Hellenistic Commentary to the New Testament [Hardcover]

M. Eugene (Author), Carsten Colpe (Editor), M. Eugene Boring (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1995

Arranged in canonical order for ease of use, this is the only complete collection of Hellenistic texts relating to the New Testament available in English: Greco-Roman authors, Jewish literature, papyri, Nag Hammadi sources, early church fathers, rabbinic writings.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Hardcover: 633 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (November 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687009162
• ISBN-13: 978-0687009169
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,320,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars from Abingdon Press, February 29, 2008

By 

S. McDonald "Library World" (Independence, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hellenistic Commentary to the New Testament (Hardcover)

This book, the product of collaboration between German and American New Testament scholarship, is the most complete collection of Hellenistic texts correlated to the New Testament available in English. Translations of 976 texts (compared with 626 in the German edition) are cited that directly illustrate the religious world into which early Christianity was born. Many of the texts are extensive enough to give a thorough sampling of how, for instance, miracle stories and birth stories of quasi-divine beings were told in the Hellenistic world, and how revelatory or conversion experiences were expressed in Greco-Roman religions. The texts are arranged according to the canonical order of New Testament books. Thorough cross-references and indexes make it easy to locate texts relevant to the interpretation of any New Testament text or theme. Each text is provided with annotations suggesting ways in which it might illuminate the New Testament text. Furthermore, the new introduction to the English edition specifies ways in which the treasures of these texts might be unlocked, as well as pointing to dangers in their superficial use. The original German introduction provides helpful categories for the application of these texts to New Testament interpretation.