A Critical Introduction To The New Testament: Interpreting The Message And Meaning Of Jesus Christ - Softcover

Holladay, Carl R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0687085691 ISBN 13: 9780687085699

Verlag: Abingdon Press, 2005

Inhaltsangabe

This book introduces the New Testament in two senses: it not only provides basic literary and historical information on each of the twenty-seven writings but also orients readers to the religious, theological, and ethical issues related to the message and meaning of Jesus Christ. The overall goal is to help interested readers of the New Testament become informed, responsible interpreters of these writings and thereby enrich their personal faith and understanding.

By giving special emphasis to how the New Testament has helped shape the church’s identity and theological outlook throughout the centuries, as well as the role it has played within the broader cultures of both East and West, this introduction also seeks to assist  readers in exercising creative, informed leadership within their own communities of faith and in bringing a deeper understanding of early Christianity to their conversations with the wider public.

Along with separate chapters devoted to each New Testament writing, there are chapters explaining how this collection of texts emerged as uniquely authoritative witnesses to the church’s faith; why they were recognized as canonical whereas other early Christian writings were not; how the four canonical Gospels are related to one another, including a discussion of the Synoptic Problem; how the Jesus tradition––his teachings, stories from his ministry, and the accounts of his suffering, death and resurrection––originated and developed into Gospels written in narrative form; and how the Gospels relate to Jesus Christ as he was and is.

Also included is a chapter on the writings of Paul and how they emerged as a collection of authoritative texts for the church. This chapter includes a discussion of ancient letter-writing, special considerations for interpreting the Pauline writings, and Paul’s decisive influence within the history of the church and western culture.

A distinctive feature of this introduction is its simultaneous publication in two versions.  There is a standard, printed version with comprehensive yet detailed coverage of each writing and supplementary chapters on related introductory questions.  There is also an expanded CD-ROM version, which gives fuller treatment (and supporting endnotes) to numerous issues introduced in the printed version; provides extensive, annotated bibliographies on each chapter; and includes additional maps, diagrams, charts, and other resources for classroom use and personal study.

 

 

     

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Carl Holladay is Professor of New Testament at Candler School of Theology, Emory University.

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A Critical Introduction to the New Testament

Interpreting the Message and Meaning of Jesus Christ

By Carl R. Holladay

Abingdon Press

Copyright © 2005 Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-687-08569-9

Contents

Maps, Diagrams & Images, 
Preface, 
Abbreviations, 
Introduction, 
PART 1 Theology and Scripture, 
Chapter 1 The New Testament as Theological Writings, 
Chapter 2 The Shape of the Canon, 
PART 2 The Gospels: Narrative Traditions about Jesus, 
Chapter 3 Relating the Gospels to Each Other, 
Chapter 4 From Jesus to the Gospels, 
Chapter 5 From the Gospels to Jesus, 
Chapter 6 The Gospel of Mark, 
Chapter 7 The Gospel of Matthew, 
Chapter 8 The Gospel of Luke, 
Chapter 9 The Gospel of John, 
PART 3 The Story of Jesus Continued: The Church's Origin and Expansion, 
Chapter 10 The Acts of the Apostles, 
PART 4 The Pauline Letters and Hebrews, 
Chapter 11 Reading the Pauline Letters, 
Chapter 12 The Thessalonian Letters, 
Chapter 13 The Corinthian Letters, 
Chapter 14 Galatians, 
Chapter 15 Romans, 
Chapter 16 Philippians, 
Chapter 17 Philemon, 
Chapter 18 Colossians, 
Chapter 19 Ephesians, 
Chapter 20 The Pastoral Letters, 
Chapter 21 Hebrews, 
PART 5 The Catholic Letters, 
Introduction to the Catholic Letters, 
Chapter 22 James, 
Chapter 23 First Peter, 
Chapter 24 Jude, 
Chapter 25 Second Peter, 
Chapter 26 The Letters of John, 
PART 6 Jesus in the Apocalyptic Imagination, 
Chapter 27 Revelation, 
PART 7 The Formation of the New Testament Canon, 
Chapter 28 The Christian Scriptures: Witnesses to Christ and the Church's Faith, 
Index, 

CHAPTER 1

The New Testament as Theological Writings

"Christian theology is the fully reflective understanding of the Christian witness of faith as decisive for human existence."

Schubert Ogden

"[The New Testament writings] are theological as actualizations of the unique revelation that preceded them."

Willi Marxsen

Theology may be thought of in different ways. If we ask someone, "What is your theology?" we are probably asking about that person's religious beliefs. In the strictest sense, we would be asking what the person believes about God, since "theology" technically means "discourse about God." But the term can include beliefs about other divine or semidivine beings, such as angels or devils. It can also encompass beliefs about human beings: whether we are inherently good or evil; why we behave the way we do; how we deal with our sins; how we relate to God and neighbor; and what happens to us when we die. These are only a few of the standard topics—theological loci—encompassed by the term "theology."

But how do we arrive at what we believe? How do we come to have a theology? Quite simply, by doing theology. By shifting the verb from having to doing, we point to the process through which we arrive at our theological beliefs. When we subscribe to a particular creed, we may be struck by its simple formulation. How we have come to adopt it, however, may not be so simple. We may have undergone a period of religious instruction to learn about the elements that comprise the statement of faith. Prior to that, we may have undergone a radical conversion experience or perhaps have come to faith more gradually. In either case, religious conversion has a ripple effect that touches all aspects of our lives, simplifying them in some respects, complicating them in others. The process of moving from "believing in" to "believing that" may turn out to be quite complex.

We might also reflect for a moment on how a statement of faith arises. We may be impressed by its cadence, its smoothly turned phrases, and even its poetic quality, but this surface simplicity masks the rich, often long, history that led to its formulation. Seemingly simple combinations of words may have resulted from lengthy church controversies that turned on a single word or phrase, or even on a single letter. Competing formulations may have created deep divisions within the church that caused sharp debates and required the convening of church councils. Statements of faith have usually arisen from a long, complex process in which the church as a whole struggled to express its "belief in" as "belief that."

Whether we think of an individual believer who comes to faith or of an entire church that formulates its beliefs in a creedal statement, the process of clarifying belief may be thought of as doing theology. But why the verb "doing"? Why not simply "having"? Because to have a theology means that we have made some decisions about certain things to believe. To that extent, they are fixed decisions. Even if we find ourselves rolling them over in our heads in light of different life experiences, they are still reference points to which we return. How we think about them may change, but the fundamental item of belief remains constant. Taken together, these beliefs frame our house of faith.

Life is never static, however, and faith remains dynamic by responding to new questions. We find that the points of belief to which we have committed ourselves, perhaps many years ago, constantly need clarification. To say that we believe in God the Father may express our fundamental belief in God, but we find ourselves asking whether "the Father" is the only, or even the best, way of attributing reality to God. We may ask, "What does this metaphor actually mean?" or "Are there less traditional but equally profound ways of expressing our faith in God?" These questions may be prompted by life around us, by our conversations with other believers, and by struggles within the church over what language is most appropriate for talking about God. As we pursue these questions openly, we seek to clarify, refine, and enrich our basic convictions. In doing so, we may draw on many resources as we do theology.

The questions that prompt us to do theology arise from many quarters. They may derive from our own personal quests, but they often arise within the church. Perhaps our congregation is trying to decide an issue relating to its own life together. Our denomination may be facing an issue with broad ramifications for church policy and for the ways people think about themselves, their fellow Christians, and how they will speak about God, Christ, and the Spirit. However these questions originate, we find ourselves trying to think about them in light of our faith commitments. We find them challenging our faith as well as requiring a response from our faith.

Responding faithfully means more than simply repeating our statements of faith. We talk with others to clarify what we believe and to formulate our faith in light of these newly raised issues. We also find ourselves reading—going to our church libraries as well as our public libraries—to educate ourselves further about these issues. What we read may vary widely, ranging from the works of Christians who lived centuries ago to the writings of contemporary theologians. We find ourselves praying alone and with others as we try to discern what is at stake for faith and life. In short, we use virtually every resource imaginable as we seek to clarify what and how we believe about a particular issue.

The process of theological discernment is not a theoretical process. It is not as though we simply sit down and think. That we do, but we also act. We talk with others; we do research; we pray; we worship; we...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Abingdon Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2005
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0687085691
• ISBN 13: 9780687085699
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 609
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar