An Introduction to the New Testament (Hardcover)

~ (Author), (Author) "The first three gospels were first labeled the Synoptic Gospels by J. J. Griesbach, a German biblical scholar, at the end of the eighteenth century..." (more)
Key Phrases: synoptic prophecies, paraenetic passages, redaction critics, Grand Rapids, Old Testament, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

An Introduction to the New Testament focuses on what used to be called “special introduction”—historical questions dealing with authorship, date, sources, purpose, destination, and so forth—in contrast to recent texts that concentrate more on literary form, rhetorical criticism, and historical parallels. The authors do not minimize these other topics; rather, they insist those subjects are better given extended treatment in courses on exegesis. By refocusing on the essentials, An Introduction to the New Testament ensures that the New Testament books will be accurately understood from their historical settings; and it allows other concerns to be introduced when appropriate.

The authors also include a brief outline of each New Testament document, providing a rationale when necessary for the choices they have made. They provide a brief account of current studies on each book, and indicate something of the theological contribution each document makes to the canon of Scripture.

Drawing on the core knowledge contained in An Introduction to the New Testament, a new generation of scholars will gain a better grasp of the Word of God -- Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"…highly recommended. With its very careful, keenly nuanced, and extensively researched discussions, it may well be considered special in a way not originally intended by its authors. It deserves to be read not just by students but by all scholars of the New Testament." — Review of Biblical Literature

(Review of Biblical Literature )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 784 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; 2 New edition (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310238595
• ISBN-13: 978-0310238591
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,680 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro by Three Competent Scholars, May 16, 2000

By	T. B. Vick "Learn 2 Discern" (The Lone Star State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Introduction to the New Testament, An (Hardcover)

This work is a standard textbook used in Seminaries and Christian colleges. Carson, Moo, and Morris each have a solid reputation for New Testament studies and this work shows just that. The authors are careful to cover all the necessary details, communicating how one can confidently approach New Testament studies. For instance, each chapter pertaining to a book of the New Testament covers the background, history, authorship, literary structure, criticisms of the book by various scholars, and the dating of the Biblical text. All this is discussed as well as the content of the Biblical book at hand. Moreover, the authors are not afraid to reveal the criticisms that have been cast at certain New Testament texts and include the pro's and con's of these criticisms. Therefore, the authors are very honest in their assessment of the texts/criticisms. In addition, this book covers the canonization of the Biblical texts and how each book went through the process of decision (in its historical context) that was made by the early Church Fathers. Further explanation is given for those books that were in question thus presenting a very interesting background for why we read the particular Biblical text that we do today. If you are wanting a book that is thorough in its analysis of the New Testament and very detailed regarding the content of the New Testament books, then this is the book for you.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New edition released!, July 9, 2005

By	Parableman (Syracuse, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introduction to the New Testament, An (Hardcover)

Carson and Moo have thoroughly reworked this book, removing or revising Morris' contributions and adding much new material for the second edition. Some sections are rearranged, and there are a few entirely new sections. I read the original book straight through a few years ago, and I haven't found anything else that does quite as good a job of staying on top of the current scholarship while defending generally conservative evangelical views on the authorship, date, setting, purpose, and other backgrounds sorts of issues on each NT book. I expect the updated edition to be equally thorough and more up-to-date on recent trends in NT scholarship.

Particularly of note is the section on the New Perspective on Paul, which Morris and Carson have both been on the forefront of interacting with (from a more traditional perspective in both cases, though both have been willing to acknowledge that we have learned something from the NPP). They call this section brief in the introduction, but it's 11 pages, a fair amount of space compared to how much room they give to most topics. They have also provided a lengthy addition covering the history of interpretation of the NT, from the early Christians to contemporary biblical scholarship. They've also expanded of added more on the content of each book, something reviewers complained about in the first edition, and there's also a little bit on the social science approaches to NT studies, something that wasn't very far along in the original book. All in all, the new edition sounds as if it should be excellent.

They've removed the dust jacket and replaced it with a visually appealing cover on the book itself, and they've increased the margin size significantly, both of which suit its primary use as a seminary textbook. They list the intended audience as seminary students in the first and second years, but a studious enough person can read it for profit without the additional seminary background. I read the entire first edition without any seminary training at all. It's certainly not the level of detail a scholar would want for an exhaustive treatment of every issue, but the bibliographies and footnotes can provide further reading to get exactly that, and it would be ill-suited for students if it tried to do too much.

This has been the standard evangelical NT introduction for quite a while, and as of the revision its place will be secured for quite a while.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Introduction, May 24, 2000

By	Matthew Wills (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Introduction to the New Testament, An (Hardcover)

I have found this an indispensable work. Its conservative / evangelical framework gives great glory to the unity and message of the New Testament. Discussions of authorship, canonisation, audience etc etc are generally clear and readable by the lay Christian (though admittedly dry - it is not a novel by no means). Highly recommended as an antidote to much of the liberal concepts so common today.