Gospel of Matthew, The (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) [Paperback]

Edward Sri (Author), Curtis Mitch (Author), Peter Williamson (Series Editor), Mary Healy (Series Editor), Kevin Perrotta (Series Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2010 | Series: Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture

This engaging commentary on the Gospel of Matthew is the fifth of seventeen volumes in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS), which will cover the entire New Testament. This volume, like each in the series, relates Scripture to life, is faithfully Catholic, and is supplemented by features designed to help readers understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively.

Praise for the CCSS:
"These commentaries are both exegetically sound and spiritually nourishing. They are indispensable tools for preaching, catechesis, evangelization, and other forms of pastoral ministry."--Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM Cap, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"In this exciting new commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri do an outstanding job of fulfilling the biblical vision of Vatican II. For years I have wished for an up-to-date Catholic commentary on Matthew that would unite history and theology, Scripture and tradition, Old and New Testaments, Jewish roots and Christian faith. Now we have one! This extremely readable commentary should be on the shelf of any priest, deacon, seminarian, or layperson who wants to bring out 'treasures new and old' from the pages of the First Gospel."--Brant Pitre, Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans

"Is it possible to write a historically informed commentary on the Gospel of Matthew that does not position itself skeptically vis-à-vis the claims made in the narrative? Catholic scholars have for some time been hesitant to answer yes. In this volume, Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri invite us to meet the Jesus depicted by the evangelist Matthew--to meet him in his historical context and to meet him without fear that Matthew is leading us astray. The result is like meeting Jesus again for the first time: the Jesus whom we worship in the liturgy meets us in the Gospel as the living, breathing first-century Jew who is Emmanuel, God with us."--Matthew Levering, University of Dayton

Praise for the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture

"An ideal tool for living our faith more deeply. This extraordinary resource combines superior scholarship and a vivid, accessible style that will serve the interested layperson and the serious scholar equally well. It should be on the shelf of every committed Catholic believer. I highly recommend it."--Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap, Archbishop of Denver

"This is a landmark achievement in theological interpretation of Scripture in and for the Church. Everything about it is inviting and edifying. It is a wonderful gift to the Catholic Church and a model for the rest of us. Highly recommended for all!"--Michael J. Gorman, St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore

For more information on the series, visit www.CatholicScriptureCommentary.com.

About the Author

Curtis Mitch (MA, Franciscan University) is research fellow and trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology in Steubenville, Ohio, and coauthor with Scott Hahn of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. Edward Sri (STD, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome), provost and professor of theology and Scripture at the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado, is a founding leader with Curtis Martin of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) and the author of several books on Scripture and the Catholic faith.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Baker Academic; 2nd in a series of 17 edition (December 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080103602X
• ISBN-13: 978-0801036026
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another triumph for the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture January 22, 2011

By Rich Leonardi

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Like Mary Healy's treatment of the Gospel of Mark in this series, Mitch and Sri's commentary on the Gospel of Matthew is exactly what the faithful need. The scholarship presented is first rate without being overly technical or arcane, and the prose is refreshingly lacking in the "hermeneutic of suspicion" that sometimes accompanies Catholic commentaries. In other words, the authors are appreciative of the work that's been done by exegetes and historians, but they wear their learning lightly and don't try to poke holes in the Scriptures. The text is faithful to the Magisterium and includes useful side bars on background topics. Many have asked how it compares to two other popular orthodox commentaries: the Navarre Bible and the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible. The volumes in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture present more of a narrative than Ignatius, and are less contemplative and more "technical" than Navarre. All three are wonderful in their approaches and complement one another. Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My judgement of this book June 12, 2011

By Michael D. Spencer

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I think this commentary is marvelous. I have gone through it, looking at its accounts of passages I have wondered about over the years, and I found that this commentary helped me understand these passages much better.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for the faithful orthodox February 25, 2011

By Stratiotes Doxha Theon VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Since one intent of this commentary series was to provide a series that was orthodox and in line with the teachings of the Church (Roman Catholic), it is not surprising that this volume is just that. As far as that goes, it is exactly what we would expect. But in this respect, I wonder about the difference between this series and the Navarre series which has similar goals.

However, I was a bit disappointed at the rather shallow adherence at times as in the question of Markan priority and Quelle. Though the question is discussed it ends with an explanation that the writers will follow church tradition without mentioning the historical texts such as Clement, Eusebius, or Augustine. We are left with the burden of proof for church tradition without a truly scholarly refutation of Markan priority. It might have been thought that such a refutation would take too much space but even a few examples of the internal comparison of the synoptics could be used to refute Markan priority - not to mention the historical evidence against it in the early church writings mentioned already. But, in light of the fact that many commentaries take Markan priority as a proven fact without challenge. The authors are at least praised for not caving in to the argument based on 'most scholars agree' approach adopted by so many other commentaries. For more on this topic, we would recommend The Gospel of Jesus: The Pastoral Relevance of the Synoptic Problem.

Even with that small oversimplification in the introduction, the remainder of the text is as solid and scholarly as most. More detail could be given to the problem of how Matthew uses scripture in a sometimes pescher-like manner (for more on this topic, see, for instance Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period) And, despite the minor concern about possible shortcomings, this is still a top notch competitor for the average student of scripture and is very highly recommended especially for the faithful concerned with remaining true to the teachings of the Church.