Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels

by Pheme Perkins

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2007

Overview

In Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels, respected New Testament scholar Pheme Perkins delivers a fresh introduction to the earliest written accounts of Jesus—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—situating those canonical Gospels within the wider world of oral storytelling and literary production of the first and second centuries. Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels presents a balanced look at how the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke came to be and what they mean.

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Key Features

• Introduces the earliest written accounts of Jesus
• Looks at how the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke came to be and what they mean
• Places the canonical Gospels within the wider world of oral storytelling and literary production

Contents

• What Is a Gospel?
• Books and Believers in Early Christianity
• The Quest for Sources
• Reading Mark’s Gospel
• Reading Matthew’s Gospel
• Reading Luke’s Gospel
• Gospels from the Second and Third Centuries

Top Highlights

“A final note suggests that by the end of the second century most Christians accepted the four-Gospel canon as authoritative accounts of Jesus.” (Page 2)

“Luke’s concerns are not primarily historical but theological, to confirm the truth of Christian preaching. The” (Page 204)

“Given the varied types of narrative in which lives of famous persons are recounted, it seems unnecessary to exclude the Gospels from the larger category of ‘life’ or biography. Though modern readers value character development, the ancients assume that heroes exhibit a fixed character that embodies a philosopher’s teaching or the values of a society.” (Page 3)

“Even though Matthew’s book is twice as long as Mark and Luke’s nearly so, one can still discern a narrative skeleton that resembles Mark’s Gospel. By adding material on Jesus’ family and birth, Matthew and Luke have brought the story closer to what readers might have expected in a biography.” (Page 21)

“When Matthew and Luke revise or supplement Mark, they are engaged in a natural process of filling out the story.” (Page 22)

Praise for the Print Edition

This book not only provides a much-needed general introduction to the Synoptic Gospels but also introduces its audience to the apocryphal Gospels, including the Gospel of Judas. Perkins’ treatment is fair and balanced, and her analogies to contemporary culture are inspired and illuminating.

—Adela Yarbro Collins, Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale University

Pheme Perkins provides a comprehensive and up-to-date discussion of each Synoptic Gospel and a balanced analysis of all the apocryphal and Gnostic Gospels that have attracted so much attention recently. Her knowledge of the ancient texts, long experience as a teacher, sound judgment, and clarity of expression make this book a reliable guide for college and seminary students and for all who are perplexed about the Gospels and the development of early Christianity.

—Daniel J. Harrington, chair of the biblical studies department, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

Pheme Perkins provides an accessibly written, evenhanded, and carefully reasoned guide to major issues in Gospel studies. In economical fashion she enables the reader to gain a sure understanding of the place of Synoptic and apocryphal Gospels in ancient literary culture and in the development of early Christianity. Highly recommended.

—Margaret M. Mitchell, Shailer Mathews Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature, University of Chicago Divinity School

Product Details

• Title: Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels
• Author: Pheme Perkins
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2007
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 336
• Era: era:Contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. N.T. Gospels › Criticism, interpretation, etc; Synoptic problem
• ISBNs: 9780802817709, 080281770X
• Resource ID: LLS:NTRDCTNSYNPTCS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:30:10Z

About Pheme Perkins

Pheme Perkins, the Joseph Professor of Catholic Spirituality at Boston College, is the author of over twenty-five books on the New Testament and early Christianity. She was the first woman president of the Catholic Biblical Association and served as chair of its executive board. Additionally, Perkins has served on many editorial boards and is an associate editor of the New Oxford Annotated Bible.