Shop top categories that ship internationally
Buy used:
$14.76
Delivery December 30 - January 17
Or fastest delivery December 23 - January 14
Used: Good | Details
Sold by Book-center
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Other sellers on Amazon
New & Used (17) from   $5.97
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Randel Helms
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Who Wrote the Gospels? Hardcover – September 1, 1997

by Randel McCraw Helms (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 27 ratings
See all formats and editions
• A study of the minds of the authors

The names we associate with the gospel writers are all second century guesses. If this comes as a surprise, welcome to the cutting edge of modern biblical scholarship. According to Helms, the gospels were written to convert or confirm their highly colored arguments of powerful authors, not just transparent windows upon the historical Jesus. If we adjust our focus from the brilliant imaginative pictures to the imaginations that produced them, to the situations out of which they arose, we get to the point of this book - a study of the minds of the authors.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    178 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Millennium Pr
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0965504727
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0965504720
  8. See all details
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Randel Helms, a professor at Arizona State University in Tempe, teaches courses in Bible as Literature, World Literature, and 19th Century Romantic Literature. He is the author of the highly-acclaimed and controversial book, Gospel Fictions, that now has over 150,000 copies in print.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Millennium Pr; Stated 1st Edition (September 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 178 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0965504727
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0965504720
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 27 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Randel Helms

Randel Helms

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
27 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing quality clear, easy to read, and understandable for regular people. They describe the book as a great read that is appropriate now when a number of Evangelists and Christians believe. Readers also find the arguments cogent and enlightening.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Writing qualityReadabilityEnlightened
6 customers mention "Writing quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book persuasive, easy to read, and clear. They say it's approachable and understandable for regular people.

"...Mack's "Who Wrote the New Testament," this book is far more approachable and understandable for regular people who may not be academically..." Read more

"..."Who Wrote The Gospels" is readable, clear, and enlightening." Read more

"Well written and informative." Read more

"...I buy multiple copies and give as gifts. Randel Helms is a great writer and a great scholar." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book great, appropriate, and interesting.

"...An enlightening and worthwhile read for anyone interested in Christianity or the history of religion in general." Read more

"This book is especially appropriate now when a number of Evangelists and Christians believe the "last days" are approaching and they..." Read more

"One of the finest books written in the past 20 years on the New Testament. I buy multiple copies and give as gifts...." Read more

"A great read. But not recommended to fundamentalist or to those who prefer not to look deeply into their faith." Read more

4 customers mention "Enlightened"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enlightening, excellent, and provocative. They say it's persuasive and easy to read. Readers also mention the author is a great scholar and his writing is clear.

"...An enlightening and worthwhile read for anyone interested in Christianity or the history of religion in general." Read more

"..."Who Wrote The Gospels" is readable, clear, and enlightening." Read more

"Well written and informative." Read more

"...Randel Helms is a great writer and a great scholar." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

M. Lilliquist
5.0 out of 5 stars Persuasive and easy to read
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2003
Verified Purchase
This book is a perfect beginning point for anyone interested in modern scholarship into the origins of the Christian Bible, and of the origins of traditional Christianity. Helms' writing is clear, his arguments cogent, and his scholarship is commendable. While not as detailed, subtle and penetrating as Burton Mack's "Who Wrote the New Testament," this book is far more approachable and understandable for regular people who may not be academically oriented.
While it may come as a suprise to many, it has been known for centuries that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were not written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Instead, these are "traditional" names given to anonymously-written works over a hundred years after they were written. This much is not controversial among biblical scholars. What is controversial is the attempt to assign actual authorship to these anonymous works, and to place them in the proper historical, social, cultural, and theological context. Helms does an excellent job of showing how these Gospels were not simply eyewitness accounts, or even second-hand accounts, of Jesus' time. Rather, they are products of complicated theological advocacy written generations after Jesus' time. Each Gospel is shown to reflect the author(s) own theological interests and agenda, as each sought to advance their own vision of the emerging religion. While I do have a few quibbles and reservations about some of Helms' more speculative speculations, I found his arguments to be convincing generally.
Christianity as we have come to know it, is the historical product of a historically brief period between the traditional dates of Jesus' ministry and the Council of Nicaea in the early 4th century. During the intervening centuries, Christianity began as a diverse and conflicting collection of religious associations and movements, passed through a period of competition and acrimony among sects, and ended in the triumph of one particular brand of Christianity which has come to be labeled "orthodox." Helms book illuminates an important part of this historical process, by showing how the Gospels reflect the viewpoints, concerns and agendas of these anonymous early Christian writers during the period of competition between the various visions and interpretations of Christianity.
An enlightening and worthwhile read for anyone interested in Christianity or the history of religion in general.
84 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
William Neece
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT AND PROVOCATIVE
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 1999
Verified Purchase
This book is especially appropriate now when a number of Evangelists and Christians believe the "last days" are approaching and they quote Daniel and Mark in support of their beliefs. Helms clearly shows how Mark based many of his apocalyptic beliefs and statements on the Book of Daniel. In his analysis he also points out several historical inaccuracies of the Old Testment and contradictions between the Gospels in the New Testament. When Jesus failed to return during the life time of his followers (as Mark said he would), Matthew and Luke had to rewrite the stories to make them fit their own troubled times. Helms also presents a strong and fascinating case that the author of Luke was a woman. "Who Wrote The Gospels" is readable, clear, and enlightening.
38 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
David O. Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2014
Verified Purchase
Well written and informative.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Michael Hagen
3.0 out of 5 stars A lot of information for a non-academic to process
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
A lot of information here for real deep penetration into the origins of Christianity's scripture. A little too much for the average reader looking for basic information. Definitely not the book for anyone who does not want the old time scripture faith challenged. Who wrote the Gospels? Certainly not the Apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jay P. Francis
5.0 out of 5 stars Randel Helms is a great writer and a great scholar.
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
One of the finest books written in the past 20 years on the New Testament. I buy multiple copies and give as gifts. Randel Helms is a great writer and a great scholar.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Marsh Wren
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read. But not recommended to fundamentalist or to ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2018
Verified Purchase
A great read. But not recommended to fundamentalist or to those who prefer not to look deeply into their faith.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Catherine Governale
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
a first rate, simple, factual look into the world of contemporary NT scholarship. The book has an especially challenging view of the Gospel of Luke. The book could hardly be better.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Dr. James Gardner
4.0 out of 5 stars Provocative and Scholarly
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2007
Randel Helm's Who Wrote the Gospels is a well written book, but it is extremely uneven, and some chapters are very weak while some are truly excellent. Let's look at this chapter by chapter.

Chapter two refers to Mark. Helms is obsessed with the Book of Daniel, and this chapter might better be labeled Mark and Daniel. There is almost nothing at all about who wrote the Gospel of Mark, and Helms accepts the standard 70 CE as the date of composition.

Chapter three is about Matthew, and Helms does a great job in showing how Matthew changed Mark and how the changes therein reflected Matthew's objectives. We get no closer to knowing who wrote this gospel (which is the title of the book), but we do get some great insights into the workings of the minds of the author(s) of Matthew. Helms uses 90 CE as the date for Matthew, with no real discussion of why this date works.

Chapters four and five concern Luke. Helms believes that Luke also wrote Acts, and posits the idea that Luke is a woman (a Greek speaking God fearing Gentile widow with a sly feminist humor, no less). He offers numerous examples of how the Gospel of Luke favors women and makes a good case for his theory. He dates the Gospel at about 100 CE.

Chapter six covers the so-called "lost gospels" - Thomas and Q. Helms apparently doesn't understand that a hypothetical construct does not necessarily have a separate life, and hence treats Q as if it is a real gospel. It isn't. It is merely a theory to explain why certain passages are common to Luke and Matthew but not found in Mark. And it isn't the only theory to explain the communality, a factor Helms ignores.

The real treat comes in chapters seven to nine in which Helms advances the theory that the Gospel of John had three different stages: a very early (40 to 50 CE) oral signs tradition, a signs gospel (85 to 95 CE), and then a revised version (early 2nd century) . Helms builds on the work of Robert Fortna (1988) and makes an excellent case, with many examples that distinguish the different layers.

Overall this is a provocative and well-documented scholarly work, although I have some problems with it. Helms uncritically accepts the two source theory as he also does the single authorship of Luke and Acts. He thinks Jesus died in 30 CE and he mistakenly refers to him as "Jesus of Nazareth". The chapter on Mark is weak and the book ends abruptly without a final chapter to make any summary points. In addition, though written in 1997, it seems dated, probably because of Helm's failure to address the issue of gospel redaction and bias. This is reflected in the fact that most of his references are pre 1990. Having said this, the book belongs in the library of any serious scholar interested in the New Testament.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report