The New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction

ISBN-13: 9781119685920 / Angielski / Miękka / 2022 / 256 str.

C Conway

Spis treści

List of Figures xiList of Maps xiiiList of Boxes xvPreface xviiAcknowledgments xixTimeline xxiPrologue: Orientation to the Academic Study of the New Testament 1Chapter Overview 1A Contemporary Introduction to the New Testament 1Different Designations and Different Bibles 4The Contents of the New Testament 6Abbreviations, Translations, and Annotations 7New Terminology for Old Texts 13Prologue Review 15Resources for Further Study 15Appendix: Translation and Paraphrase Comparison of John 1:18 151 The New Testament Writings in Multiple Contexts 17Chapter Overview 17A History of Trauma under Imperial Rule 17The New Testament Writings in their Ancient Literary Context 21The New Testament Writings in their Ancient Social Context 22Focus Text: Acts 16:11-40 25Conclusion: The New Testament in a Complex World 27Chapter One Review 28Resources for Further Study 282 The Jesus Movement in the Context of the Roman Empire 29Chapter Overview 29Rome Comes to Jerusalem 29Searching for the Historical Jesus: Problems and Proposals 33The Earliest Jesus Traditions 39Chapter Two Review 43Resources for Further Study 433 Introducing Paul and His Letters 45Chapter Overview 45Introduction to the Study of the Pauline Letters 46Paul's Earliest Surviving Letter: 1 Thessalonians 51Paul's Letter to the Philippians 54Paul's Letter to Philemon 57Chapter Three Review 59Resources for Further Study 604 Reading Paul within Judaism: Galatians and Romans 61Chapter Overview 61Paul's Gentile Problem in Galatia 62Paul on his "Earlier Life" (Gal 1:13) 64Why and Why Not Circumcision in Galatia? 65Paul's Letter to the Romans: The Righteousness of God in Relation to Jews and Gentiles 69The Problem of Israel and the Place of the Gentiles (Romans 9-11) 75Chapter Four Review 77Resources for Further Study 775 Conflicts with the Corinthian Christ Group 79Chapter Overview 79The Urban Setting of Corinth 80Status Problems in Corinth 83Conflicts over the Body and Sexuality in Corinth 85iiConflicts over Meat Consumption in Corinth 87Disputing Ritual Practices in Corinth 88Afflictions and Accusations in 2 Corinthians 90Disputes Regarding the Collection for Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9) 92Paul's Self-Defenseagainst Gendered Status Attacks 93Focus Text: 2 Cor 11:16-12:13 94Chapter Five Review 95Resources for Further Study 956 Claiming Pauline Authority: Later Trajectories of Pauline Traditions 97Chapter Overview 97Ancient Pseudonymity and the New Testament Writers 98Three Deutero-Pauline Letters: 2 Thessalonians, Colossians, and Ephesians 99Conforming to Roman Imperial Values: The New Testament Household Codes 104More Deutero-Pauline Letters: 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus 105The Paul of Legend: The Acts of Paul and Thecla 108From Local Letters to Scriptural Authority 109Chapter Six Review 111Resources for Further Study 1117 The Gospel of Mark: Suffering and Trauma under Imperial Rule 113Chapter Overview 113The Jewish War (66-70 ce) 114Clues to the Dating and Context of the Gospel of Mark 115The Story of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark 118The Rising Popularity of Jesus and Rising Conflict with the Authorities 118Teaching and Misunderstanding "on the Way" 122Mark's Suffering Messiah 126An Enigmatic Ending 129Focus Text: Mark 12:1-12 130Chapter Seven Review 132Resources for Further Study 1328 The Gospel of Matthew: Defining Community in the Wake of Destruction 133Chapter Overview 133The Synoptic Problem 134The Structure of the Gospel of Matthew 136The Matthean Jesus and Jewish Tradition 138The Matthean Jesus, Righteousness, and Torah Obedience 140The Matthean Jesus, Wisdom, and Torah 142Matthew's Apocalyptic Vision and the Kingdom of Heaven 143The Matthean Polemic against the Pharisees 146Focus Text: Matt 25:31-46 150Chapter Eight Review 152Resources for Further Study 1539 The Gospel of Luke: Legitimizing the Jesus Movement in the Midst of Empire 155Chapter Overview 155Reading the Clues in the Lukan Prologue 156The Lukan Jesus in Continuity with Israel's Past 158God's Plan of Salvation for Israel and the Gentiles 160The Lukan Jesus and Imperial Imitation 160The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Lukan Narrative 164The Travel Narrative and Lukan Parables 165Focus Text: Jesus's Sermon in Nazareth (Luke 4:14-30) 168Chapter Nine Review 170Resources for Further Study 17010 The Spread of "the Way" in the Roman Empire: The Acts of the Apostles 171Chapter Overview 171Salvation to Israel and to the Gentiles in Acts 171The Role of the Spirit in Acts 174The Acts of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles 175Looking Beyond the Leading Men of Luke-Acts 177Paul and the Spread of "the Way" in the Roman Empire 179Focus Text: Acts 8:26-40 180Conclusion: Luke-Acts' Ambivalent Response to Empire 183Chapter Ten Review 183Resources for Further Study 18411 The Gospel of John and the Johannine Letters: Turning Inward as a Strategy for Life in the Empire 185Chapter Overview 185Who Is the Johannine Jesus? 186The Johannine Prologue: Jesus as Pre-existent Logos Made Flesh 186The Johannine Jesus as God's Divine Agent in the World 189The "I Am" Sayings in the Gospel of John 191Knowing and Believing in the Johannine Jesus 192Opposition from the World 194The Problem of "the Jews" in the Gospel of John 196Focus Text: John 17 200The Johannine Letters 201Chapter Eleven Review 203Resources for Further Study 20312 Following Christ in the Empire: Diverse Approaches in the New Testament 205Chapter Overview 205The Revelation to John: Visions of "Conquering" Roman Power 206Focus Text: Revelation 17-18 213Hebrews: Platonic Perspectives on Christ 2141 Peter: Living as Aliens and Accommodating to the Empire 218Conclusion: Three Different Relationships to the Roman Empire 221Chapter Twelve Review 222Resources for Further Study 222Epilogue: The Final Formation of the New Testament Canon 223Glossary 227Appendix: A Brief Overview of Some Interpretive Approaches to the Bible 233Index 237

O autorze

Colleen M. Conway is Professor of Religion at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ and Executive Editor of the journal Biblical Interpretation. She has published widely in the areas of gender criticism, biblical masculinity studies, the Gospel of John, and reception history of the Bible. Her recent publications include A Contemporary Introduction to the Bible: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts, Second Edition, co-authored with David M. Carr (Wiley Blackwell, 2021), John and the Johannine Letters (2017), Sex and Slaughter in the Tent of Jael (2016).