciate the contribution of each event internally to that Gospel as well as to its parallels. Next, Bock provides a detailed analysis of the Fourth Gospel’s portrayal of Jesus. He finishes with a summary of the main theological themes found throughout the Gospels, thus unifying them into a cohesive portrait of Jesus.
Bock’s research and the contents of this work are excellent. . . . This work is balanced and up to date in scholarship cited, yet pertinent scholarship from the past is also cited. . . . An excellent textbook for a course on the life of Jesus as well as a supplement in courses on the individual Gospels or a New Testament introduction.
—Steven L. Cox, Review of Biblical Literature
Darrell Bock is a well-known expert in the Gospels, and in Jesus according to Scripture he provides a detailed analysis of the portrait of Jesus from each Gospel as well as a theological synthesis of Jesus’ message and import as the Gospels portray him. Here we have a much more fulsome and helpful portrait of Jesus than is offered in many recent treatments of the historical Jesus. Highly recommended.
—Ben Witherington III, Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary
Darrell L. Bock is research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.
This volume reveals how Matthew developed and delivered five main teaching emphases that simultaneously gave the growing early church a rich and complete understanding of Jesus’ sayings and demonstrated how he fulfilled many messianic prophecies.
This volume transports modern readers back to the days of Mark’s original audience and helps us to understand and apply his unique writing and challenges to the church. Very possibly the oldest written account of the ministry of Jesus that we possess, the Gospel of Mark is a vivid and fast-paced narrative of the Good News about Jesus.
Hurtado has an excellent feel for Mark, focusing especially on the theological meaning of the Gospel. He is surefooted in exposition of difficult passages, refusing to get bogged down in detail but at the same time refusing to provide a superficial answer. . . . The high quality of Hurtado’s scholarship shines through his engaging prose.
—K. E. Brower, senior lecturer in biblical studies, Nazarene Theological College
Larry W. Hurtado is an emeritus professor of New Testament language, literature, and theology and emeritus director of the Centre for the Study of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. An internationally respected New Testament scholar, he is an expert on the Gospels, the apostle Paul, early Christology, the Jewish background of the New Testament, and New Testament textual criticism.
Packing a lot of historical detail into a small space, Luke is a perfect introduction to this beautiful and theologically rich Gospel. The clear writing and logical explanations help you understand Luke’s difficult passages and the scholarly discussions about them.
Craig Evans’ volume on Luke is a model of the series. The writer is as aware of the main questions which dominate Lucan scholarship today as he is of its methods and useful findings.
—Max Turner, emeritus professor of New Testament, London School of Theology
This commentary fulfils the aims of the series in an admirable way. . . . The presentation of the major themes and emphases is concise and well done. Because of contemporary controversies there is a special section on the problem of the supposed anti-Semitic aspects of Luke . . . [Craig Evans] shows his mastery of Lucan study. . . . The commentary ought to be in all theological libraries.
—P. M. Meagher, Institute of Religious Studies
Craig A. Evans is Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. He is a frequent contributor to scholarly journals and the author or editor of numerous publications.
John the apostle, the last of the original 12, writes the final and most spiritual of the four Gospels. His intention is to clearly announce that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who has come in the flesh to redeem the world. This volume unpacks and explains the beautiful and rich signs and symbols that John used so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
J. Ramsey Michaels is emeritus professor of religious studies at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. He has taught New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Fuller Seminary, and most recently, Bangor Seminary. Michaels has written commentaries on 1 Peter, Revelation, Hebrews, and John.
New Testament scholar David Turner offers a substantive yet highly accessible commentary on Matthew. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Turner leads readers through every aspect of the Gospel of Matthew—sociological, historical, and theological—to help them better understand and explain this key New Testament book.
As the first Gospel in the canon, Matthew has received a great deal of attention through the centuries from both scholars and preachers. Turner attempts to stand between the two groups and offer a commentary that is fresh, accessible, and insightful. He emphasizes Matthew as a literary work in its own right (rather than in relation to Mark and Luke) and includes important insights into the Jewish background of this Gospel, explaining Matthew in the context of Second Temple Judaism as a book for Christian Jews living among nonbelieving Jews.
A fine commentary that will be of significant value especially to pastors, teachers, and students as one of the first commentaries they reach for when they attempt to unpack this Gospel.
—Michael J. Wilkins, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
This is a solid, streamlined treatment of Matthew that gets to the heart of the key issues in each passage and avoids turning itself into a multivolume commentary, like so many recent offerings on the Greek text of one of the Gospels. . . . Turner, moreover, shows just how close a progressive dispensationalist can come to mainstream evangelical perspectives; only rarely will non-dispensationalists find themselves disagreeing with him. Warmly recommended.
—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
David L. Turner is a graduate of Cedarville University, Grace Theological Seminary, and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati. He has been a professor of New Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary since 1986 and has published several articles on the Gospel of Matthew.
In this volume, respected New Testament scholar Robert Stein offers a substantive yet highly accessible commentary on the Gospel of Mark. The commentary focuses primarily on the Markan understanding of the Jesus traditions as reflected in this key New Testament book. The author analyzes each section in Mark to show how it fits the immediate and larger context of the Gospel. He offers verse-by-verse comments on the words, phrases, sentences, and themes found in the section, and he explores what Mark is seeking to teach.
Robert H. Stein has composed an excellent commentary on Mark 1:1–16:8. He explains well the purpose and structure of the Gospel, discusses in detail its problematic verses, judiciously selects views of other commentators, and explains why he thinks the Gospel ends at 16:8. Hence Stein’s commentary will be a precious vade mecum for pastors and preachers, students of the New Testament, and teachers in biblical studies.
—Joseph A. Fitzmyer, professor emeritus of biblical studies, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC
Bob Stein has written a great commentary on the Gospel of Mark. It is rich with interpretive insight, yet it is very reader friendly. Scholars, pastors, students, and lay readers will appreciate how Stein tackles difficult questions head-on and presents sensible solutions. Reading this commentary gives the reader a real sense of what the evangelist Mark was trying to say and how his original readers would have understood him. It makes an excellent contribution to the BECNT series.
—Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia
Robert H. Stein (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) was most recently senior professor of New Testament interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He taught at Bethel Seminary. A world-renowned scholar of the Synoptic Gospels, Stein has published several books, including Luke, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible, Studying the Synoptic Gospels, and Jesus the Messiah.
In the first of two volumes on the Gospel of Luke, Darrell L. Bock offers students of the New Testament a substantive yet highly accessible commentary. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Bock leads readers through all aspects of the third Gospel—sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings the first part of this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers.
Bock’s two volumes on the Gospel of Luke are the inaugural volumes of the acclaimed BECNT series. As with all BECNT volumes, Luke 1:1–9:50 features the author’s own translation of the Greek text, detailed interaction with the original text, and a user-friendly design. This informative, balanced commentary also includes extensive introductory notes. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series—academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility—making it a useful tool for students, professors, and pastors.
Each section of the text is addressed from a clearly organized series of perspectives. If there is such a thing as a user-friendly two-volume commentary on a single book, this is it!
—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
This excellent commentary on the Lucan Gospel is massive, but well written, informative, and judicious. . . . It should be a boon for pastors, priests, seminarians, and all educated general readers interested in the interpretation of the Gospels. Bock has read widely, asks the right questions, and gives a balanced answer in his interpretation of this Gospel.
—Joseph A. Fitzmyer, professor emeritus of biblical studies, Catholic University of America
Darrell L. Bock (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is a research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of many books, including Jesus according to Scripture and Studying the Historical Jesus.
In the second of two volumes on the Gospel of Luke, Darrell L. Bock offers students of the New Testament a substantive yet highly accessible commentary. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Bock leads readers through all aspects of the third Gospel—sociological, historical, and theological. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings the second part of this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers.
Bock’s two volumes on the Gospel of Luke are the inaugural volumes of the acclaimed BECNT series. As with all BECNT volumes, Luke 9:51–24:53 features the author’s own translation of the Greek text, detailed interaction with the original text, and a user-friendly design. This informative, balanced commentary also includes extensive introductory notes. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series—academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility—making it a useful tool for students, professors, and pastors.
Each section of the text is addressed from a clearly organized series of perspectives. If there is such a thing as a user-friendly two-volume commentary on a single book, this is it!
—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
Darrell L. Bock (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is a research professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of many books, including Jesus according to Scripture and Studying the Historical Jesus.
In this commentary on the Gospel of John, Andreas Köstenberger presents comprehensive and up-to-date analysis. His detailed study of one of the most important books in the New Testament is sure to become a standard resource for preachers, students, and scholars. A well-respected New Testament scholar, Köstenberger begins with a thorough introduction to John and the topics relevant to its interpretation. He discusses the book’s authorship, date of writing, theological emphasis, and relation to other New Testament writings.
In the commentary proper, each exegetical unit is introduced and translated by the author. A full verse-by-verse exposition is followed by additional notes of a more technical nature. Throughout the commentary, Köstenberger interacts with the best recent scholarship and presents his conclusions in an accessible manner. When dealing with particularly problematic sections, he considers the full range of suggested interpretations drawn from a broad spectrum of commentators before offering his own understanding.
Köstenberger has already distinguished himself as one of evangelicalism’s premier Johannine scholars. Now he pulls all his research together in what will immediately establish itself as the best and most thorough commentary on the Greek text of John in recent years, from any theological perspective. Highly recommended!
—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
Köstenberger has quickly established himself as a competent, conservative scholar and interpreter of John who now brings his formidable skills to the task of writing a commentary. His work is an important addition to our conversations, especially on Johannine theology, and merits careful attention.
—Robert Kysar, Bandy Professor of Preaching and New Testament Emeritus, Candler School of Theology, Emory University
Andreas Köstenberger (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is a professor of New Testament and the director of PhD/ThM studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Encountering John, The Book Study Concordance of the Greek New Testament, and The Missions of Jesus and the Disciples according to the Fourth Gospel. He also translated Adolf Schlatter’s two-volume New Testament Theology.
This engaging text offers a fresh alternative to standard introductions to Jesus. Combining literary and socio-historical approaches and offering a tightly integrated treatment, a team of highly respected scholars examines how Jesus’ friends and enemies respond to him in the Gospel narratives. This is the first book to introduce readers to the Gospel’s rich portraits of Jesus by surveying the characters who surround him in those texts—from John the Baptist, the disciples, and the family of Jesus to Satan, Pontius Pilate, and Judas Iscariot (among others).
Approaching the Jesus question from the outside in, the contributors reflect both on what can be known historically about the figures who surround him in the Gospels and on how these figures function within the respective narratives as foils to create distinct portraits of Christ. . . . The content of the discussion will be of interest to scholars while the accessible presentation will make this book a valuable resource for students.
—Tom Thatcher, professor of New Testament, Cincinnati Christian University
The recipe for this book is brilliantly simple: get to know Jesus through those who knew him. Seek out both friends and enemies. Interview family and foreigners, disciples and detractors, men and women. Confer not only with secret allies but also with public opponents, with loyalists as well as traitors. Find out what drew each group toward Jesus or scared them away. Into this mix stir what modern scholars are saying about the impressions Jesus left on the Romans and Jews of his day and about the most responsible ways to read the Gospels. Simmer. Season with clear prose. Serve. Jesus among Friends and Enemies is a great read, a rich introduction to Jesus and his world, and a fresh addition to the often-bland menu of Jesus studies.
—Bruce Fisk, professor of religious studies, Westmont College
A fascinating concept for a collaborative book on the historical Jesus—to see him through the biblical and extrabiblical stories about his friends and enemies. This book covers it all, providing clear and robust historical and literary examinations of Jesus from our knowledge of John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, Caiaphas, Pilate, Judas Iscariot, and more. This book will inspire classes.
—April DeConick, Isla Carroll and Percy E. Turner Professor of Biblical Studies, Rice University
An outstanding teaching resource, Jesus among Friends and Enemies offers a balanced and comprehensive collection of essays treating the historical contexts and narrative methods of ancient Christian and Jewish writers. Though Jesus and the New Testament Gospels are the primary focus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, non-Christian discussions of Jesus, writings associated with apocalyptic Judaism, and noncanonical Gospel traditions are also addressed, providing readers with a rich store of comparative data from which to assess canonical descriptions of Jesus, his friends, and his enemies. Keith and Hurtado are to be congratulated for this superior contribution to the study of Jesus in the Gospels.
—Jennifer Knust, assistant professor of New Testament and Christian origins, Boston University
This collaborative work of several New Testament scholars takes a novel and fruitful approach to learning about the historical Jesus and the Jesus of the gospels. . . . The goal is to help the reader cumulatively to see the full dimensions of the Jesus of the gospels through the eyes of those who surround him in the gospel dramas.
—The Bible Today
Chris Keith is an assistant professor of New Testament and Christian origins at Lincoln Christian University. He was the 2010 recipient of the John Templeton Award for Theological Promise for The Pericope Adulterae, the Gospel of John, and the Literacy of Jesus.
Larry W. Hurtado is a New Testament and Christian origins scholar. He was a professor of New Testament language, literature, and theology and director of the Centre for the Study of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland until his retirement in 2011. An internationally respected New Testament scholar, he is an expert on the Gospels, the apostle Paul, early Christology, the Jewish background of the New Testament, and New Testament textual criticism.
Much New Testament scholarship from the last two hundred years has seen fit, to one degree or another, to relegate the Jesus tradition as recorded in the Gospels to the realm of legend. But is this really what the evidence points to? By drawing together recent scholarship from a variety of fields, including history, anthropology, ethnography, folklore, and New Testament studies, Paul Eddy and Gregory Boyd show that the evidence actually supports—rather than refutes—the historical reliability of the Gospels and the existence of Jesus.
Eddy and Boyd present the cumulative case argument for the “legendary Jesus” thesis and proceed to put it under the microscope—and seriously bring into question its viability. In the process, they range through issues such as the historical-critical method, form criticism, oral tradition, the use of non-Christian sources, the writings of Paul, and the Hellenization of Judaism. They come to the conclusion that the view of Jesus embraced by the early church was “substantially rooted in history.” Here is an important book in the field of Jesus studies, with potential use in New Testament and apologetics courses.
Eddy and Boyd provide a clearly written, carefully researched, and powerfully argued defense of the historical reliability of the Synoptic Gospels. What makes this book noteworthy is the careful treatment of underlying issues in historical methodology and philosophy. A pleasure to read and a wonderful resource for those who have encountered troubling skeptical claims about the Gospels.
—C. Stephen Evans, professor of philosophy and humanities, Baylor University
I am gratified that my friends and colleagues Paul Eddy and Greg Boyd have taken my work as seriously as they have in this comprehensively researched book. Bravo for their repudiation of any bias of philosophical naturalism! Amen to their urging that the burden of proof is on whomever would reject any bit of gospel tradition as unhistorical. Other than this, I would dispute almost every one of their assertions—but that is why I recommend the book! What can you learn if you only reinforce your own viewpoint? I urge any reader of my books to read this one alongside them!
—Robert M. Price, professor of theology and scriptural studies, Colemon Theological Seminary
A most welcome survey and critique of modern-day imaginative reconstructions of the rise of Christianity that attempt to justify faith in the presupposition of a non-supernaturalistic Jesus. . . . Well-written and organized, containing a masterful command of the literature. Eddy and Boyd show the difference between an open historical investigation of the life of Jesus and much of today’s fictional writing that claims to be historical research concerning the origin of Christianity. A very useful introduction for college and seminary students.
—Robert H. Stein, senior professor of New Testament interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Eddy and Boyd have provided a thoroughly compelling cumulative argument—one of the very best available—for the reliability of the Synoptic Jesus tradition. Their book constitutes a superb treatment of the various issues, involving both fresh research and a brilliant synthesis of material from a variety of relevant disciplines (philosophy, anthropology, historiography, as well as New Testament, early Judaism, and Greco-Roman antiquity). It is far better argued and documented than the works of the vast majority of the skeptics it challenges.
—Craig S. Keener, professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary
Misinformation about the historical Jesus and the reliability of the New Testament Gospels runs rampant in the twenty-first century. Some of this comes from eccentric or flawed scholarship; some from purely fictitious novels. Eddy and Boyd have surveyed technical and popular writing alike, in meticulous detail, and present what can be concluded responsibly about the trustworthiness of the Synoptic Gospels and the portraits of Jesus they contain. They compile a detailed and erudite case that supports Christian faith, but without the simplistic and unwarranted generalizations that one often hears in grassroots evangelical circles. Highly recommended!
—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary
This is one of the most important books on methodological issues in the study of Jesus and the Gospels to have appeared for a long time. It deserves to be widely read.
—Richard Bauckham, emeritus professor of New Testament studies, University of St. Andrews
Gregory A. Boyd is the senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was formerly a professor of theology at Bethel University. Boyd is the author of many books, including the critically acclaimed Seeing Is Believing and the best-selling Gold Medallion Award-winner Letters from a Skeptic.
Fully one-third of Jesus’ words in the Synoptic Gospels occur in parables—knowing the parables is essential for understanding the person of Christ. In this work, Brad Young displays his unique perspective as a scholar steeped in both Jewish and Christian studies. While parables have timeless messages, reinterpretations in new contexts throughout the centuries have distorted the original meanings and undermined the essence of what Jesus intended. Young examines the parables that best illustrate the parallels between the rabbinic and Gospel parables. He challenges readers to remember that first-century Judaism was not merely the backdrop for Jesus’ teachings but the very stage from which Jesus delivered the message of the kingdom. Jesus’ ethics and theology can be properly understood only in the light of first-century Jewish teachings. Young focuses on the historical development and theological significance of parables in both traditions and examines five theological subjects that are dealt with in parables: prayer, grace, reconciliation, calling, and sovereignty.
Young’s investigation and analysis is both interesting and challenging. The introduction gives a solid overview of parables in general as teaching tools. Young also surveys the relationship between Jesus’ parables and the broader context of Rabbinic Judaism. He makes extensive use of Jewish materials related to Second Temple Judaism including the Mishnah, Talmud, Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as the work of modern Jewish scholars and other major secondary sources. The general outline he follows in his exposition of the various parables is logical and helpful. . . . Young’s study of the parables is an excellent and stimulating contribution to the study of the parables and is well worth reading.
—Ashland Theological Journal
Brad H. Young is the associate professor of Judaic-Christian studies in the Graduate School of Theology at Oral Roberts University. He has devoted much energy to Jewish-Christian interfaith dialogue. Young is the author of many books, including Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus, Paul the Jewish Theologian, and Jesus the Jewish Theologian.
Meet the Rabbis explains how rabbinic thought was relevant to Jesus and the New Testament world—and how it should still be relevant today. Rabbinic literature explores the meaning of living life to its fullest while in right relationship with God and humanity. However, many Christians are not aware of rabbinic thought and literature. Most individuals in the Western world today—Christians, atheists, agnostics, secular community leaders, or some other religious and political persuasions—are more knowledgeable of Jesus’ ethical teachings from the Sermon on the Mount than the Ethics of the Fathers found in Jewish prayer books. The author seeks to introduce the reader to the world of Torah learning. It is within this world that the authentic cultural background of Jesus’ teachings in ancient Judaism is revealed. Young uses parts of the New Testament, especially the Sermon on the Mount, as a springboard for probing rabbinic method. The book is an introduction to rabbinic thought and literature and has three main sections in its layout:
An informative and highly readable volume that will serve its target audience well.
—Biblical Theology Bulletin
This book represents part of a growing collection of works written specifically for a lay Christian audience that seek to identify the Jewish context of the New Testament and early Christianity. In this volume, Young presents an independent introduction to rabbinic literature and history that highlights aspects of rabbinic Judaism that are instructive for understanding early Christianity. It also seeks to reverse a long-standing negative attitude toward Judaism (particular Pharisaic-rabbinic Judaism) displayed in many popular and scholarly discussions of the background of the New Testament. Young offers an overwhelmingly positive image of Judaism and its role in shaping early Christianity. Young places particular emphasis on the history and character of the rabbis, the corpus of rabbinic literature and the idea of an oral Torah, and rabbinic thought. This work is most successful in its treatment of points of contact between rabbinic thought and early Christianity, and analysis of where these commonalities diverge.
—Religious Studies Review
This text presents insights to both interest and challenge students of the Bible with the hope that they might choose to pursue a closer study of the Jewish sources and resources that are available for study. This book is of value for all students, particularly undergraduate students.
—Theological Book Review
Brad H. Young is an associate professor of Judaic-Christian studies in the Graduate School of Theology at Oral Roberts University. He has devoted much energy to Jewish-Christian interfaith dialogue. Young is the author of many books, including The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation, Paul the Jewish Theologian, and Jesus the Jewish Theologian.
Most modern prejudice against biblical miracles goes back to David Hume’s argument that uniform human experience precludes miracles. Current research, however, reveals that human experience is far from uniform; hundreds of millions of people today claim to have experienced miracles. Respected New Testament scholar Craig Keener argues that it is time to rethink Hume’s argument in light of the contemporary evidence available to us. This wide-ranging and meticulously researched study presents the most thorough current defense of the credibility of the miracle reports in the Gospels and Acts. Keener draws on claims from a range of global cultures and takes a multidisciplinary approach to the topic. He suggests that many historical and modern miracle accounts are best explained as genuine divine acts, lending credence to the biblical miracle reports.
The book is all the more valuable because of Keener’s thoughtful and bold analysis of the scientific method and the means by which we can test the miraculous. This massively researched study is both learned and provocative.
—Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of history, Baylor University
Seldom does a book take one’s breath away, but Keener’s magisterial Miracles is such a book. It is an extremely sophisticated, completely thorough treatment of its subject matter, and, in my opinion, it is now the best text available on the topic. The uniqueness of Keener’s treatment lies in his location of the biblical miracles in the trajectory of ongoing, documented miracles in the name of Jesus and his kingdom throughout church history, up to and including the present. From now on, no one who deals with the credibility of biblical miracles can do so responsibly without interacting with this book.
—J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University
From the very beginning of the modern approach to the Gospels, the question of miracles brought controversy. Over the last few centuries, most historical-critical scholars have dismissed them out of hand. However, in recent years, the tide has turned for a growing number of Gospel scholars. It is within this context that Craig Keener’s new two-volume work can be fully appreciated. Those familiar with Keener’s previous work will not be surprised by the remarkable level of scholarship in these volumes. The depth and breadth of research is stunning. The interdisciplinary synthesis is as careful as it is brilliant. The arguments are evenhanded and nuanced. In short, this work takes scholarship on miracles to a new level of sophistication and depth.
—Paul Rhodes Eddy, professor of biblical and theological studies, Bethel University
This book is a rarity in the scholarly world in that it is both rigorous in its scholarship and speaks with knowledge and passion about an exciting subject that demands our attention. We have here perhaps the best book ever written on miracles in this or any age. Highly recommended.
—Ben Witherington III, Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary
In an age of a global church, the time has come for Bible scholarship to be enriched by considering the way Christians read and understand Scripture in non-Western countries and cultures. In Miracles, Craig Keener offers an invaluable example of how that enrichment can take place through hard scholarly work and a passion for integrity. He gives us an exhaustive wealth of historical understanding, anthropological richness, and missiological savvy.
—Samuel Escobar, emeritus professor of missiology, Palmer Theological Seminary
Keener dares to accuse prevailing approaches to biblical-historical inquiry of operating according to ethnocentric prejudices and presuppositions, and then dares to make the charges stick with an avalanche of interdisciplinary arguments and evidence. He challenges us to ask—not only as persons of faith, but also as committed academicians—one of the most important questions that we can: Is the natural world a closed system after all? This monumental study combines historical inquiry into late antiquity, philosophical and existential criticism of antisupernaturalism and the legacy of David Hume’s epistemological skepticism, and ethnographic study of the phenomenon of the miraculous throughout the Majority World. The result is a book that is important not only for the historical study of Jesus and the New Testament but also for our understanding of our contemporary world beyond the boundaries of our social location and its worldview.
—David A. deSilva, Trustees’ Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary
Craig Keener has written arguably the best book ever on the subject of miracles. He places the miracles of Jesus and his followers in a full and rich context that includes philosophy, history, theology, exegesis, comparative religion, cultural anthropology, and firsthand observation and testimony. There is nothing like it. Keener’s monumental work shifts the burden of proof heavily onto skeptics. This book is must-reading for all who are interested in the truly big questions of our day.
—Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia
Craig S. Keener is a professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. He is the author of many books, including The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, Gift and Giver, and commentaries on Acts, Matthew, John, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, and Revelation.
In Reading the Gospels Wisely, Jonathan Pennington examines the theological and ethical aims of the Gospel narratives, helping students see the fruit of historical and literary study. He contends that we can learn to read the Gospels well from various vantage points, among them the premodern, modern, and postmodern.
This textbook can stand on its own as a guide to reading the Gospels as Scripture. It is ideally suited to supplement conventional textbooks that discuss each Gospel systematically. Most textbooks tend to introduce students to historical-critical concerns but may be less adequate for showing how the Gospel narratives, read as Scripture within the canonical framework of the entire New Testament and the whole Bible, yield material for theological reflection and faithful practice. Pennington neither dismisses nor duplicates the results of current historical-critical work on the Gospels as historical sources. Rather, he offers critically aware and hermeneutically intelligent instruction in reading the Gospels in order to hear their witness to Christ in a way that supports Christian application and proclamation. This text will appeal to professors and students in Gospels, New Testament survey, and New Testament interpretation courses.
This is a book that could transform many people’s reading of the Gospels. Jonathan Pennington has a wide knowledge of the specialist literature, and he skillfully distills what matters most for the task of reading the Gospels wisely. He is especially concerned that we read the Gospels in ways that are appropriate to the sort of texts they are. What comes across is a powerful sense that the Gospels are not only historical but also life-changing.
—Richard Bauckham, emeritus professor of New Testament studies, University of St. Andrews
Many books on the Gospels slog through source criticism, form criticism, and redaction criticism—important topics to be sure. How refreshing it is, however, to find a book with a new approach, one that reads the Gospels as literature and sees their importance theologically. This book is like a cool drink of water in what is too often the desert of Gospel studies. . . . His arguments must be reckoned with, and they further the conversation in productive and stimulating ways. I believe this is the best introductory book on the Gospels. Both students and professors will find it to be invaluable.
—Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Reading the Gospels can be tricky, but it is important to read them with a full appreciation of their theology. Jonathan Pennington’s study helps you get there—and get there well, as well as wisely.
—Darrell Bock, research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
Few academic enterprises of recent generations have been as chaotic and contradictory as the study of Jesus and the Gospels. . . . This learned yet lively volume attempts to transcend past miscues and cash in on lasting insights going back to patristic times. Pennington shows how the fourfold canonical Gospel ought to be read: as the proper entrée to becoming Jesus’ disciple for the sake of loving God by the work of the Spirit. Few works explain more.
—Robert W. Yarbrough, associate professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Trinity International University
Jonathan T. Pennington is an associate professor of New Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. The author of Heaven and Earth in the Gospel of Matthew, he has published a number of biblical language–learning tools, including New Testament Greek Vocabulary and Old Testament Hebrew Vocabulary.
The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke: Trajectories from the Old Testament to Luke–Acts
- Author: Roger Stronstad
- Edition: 2nd
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Publication Date: 2012
- Pages: 144
What is the meaning of the Holy Spirit’s activity in Luke-Acts, and what are its implications for today? Roger Stronstad offers a cogent and thought-provoking study of Luke as a charismatic theologian whose understanding of the Spirit was shaped wholly by his understanding of Jesus and the nature of the early church. Stronstad locates Luke’s pneumatology in the historical background of Judaism and views Luke as an independent theologian who makes a unique contribution to the pneumatology of the New Testament. This work challenges traditional Protestants to reexamine the impact of Pentecost and explores the Spirit’s role in equipping God’s people for the unfinished task of mission. The second edition has been revised and updated throughout and includes a new foreword by Mark Allan Powell.
In my opinion, Roger Stronstad’s The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke is perhaps the most important biblical studies book ever written by a Pentecostal. Truly a seminal work, this slim volume caused a seismic shift in the terrain of Pentecostal biblical scholarship, changing forever its fundamental character while sending tremors beyond the tradition in all directions. I am delighted that this exceedingly important piece will continue its well-deserved shelf life, extending its availability for readers old and new. My commendation to Baker Academic for issuing this valuable new edition.
—John Christopher Thomas, Clarence J. Abbott Professor of Biblical Studies, Pentecostal Theological Seminary
The most influential work on Lukan pneumatology of this generation! 25 years ago, Stronstad solidified my earliest convictions about the activity of the Holy Spirit. Today, my students echo the same refrain. Those familiar with Pentecostal/charismatic teaching on the Spirit-filled life find fodder for fresh reflection and exploration. Those not familiar receive a challenging invitation for renewed pursuit of the Spirit. I could not be happier that this book has been revised and will remain in print.
—Martin Mittelstadt, associate professor of biblical studies, Evangel University
With the publication of Stronstad’s The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke in 1984, Pentecostal scholarship on Luke-Acts introduced itself to the academic community. Stronstad advanced a simple narrative approach to Luke’s writings: take the text seriously by following the storyline. By tracking plot patterns and considering Luke’s storytelling techniques, Stronstad found Luke’s understanding of the mission of Christ and the church, and the nature of Spirit empowerment to effect it. In our graduate curriculum, this book is the cornerstone of our ‘Pentecostal distinctives’ course.
—Van Johnson, dean, Master’s Pentecostal Seminary, Toronto
Roger Stronstad is an associate professor in Bible and theology at Summit Pacific College in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He is the author of many articles and six books, including The Prophethood of All Believers: A Study in Luke’s Charismatic Theology. Strongstad also coedited Life in the Spirit New Testament Commentary.
For many years, the well-received first edition of this commentary has offered readers a way to look at scriptural texts that combines historical, narrative, and contemporary interests. Carter explores Matthew by approaching it from the perspective of the “authorial audience”—by identifying with and reading along with the audience imagined by the author. This newly updated second edition focuses on Matthew as storyteller, interpreter, and evangelist. It preserves the essential identity of the original material, while adding new insights from Carter’s more recent readings of Matthew’s Gospel in relation to the Roman Imperial world.
Four of the seventeen chapters have been significantly revised, and most have had minor changes. There are also new endnotes directing readers to Carter’s more recent published work on Matthew. Scholars and pastors will use the full bibliography and appendix on redaction and narrative approaches, while lay readers will appreciate the clear and straightforward text.
With a deft touch and an eye for detail, Carter invites the reader to follow him on a well-planned literary tour of the world of Matthew’s Gospel and its story of Jesus. To begin the tour, Carter acquaints the reader with the social and cultural circumstances of Matthew’s author and audience and then shows the reader the heart of Matthew’s story as he discusses its viewpoint, plot, settings, and characters. To conclude the tour, Carter relates Matthew’s gospel-proclamation to various aspects of contemporary religious experience. Writing for students, ministers, and scholars alike, Carter demonstrates a fine mastery of both historical and literary methods. His book will be touted as a worthy contribution to Matthean studies.
—Jack Dean Kingsbury, emeritus professor of biblical theology, Union Theological Seminary
Warren Carter presents a balanced literary, social, and historical interpretation of Matthew. He concerns himself with these three approaches in order to elucidate what Matthew had to say, how he said it, and how it might be experienced today. . . . His book is a good introduction both to Matthew and to the processes of thoughtful reading. Carter’s work may not be the last word on Matthew’s gospel—indeed, he would not want it to be—but it is a work that helps its readers begin their own dialogue with the gospel, a fitting goal for all biblical interpretation.
—Steven J. Kraftchick, associate professor in the practice of New Testament interpretation, Candler School of Theology
This book is worthy of careful study by student and scholar alike. Carter’s is certainly among the most innovative modern approaches to methods of studying the Gospel from a literary perspective, as well as incorporating more traditional (historical-critical) methodological tools. His method is unique in that, though it intends to provide an audience-oriented approach to complement the wealth of material available from a redaction-critical perspective, he pushes the methodological agenda by incorporating both methods. . . . Carter’s is certainly an important book.
—Review of Biblical Literature
This book will be useful to the discerning reader, especially where it provides useful insights into the text of Matthew’s Gospel.
—Reformed Theological Review
Carter’s highly praised introduction to Matthew focuses on the narrative aspects of the First Gospel. The new edition has been reset and edited to include much on the gospel’s social world in an ancient agrarian society. Carter ranks as one of the world’s leading authorities on Matthew.
—International Review of Biblical Studies
This readable and uncluttered introduction, including extensive chapter endnotes, does not stray far from the scholarly consensus but gives it life by understanding Matthew’s audience. It admirably meets its intended purpose as a text for undergraduate and seminary students who are beginning their study of Matthew. More advanced students will also find it refreshing and helpful.
—Journal for the Study of the New Testament
I will find this book very useful as a reference tool and recommend it highly for college courses.
—Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Warren Carter is a professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University. He is the author of many books, including John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist, The Roman Empire and the New Testament, Matthew and Empire, John and Empire, and Matthew and the Margins.
The earliest and briefest of the four Gospels has traditionally been ascribed to a disciple named Mark. In some ages, it been overshadowed by its lengthier New Testament neighbors, but its pages hold rich rewards for those who ask the right questions. Who was “Mark,” and what were his purposes—historical, theological, or otherwise? How does he shape his story of Jesus, and what interpretation of the origins of Christianity does that shaping reveal? What is his understanding of his central character, Jesus of Nazareth? And what abiding value does Mark’s story hold for those who read this “good news” as a key part of the charter of the Christian church in its life today?
Seminarians, students, pastors, and readers seeking an introduction to the Gospel of Mark through the lens of sensitive literary, historical, and theological scholarship need look no further. In Mark: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist, Francis J. Moloney offers the fruits of top-level biblical scholarship in a broadly accessible format. Students and professors alike will appreciate and profit from his fresh and lucid presentation of the message of one of the Christian faith’s earliest and most enigmatic proponents and the inventor of its most revered literary genre.
If you are seeking a reliable and engaging introduction to the Gospel of Mark, look no further. Moloney’s work presents students and pastors, as well as scholars, with a reliable account of how the Gospel of Mark became such a central text in contemporary New Testament studies, and it offers as an engaging reading of the Markan story that opens new vistas. Moloney provides a thorough study of Markan Christology and ecclesiology, and his final chapter, ‘The Good News of Human Failure,’ is the most insightful statement of Mark’s accomplishment I have read. Clearly written and always compelling in its presentation, Mark: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist is the perfect introduction to a serious reading of the Markan Gospel. Carefully researched and based on an insightful reading of the Gospel text, it will remain a staple of Markan studies for years to come.
—Frank J. Matera, professor of New Testament, The Catholic University of America
Moloney plunges deeply into the background, structure, literary character, and profound theology of this Gospel and the community from which it derived. College or seminary courses on Mark might find this a helpful resource, with its clear analysis and rich bibliographical material.
—The Bible Today
I highly recommend this book as an introduction to Mark for college and seminary classes. Lay individuals and parish study groups will find this book accessible and beneficial, and scholars will benefit from many fine insights in the text and in the informative endnotes.
—Catholic Biblical Quarterly
A thorough introduction to Markan theology. . . . The book includes detailed scholarly notes and two bibliographies.
—International Review of Biblical Studies
[This] book is definitely one of the most readable introductions to Mark.
—Toronto Journal of Theology
Designed for the nonspecialist, this study manages to include a good deal of information about the gospel of Mark in a limited amount of space. . . . As befits this non-technical treatment, Moloney regulates scholarly notes to the end of chapters, thereby rendering the text readable and the pages airy and attractive. . . . This is one of the better introductions to Markan thought. It is recommended for its intended purpose.
—Religious Studies Review
Shorter than a commentary, but based on it, and written in a lucid, popular, and accessible style (albeit with well-documented endnotes for the specialist), this book by Moloney will be found of interest to students, scholars, and pastors alike. . . . [T]his is an excellent contribution to recent Markan studies; it will be of value to those interested in this endlessly fascinating Gospel for some time to come.
Francis J. Moloney is the emeritus senior professorial fellow at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne. He formerly served as dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at Catholic University of America and as provincial superior of the Salesians of Don Bosco for Australia and the Pacific region. He is the author of many books, including The Gospel of John: Text and Context.
John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist
- Author: Warren Carter
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Publication Date: 2006
- Pages: 288
John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist is an accessible introduction to the Fourth Gospel. This book examines three aspects of John’s Gospel: John’s telling of the story of Jesus, his interpretation of Jesus for his readers, and his formulation of all of this into the Gospel of Jesus.
Carter surveys the central issues of this Gospel and engages with narrative and historical approaches, the two dominant methods used in interpreting John’s Gospel. He introduces his readers to consider the Gospel’s negotiation of the Roman Imperial world.
This book is written for college and seminary students, clergy seeking resources for teaching and preaching, and laity—especially Bible study groups that like to engage a topic in some depth.
The adage that the Gospel of John is a pool in which a child can wade and an elephant can swim is repeated often. While John is widely accessible on a superficial level, it demands a great deal if one is to read it perceptively. Warren Carter provides serious readers with a thorough orientation to the Gospel, leading students of the Gospel into its literary, historical, and theological facets while providing an overview of key figures and contributions in Johannine scholarship. Everyone needs a guide when entering unfamiliar territory, and, for the adventurous, Carter is surefooted, reliable, and insightful. Those who follow his lead will quickly find John to be a source of endless fascination.
—R. Alan Culpepper, dean, James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology
This is an excellent and substantial introduction to the Gospel of John geared for seminaries or college courses but also useful to anyone wanting to gain a deeper knowledge of this gospel. . . . Equipped with a rich bibliography and laid out in an organized fashion, this introduction provides a strong orientation to the gospel and its interpretation.
—The Bible Today
The greatest strength of this book is its emphasis on reading the narrative as an autonomous story and allowing John’s Gospel to speak independently of any other tradition. Evangelical students of the Gospels have a tendency to get mired in the historical minutiae of the text or to harmonize first and thereby miss out on the distinctive theological contributions of the writers. Because of these all too common tendencies, Carter’s volume will prove useful for helping beginning evangelical students read the Fourth Gospel as an independent narrative. This text will prove useful for introductory classes on the Fourth Gospel and is highly recommended.
—Journal of the Evangelical Society
The book will serve college and seminary students well, and clergy wanting to do some solid work with the Gospel.
—Biblical Theology Bulletin
This handbook makes for an excellent primer on its topics and can be warmly recommended.
—Bulletin for Biblical Research
In John: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist, author Warren Carter explains that he is writing for college and seminary students, for clergy seeking resources for preaching and teaching, and for laity seeking to engage in the study of the Fourth Gospel in some depth. He is thus not writing this book for his peers, although specialists will undoubtedly learn from it. In addressing a general audience, Carter does not sacrifice his commitment to scholarly excellence and precision. The result is an erudite but accessible introduction to John’s Gospel.
—Toronto Journal of Theology
This book is a first-class introduction to the Fourth Gospel which will prove invaluable to all those approaching serious study of the Gospel for the first time. In an engaging style, Carter comprehensively and clearly examines the significant issues in contemporary Johannine scholarship. . . . Carter has produced a very well-written and remarkably comprehensive introduction to John, which should be well received by student and scholar alike.
—Journal for the Study of the New Testament Booklist
Warren Carter is a professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University. He is the author of many books, including Matthew: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist, The Roman Empire and the New Testament, Matthew and Empire, John and Empire, and Matthew and the Margins.
The Gospel of Mark, addressed to an early Christian community perplexed by failure and suffering, presents Jesus as suffering Messiah and Son of God. Recognizing that failure and suffering continue to perplex Christians today, world-renowned New Testament scholar and theologian Francis Moloney marries the rich contributions of traditional historical scholarship with the contemporary approach to the Gospels as narrative. This commentary combines the highest-level scholarship with pastoral sensitivity. It offers an accessible and thoughtful reading of Mark’s narrative to bring the Gospel’s story to life for contemporary readers.
Fr. Francis J. Moloney has given us a fine commentary on Mark that works on a number of different levels and therefore will be of use to a number of different audiences. The main part of the commentary, intelligible to any educated lay reader, sticks close to the text and story of Mark as it stands, providing a good sense of the overall story of Mark, with its own peculiar language, tone, structure, and theology. The numerous footnotes provide the more advanced reader with discussions of more detailed questions of history, traditions, sources, and modern-day debates among scholars. In sum, Fr. Moloney shows himself to be a first-class scholar and teacher.
—John P. Meier, William K. Warren Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame
Moloney has provided the same detailed and thoughtful reading of Mark’s narrative that scholars familiar with his earlier work on John would expect. He incorporates the latest results of modern scholarship to show how carefully the evangelist has crafted a narrative out of earlier Jesus traditions. Based on the Greek text, this book provides a study of the Gospel for pastors, seminary students, and intermediate-level students.
—Pheme Perkins, professor of theology, Boston College
In his major commentary, F. J. Moloney succeeds in interpreting Mark’s Gospel at the highest scholarly level and also in a way that will be comprehensible to general readers. Moloney is one of those rare exegetes who is thoroughly familiar with the specialized literature on both sides of the Atlantic, so that this ranks as a truly ‘international’ commentary.
—Udo Schnelle, professor of New Testament, University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
Francis Moloney has written an insightful commentary on the Gospel of Mark that will serve readers well—scholars and laity alike. Readers are treated to judicious treatment of important issues and troublesome passages. Moloney has a knack for clarifying Mark’s goals and theological interests. This commentary is highly recommended.
—Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada
Here is an accessible commentary by a great teacher. It combines historical and literary insights in a masterful way.
—Adela Yarbro Collins, Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale Divinity School
Francis J. Moloney is a senior professorial fellow of Australian Catholic University at its Melbourne campus, Australia, and member of the Department of Biblical Studies. He is also the former provincial superior of the Salesians of Don Bosco for Australia and the Pacific region and former Katharine Drexel Professor of Religious Studies and dean of the School of Theology at the Catholic University of America. Moloney is a fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, a member of the Order of Australia, and the author of more than 40 books, including The Living Voice of the Gospels and Mark: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist. He is also a member of the editorial board for Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament.
Keener’s commentary explores the Jewish and Greco-Roman settings of John more deeply than previous works, paying special attention to social-historical and rhetorical features of the Gospel. This exhaustive commentary contains over 20,000 ancient extrabiblical references and cites about 4,000 different secondary sources, making it the most thorough and thoroughly documented John commentary currently available.
Keener’s new commentary on the Gospel of John represents a striking achievement in the history of Johannine scholarship. It is meticulously researched, cogently argued, and clearly presented, and will not soon be surpassed either in comprehensiveness or in depth. [It] belongs on the shelf of every student of the fourth Gospel.
—David E. Aune, Walter Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, University of Notre Dame
This exhaustive commentary on the Gospel of John is an example of evangelical scholarship at its best. Keener relentlessly pursues all the possible sources for the Johannine story. The historical Jesus, early Christian tradition, and Palestinian, rabbinic, and the Mediterranean worlds are his regular points of extensive reference. Keener’s reading of the fourth Gospel as a story written for a rejected Jewish community, claiming they are the true Israel, and that Jesus is the perfection of the gift of Torah, raises questions that must be taken into account by future Johannine scholarship.
—Francis J. Moloney, Katharine Drexel Professor of Religious Studies, The Catholic University of America
Keener’s commentary is marked by intelligence as well as comprehensiveness. In the marshalling of relevant materials from John’s own milieu and in the canvassing of modern scholarly literature, Keener is unsurpassed in his generation of Johannine scholars. . . . Serious interpreters of the Gospel of John will not always agree with Keener’s conclusions, but they must take account of his work.
—D. Moody Smith Jr., George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament, Duke University
Craig Keener’s academic commentaries are among the most important in print, because they not only summarize former scholarship but also add so many new insights from primary literature of the time.
—David Instone-Brewer, senior research fellow in rabbinics and New Testament, Tyndale House, Cambridge
Keener’s commentary on the Gospel of John is a work of stunning erudition. Aimed primarily at situating the Gospel in its intellectual, theological, and historical context, this monumental commentary cites an unparalleled array of ancient sources. Scholars will be mining its references and citing its interpretations for decades to come.
—R. Alan Culpepper, dean, McAfee School of Theology
Craig S. Keener is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of many books, including Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, Gift and Giver, and commentaries on Acts, Matthew, John, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, and Revelation.
Reviews
2 ratings
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Dr. Woods
5/8/2014
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There is a lot of good material here. You will enjoy reading and learning more about the issues they uncover. Scholars like Hurtado, Bock, Keener, and Twelftree are well established scholars who have done some great work. Black and Beck's resource in this will surely open your eyes too. All in all, if you grab this set and put the resources on reading plans and actually read them you will have added a great deal of awareness to your scholarly views on Gospel issues in particular.
C.J. Scott
11/5/2013
This is a great set, you get all the Gospels (bar Acts) from the BECNT series and the Understanding the Bible Commentaries on the Gospels are a delight
