Interpreting the New Testament

AN INTRODUCTION

Sherri Brown & Francis J. Moloney, SDB

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

4035 Park East Court SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

www.eerdmans.com

© 2019 Sherri Brown and Francis J. Moloney, SDB

All rights reserved

Published 2019

ISBN 978-0-8028-7519-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Brown, Sherri, author. | Moloney, Francis J., author.

Title: Interpreting the New Testament : an introduction / Sherri Brown & Francis J. Moloney, SDB.

Description: Grand Rapids, Michigan : William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019011766 | ISBN 9780802875198 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. New Testament—Introductions. | Bible. New Testament—Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Classification: LCC BS2330.3 .B765 2019 | DDC 225.601—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019011766

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and used by permission.

In memory of Joseph A. Fitzmyer, SJ

Contents

Illustrations

Preface

Introduction: The New Testament

Introduction to Studying the New Testament

The Sacred Text of Christianity: The Bible and Covenant with God

A Literary Approach to the Study of the New Testament

The Course of Our Study of the New Testament

What Have We Learned So Far?

Key Terms and Concepts

Questions for Review

Bibliography and Further Reading

1. The Origins and Development of the Bible

Scripture and the World That Gave Us the Bible

The World of the Text and the Canon It Produces

What Have We Learned So Far? The Canon of Sacred Scripture

Key Terms and Concepts

Questions for Review

Bibliography and Further Reading

2. Methodology for Biblical Interpretation

Methods for Interpreting the Bible: The Worlds of the Text

Exegeting Biblical Texts

What Have We Learned So Far? The Worlds That Created and Are Created by the Text

Key Terms and Concepts

Questions for Review

Bibliography and Further Reading

3. The Old Testament Story: Israel and Covenant with God

The Story of Israel

What Have We Learned So Far? The Story of God, Creation, and God’s Chosen People

Key Terms and Concepts

Questions for Review

Bibliography and Further Reading

4. The New Testament Story: Jesus and the New Covenant

The World of the New Testament Story

Jesus of Nazareth

The Birth of Christianity

What Have We Learned So Far? Jesus and the Good News

Key Terms and Concepts

Questions for Review

Bibliography and Further Reading

5. The Narratives: Gospels and Acts

Studying the New Testament Narratives

The Gospels and Acts

What Have We Learned So Far? The Good News of the Gospels and Acts

Key Terms and Concepts

Questions for Review

Bibliography and Further Reading

6. Paul and His Letters

The World behind Paul’s Letters...

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INT:I

About Interpreting the New Testament: An Introduction

A succinct and accessible text for teaching students how to interpret the New Testament.

This new textbook effectively introduces students to the art and craft of biblical interpretation. New Testament scholars Sherri Brown and Francis Moloney begin by orienting students to the world of the Bible, exploring contemporary methods for interpreting the biblical literature, and showing how the Old Testament is foundational to the formation of the New Testament.

The book proceeds to lead readers through the books of the New Testament by genre:

• The Narratives: Gospels and Acts

• Paul and His Letters

• Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles

• Apocalyptic Literature and the Book of Revelation

Unlike book-by-book introductory textbooks that tend to overshadow the primary biblical text with lots of detailed information, Brown and Moloney’s Interpreting the New Testament actually facilitates the study of the New Testament itself. Their concluding chapter reflects on the challenge of the New Testament to our present world.

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Table of Contents