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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Building upon his earlier conclusions that Jesus' Jewishness is the key to understanding Jesus' life and work (This Hebrew Lord), Spong contends that the failure to read the Gospels as fundamentally Jewish impoverishes many traditional Christian readings. Tracing the history of New Testament interpretation, Spong demonstrates the tendencies among Christian interpreters to read the Gospels as documents addressing primarily an audience of Greek Gentile Christians rather than as narratives connected to the broader history of Judaism. Spong relies on a wide range of New Testament scholarship to argue that the form and content of the Gospels reflects not Greek influence or concerns but a peculiarly Jewish outlook on matters of religion and culture. Thus, for Spong, the Gospels are neither objective accounts of historical events nor biographies of Jesus but midrashim, or interpretive narratives, connecting the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth to the history, literature and religion of Judaism. For example, he isolates the symbolic roles that certain characters from the Hebrew Bible, like Elijah and Joseph, play in transmitting the story of Jesus to a Jewish audience. While Spong's conclusions about the value of reading the Gospels through Jewish lenses are neither new nor exciting, his forceful readings of the Gospels and his imaginative speculations about biblical figures are sure to provoke heated discussion among Christian interpreters.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Spong, the Episcopal bishop of Newark, New Jersey, and a leader in the movement for liberal Christianity, is the author of a number of controversial books, including Resurrection: Myth or Reality? A Bishop Rethinks the Origins of Christianity (LJ 3/1/94). He has now added another volume that is sure to provoke argument. Spong tries to place Jesus and the New Testament in a Jewish context insomuch as the early Christians sprang from a Jewish background that stressed the midrashic (or teaching) tale. He argues that many stories of the New Testament were not originally understood to be based on fact and that getting away from the literalism of many New Testament passages bolsters rather than hinders Christian belief. After considering the contemporary religious scene today, Spong gives background on the early Christian world. He then discusses the major books of the New Testament and the pivotal issues raised by each book. Many readers will find much to disagree with, but it will have a wide readership nevertheless.?Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa District Lib., Ill.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
Building upon his earlier conclusions that Jesus' Jewishness is the key to understanding Jesus' life and work (This Hebrew Lord), Spong contends that the failure to read the Gospels as fundamentally Jewish impoverishes many traditional Christian readings. Tracing the history of New Testament interpretation, Spong demonstrates the tendencies among Christian interpreters to read the Gospels as documents addressing primarily an audience of Greek Gentile Christians rather than as narratives connected to the broader history of Judaism. Spong relies on a wide range of New Testament scholarship to argue that the form and content of the Gospels reflects not Greek influence or concerns but a peculiarly Jewish outlook on matters of religion and culture. Thus, for Spong, the Gospels are neither objective accounts of historical events nor biographies of Jesus but midrashim, or interpretive narratives, connecting the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth to the history, literature and religion of Judaism. For example, he isolates the symbolic roles that certain characters from the Hebrew Bible, like Elijah and Joseph, play in transmitting the story of Jesus to a Jewish audience. While Spong's conclusions about the value of reading the Gospels through Jewish lenses are neither new nor exciting, his forceful readings of the Gospels and his imaginative speculations about biblical figures are sure to provoke heated discussion among Christian interpreters.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Spong, the Episcopal bishop of Newark, New Jersey, and a leader in the movement for liberal Christianity, is the author of a number of controversial books, including Resurrection: Myth or Reality? A Bishop Rethinks the Origins of Christianity (LJ 3/1/94). He has now added another volume that is sure to provoke argument. Spong tries to place Jesus and the New Testament in a Jewish context insomuch as the early Christians sprang from a Jewish background that stressed the midrashic (or teaching) tale. He argues that many stories of the New Testament were not originally understood to be based on fact and that getting away from the literalism of many New Testament passages bolsters rather than hinders Christian belief. After considering the contemporary religious scene today, Spong gives background on the early Christian world. He then discusses the major books of the New Testament and the pivotal issues raised by each book. Many readers will find much to disagree with, but it will have a wide readership nevertheless.?Paul Kaplan, Lake Villa District Lib., Ill.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Did it really happen? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
lectionary theory, gentile captivity, virgin birth tradition, journey section, midrashic style, lectionary book, midrashic tradition, liturgical year, servant figure, gentile proselytes, passion story, gospel tradition Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
John the Baptist, Book of Acts, New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth, Jewish Christians, Fourth Gospel, Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur, Book of Exodus, Gospel of Luke, Son of Man, Codex Alexandrinus, Pontius Pilate, Day of Atonement, Feast of Dedication, Holy Week, Judas Iscariot, Book of Leviticus, Old Testament, Palm Sunday, Red Sea, Book of Numbers, Good Friday, Gospel of Matthew New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Did it really happen? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
lectionary theory, gentile captivity, virgin birth tradition, journey section, midrashic style, lectionary book, midrashic tradition, liturgical year, servant figure, gentile proselytes, passion story, gospel tradition Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
John the Baptist, Book of Acts, New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth, Jewish Christians, Fourth Gospel, Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year, Yom Kippur, Book of Exodus, Gospel of Luke, Son of Man, Codex Alexandrinus, Pontius Pilate, Day of Atonement, Feast of Dedication, Holy Week, Judas Iscariot, Book of Leviticus, Old Testament, Palm Sunday, Red Sea, Book of Numbers, Good Friday, Gospel of Matthew New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 52
books:
See all 52 books this book cites
13
books
cite this book:
See all 13 books citing this book
- Midrash and Lection in Matthew by M. D. Goulder on 4 pages
- Luke: A New Paradigm (Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series V 20) by Michael D. Goulder in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Who Killed Jesus?: Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus by John Dominic Crossan in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- To the Hebrews (The Anchor Bible, Vol. 36) by George Wesley Buchanan in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Ten Commandments by Donald C. Austin M.D. on page 89, and Back Matter
See all 52 books this book cites
- THE MANY DEATHS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT: A MEDITATION ON SUICIDE by Aaron Maurice Saari in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Why Christianity Must Change or Die: A Bishop Speaks to Believers In Exile by John Shelby Spong in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love by John Shelby Spong in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Brother Jesus: The Nazarene Through Jewish Eyes by Schalom Ben-Chorin in Back Matter
- Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit (Chicken Soup for the Soul) by Jack Canfield in Front Matter
See all 13 books citing this book
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5% buy Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism: A Bishop Rethinks the Meaning of Scripture $11.69 |
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