The Gospels and Jesus (Oxford Bible Series) [Paperback]

Graham N. Stanton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 5, 1989 | ISBN-10: 0192132415 | ISBN-13: 978-0192132413

Many commentaries written on the Bible deal primarily with the individual books, rather than on the Bible as a whole. This innovative series offers a broader and more unified view of the Bible, providing various interpretations of the entire work as well as the separate texts. Thematically structured, each volume embraces a number of biblical books, including, in two of the volumes, introductions to both the Old and New Testaments. Through lively and detailed discussions of selected biblical passages, the series throws fresh light on the ways in which interpretation of the biblical texts provide a deeper understanding of the wider theological and historical issues that concern the Bible.
General Editors: PETER ACKROYD, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament Studies, University of London and GRAHAM N. STANTON, Professor of New Testament Studies, Kings College, London.
Jesus of Nazareth and the four New Testament gospels continue to fascinate people from many cultural and religious backgrounds. Who was Jesus? Are Christian claims about him supported by solid historical evidence? How reliable are the evangelists' portraits of Jesus written some fifty years after his crucifixion? Examining the intentions and methods of the four evangelists, Graham Stanton argues that the evangelists are concerned with both the story and the significance of Jesus of Nazareth. In Part I, he analyzes the distinctive emphases of all four evangelists and discusses briefly the apocryphal gospels. In the final section, Stanton examines the ways of assessing the evidence for Jesus, exploring his teaching, intentions, and the reasons for his downfall.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A useful review....Alertly sifting the wide range of scholarly opinion and making place for informed and confident use of the Gospels."--Russ Spittler, Fuller Seminary

"Excellent scholarship yet communicated in such a way that the non-specialist can benefit."--William F. Cook, Florida Baptist Theological College

"An informative and readable manual for those seeking an up-to-date introduction to Gospel studies."--Justin A. Pierce, Silver Lake College

"Very well done. Gives the reader a sampling of rivel interpretations while introducing him or her to the basic problems and principles of New Testament study. Well organized and clearly written."--John C. Moore, Hofstra University

"Readable and comprehensive in scope."--Clayton N. Jefford, St. Meinrad School of Theology

About the Author

Professor Graham Stanton is Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. His studied for his first degree in History and Theology in New Zealand, for a PhD in Cambridge, and has also studied in Zurich and Tubingen. He was a Professor of New Testament Studies at King's College, London, for 21 years, and was Editor of the journal, 'New Testament Studies', and of the associated monograph series (both published by CUP) for nine years. He is a General Editor of the International Critical Commentaries, the leading set of English-language commentaries on the Bible. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 5, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192132415
• ISBN-13: 978-0192132413
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,371,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gospels and Jesus, by Graham N. Stanton, April 15, 2000

By 

Tanya (Washington State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gospels and Jesus (Oxford Bible Series) (Paperback)

For anyone seeking a better understanding of why there are four Gospels in the New Testament, not just one, this book is excellent. Stanton, after a good introduction, delves right into the first section of the book: a systematic explanation of the purpose, focus, audience, and author of each Gospel. Stanton presents the reader with a clear outline of key differences among the Synoptics, and among the Synoptics and John.

After this excellent explanation, the second half of the book focuses on Jesus: his life, times, attitudes about himself, political situation, etc. I was very pleased with the clarity of Stanton's writing. It was scholarly, carefully crafted, and easy to understand. A fine basic reference text for anyone creating sermons or doing New Testament study.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction, November 24, 2007

By 

A.H. "lovetotweet" (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Gospels and Jesus (Oxford Bible) (Paperback)

I used this book for a grad-level class in the Gospels/Acts. Overall, it is an excellent introduction. Stanton covers each Gospel individually and then spends the second half of the book discussing various topics/themes, such as Jesus' miracles, the Kingdom of God, John the Baptist, to name only a few. Stanton also brings in many modes of biblical interpretation including literary and social-historical (as well as the various sub-categories within each); moreover, he brings in other scholars' opinions on various aspects of the Gospels and discusses them according to their relevance within the field. For the chapters on the individual Gospels, Stanton first tries to determine (or at least discuss) the perspective of the evangelist (aka author), as well as the community from which these gospels may have been written. He then turns to the portrayal of Jesus within each. Some of the chapters lacked depth (particularly the chapter on the Kingdom of God), but, all-in-all, it is a good introduction from a well-balanced, scholarly point of view. Stanton clearly has his own theological stance, but he also obviously tries to take other scholars' offerings into consideration and give the reader an overview from which she or he may make her/his own decision. You will probably want to supplement this with more in-depth material on each Gospel (for instance, articles would be an excellent choice...or commentaries such as the Anchor Bible series). However, this would be an excellent text for the classroom and Bible studies alike.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very good introduction to the Gospels, September 21, 2000

By 

Stanislao Esposito "Father Stanislao" (Delaware, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gospels and Jesus (Oxford Bible Series) (Paperback)

This book was used for one of my undergrad classes on the gospels. It's a very good introduction, indeed. It covers the basics keeping in mind Jesus. The language is very clear and the author doesn't go into too many details, which is a good thing. The book belongs to a series that follow the same guidelines. If yuo're looking into deepening your understanding of scriptures but are afraid of the amount of books that are out there... start with this one.