In this highly readable introduction to the Gospels, Edward Adams demonstrates how the four canonical Gospels function separately--as unique accounts of Jesus' life--and as narrative renditions of a shared story: the Fourfold Gospel. Building on the premise that the Gospels are ancient biographies or "lives of Jesus," Adams examines parallel Gospel passages, highlighting the similarities and differences between them. He begins by approaching the four Gospels generally, then looks at each of them individually, and finally considers six key Gospel passages to further explore the unity and...

This is an introductory guide to the four New Testament Gospels as overlapping accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, each with their own distinctive emphases and concerns.

Edward Adams challenges a strong consensus in New Testament and Early Christian studies: that the early Christians met 'almost exclusively' in houses. This assumption has been foundational for research on the social formation of the early churches, the origins and early development of church architecture, and early Christian worship. Recent years have witnessed increased scholarly interest in the early 'house church'.

Adams re-examines the New Testament and other literary data, as well as archaeological and comparative evidence, showing that explicit evidence for assembling in houses...