Reading the New Testament is the lead volume to the successful New Testament Readings Series. It analyzes the many ways in which the New Testament can be read and interpreted.
Rather than prescribing one 'correct' way of reading, this study offers an overview of and introduction to the most influential theories of recent scholarship, discussing the background against which such theories are developed. It shows the advantages of combining methods of reading, thus stimulating an interaction between various approaches, illustrated by the individual volumes in the...

Reading the New Testament is the lead volume to the successful New Testament Readings Series. It analyzes the many ways in which the New Testament can be read and interpreted.
Rather than prescribing one 'correct' way of reading, this study offers an overview of and introduction to the most influential theories of recent scholarship, discussing the background against which such theories are developed. It shows the advantages of combining methods of reading, thus stimulating an interaction between various approaches, illustrated by the individual volumes in the...

This book examines the eschatology of Jesus by evaluating his appropriation of sacred traditions related to Israel's restoration.

This addition to the well-known series of theological monographs deals with the use of the Greek work traditionally translated 'body' but recently as 'person', especially in certain parts of the writings of Paul. Theologians have argued that the translation as 'person' defines man as an indivisible whole and as a complex of relationships rather than an organization of substances. Against the trends of modern biblical theology, Dr Gundry seeks to show that soma always refers to the individual physical body and that it should be defined in substantive categories. Consequently, the theological...

This monograph seeks to answer the question why Melchizedek, who is a minor figure in the Old Testament, is selected by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews to represent the priesthood of Christ. In the course of his study, Professor Horton surveys the traditions about Melchizedek from the Old Testment period, in Philo, Josephus and Qumran, to the later sources in Rabbinical and patristic writings and the Gnosticism. The book concludes with a critical examination of the claims made for the dependence of Hebrews on the Qumran figure and tradition. The author finally rejects this...

It has for long been generally assumed that the relationship between our canonical texts of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew is to be explained in terms of direct literary dependence, either of Matthew on Mark, or of Mark on Matthew. Professor Rist questions this assumption vigourously, and argues that it leads to contradictory and paradoxical conclusions. He replaces the theory of literary dependence with the thesis that Matthew and Mark grew up independently on the basis of a common oral tradition, and supports his view by detailed examination of a large number of parallel passages. The...

This monograph develops the view that the Synoptic Gospels suggest that Jesus expected vindication of his earthly mission after his death by receiving a status of exaltation in the presence of God. This would involve the exercise of the functions of judging and ruling associated with the Jewish concept of the Son of man. A variety of alternative explanations has been offered concerning the origin and meaning of this title as it appears in the Gospels. The earlier part of this book examines the most important of these against their Jewish background. The second part examines in detail the most...

The New Testament narratives reporting the resuscitation of dead persons by Jesus and Peter are discussed in detail in this monograph, and their theology is examined. The author compares the NT stories with the resuscitation episodes in the OT, and also with the broader category of NT miracle stories. This enables him to identify the features peculiar to the NT resuscitation accounts. Dr Rochais' analysis, using redaction-critical methods, demonstrates different stages in the formulation of the narratives, and attempts to identify the events or purposes underlying them. He makes reference to...

St Paul and his contemporaries - so runs a commonly accepted scholarly opinion - inhabited a world believed to be dominated by hostile superhuman powers, of whom Jews and Gentiles alike liked in fear. Dr Carr challenges this widespread assumption by means of a detailed examination of various kinds of evidence. First there is the New Testament itself. The general Mediterranean cultural background of the first century is also important, and the author looks at evidence from the early Church Fathers and gnostic material. He concludes that the notion of mighty forces of evil ranged against man...

There has recently been strong support for the hypothesis that, contrary to the formerly accepted view that Mark's gospel was the first to be written, Mark was in fact the last synoptic gospel to appear. This book is a detailed examination of the arguments used to support this view, which constitutes a revival of that put forward by J. J. Griesbach at the end of the eighteenth century. Since Markan priority and the Two-Document hypothesis have been basic presuppositions for much modern gospel study, all attempts to question them must be taken very seriously. Dr Tuckett does this by...