The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 4th Edition

Description

Featuring vibrant full color throughout, this new edition of Bart Ehrman's highly successful introduction approaches the New Testament from a consistently historical and comparative perspective, emphasizing the rich diversity of the earliest Christian literature. Rather than shying away from the critical problems presented by these books, Ehrman addresses the historical and literary challenges they pose, showing why scholars continue to argue over such significant issues as how the books of the New Testament came into being, when they were written (and by whom), what they mean, how they relate to contemporary Christian and non-Christian literature, and how they came to be collected into the canon of scripture that we now call the New Testament. Distinctive to this study is its unique focus on the historical, literary, and religious milieux of the Greco-Roman world, including early Judaism. As part of its historical orientation, the book also discusses works by other Christian writers who were roughly contemporary with the New Testament, such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the letters of Ignatius. The text is enhanced by maps, timelines, an extensive text box program, and more than one hundred photos. An accompanying Instructor's Manual contains chapter summaries, discussion questions, and a test bank. An updated Website Study Guide provides chapter summaries, glossary terms, and self-quizzes for students. New to this edition: * Coverage of new discoveries--including the Gospel of Judas Iscariot--and of recent advances in scholarship. * A revised discussion of the history of Palestine and Judaism, which now appears much earlier in the book (Chapter 3), thereby providing students with more background on the development of early Christianity at the outset of their studies. * A new photo essay on important Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, ten new text boxes, a revised epilogue, and updated suggestions for further reading. * An expanded glossary featuring more than 200 key terms, which are also listed at the end of each chapter in which they appear. * Key terms appear in boldface type the first time they are used in each chapter. * Vivid full color throughout Ideal for undergraduate and seminary classes in the New Testament, Biblical Studies, and Christian Origins, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, Fourth Edition, encourages students to carefully consider the historical issues surrounding these writings. Brief Table of Contents Contents Maps, Time Lines, and Diagrams Notes on Suggestions for Further Reading Credits Master Time Line Chapter 1. What Is the New Testament? The Early Christians and Their Literature Chapter 2. The World of Early Christian Traditions Chapter 3. The Jewish Context of Jesus and His Followers Chapter 4. The Traditions of Jesus in Their Greco-Roman Context Chapter 5. The Christian Gospels: A Literary and Historical Introduction Chapter 6. Jesus, the Suffering Son of God: The Gospel according to Mark Chapter 7. The Synoptic Problem and Its Significance for Interpretation Chapter 8. Jesus, the Jewish Messiah: The Gospel according to Matthew Chapter 9. Jesus, the Savior of the World: The Gospel according to Luke Chapter 10. Luke's Second Volume: The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 11. Jesus, the Man Sent from Heaven: The Gospel according to John Chapter 12. From John's Jesus to the Gnostic Christ: The Johannine Epistles and Beyond Chapter 13. Jesus from Different Perspectives: Other Gospels in Early Christianity Chapter 14. The Historical Jesus: Sources, Problems, and Methods Chapter 15. Excursus:The Historian and the Problem of Miracle Chapter 16. Jesus in Context Chapter 17. Jesus, the Apocalyptic Prophet Chapter 18. From Jesus to the Gospels Chapter 19. Paul the Apostle: The Man and His Mission Chapter 20. Paul and His Apostolic Mission: 1 Thessalonians as a Test Case Chapter 21. Paul and the Crises of His Churches: 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon Chapter 22. The Gospel according to Paul: The Letter to the Romans Chapter 23. Does the Tradition Miscarry? Paul in Relation to Jesus, James, Thecla, and Theudas Chapter 24. In the Wake of the Apostle: The Deutero-Pauline and Pastoral Epistles Chapter 25. From Paul's Female Colleagues to the Pastor's Intimidated Women: The Oppression of Women in Early Christianity Chapter 26. Christians and Jews: Hebrews, Barnabas, and Later Anti-Jewish Literature Chapter 27. Christians and Pagans: 1 Peter, the Letters of Ignatius, the Martyrdom of Polycarp,and Later Apologetic Literature Chapter 28. Christians and Christians: James, the Didache, Polycarp, 1 Clement, Jude, and 2 Peter Chapter 29. Christians and the Cosmos: The Revelation of John, The Shepherd of Hermas, and the Apocalypse of Peter Chapter 30. Epilogue: Do We Have the Original New Testament? Glossary of Terms Index