Jesus and Gospel

This book discusses the theological Gospel of Jesus as it evolved from the literary texts 'the gospels'.

Graham N. Stanton (Author)

9780521810326, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 July 2004

252 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.6 cm, 0.43 kg

Jesus and Gospel has all the hallmarks of Stanton's previous books: Stanton has written a volume that is eminently readable , informative at every point and accessible to scholar, student and ardent reader of Christian origins alike. The style of this remarkable piece of scholarship is simple, clear and attractive. Stanton has presented a brilliant book that hopefully has already found its way not only into university libraries but also onto the bookcases of many exegetes. This short, readable book by Stanton makes an important contribution to the study of Christian origins. It is New Testament scholarship at it's best and deserves attention and applause.' Neotestamentica

'Gospel' initially referred to oral proclamation concerning Jesus Christ, but was later used to refer to four written accounts of the life of Jesus. How did this happen? Here, distinguished scholar Graham Stanton uses new evidence and fresh perspectives to tackle this controversial question. He insists that in the early post-Easter period, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was heard against the backdrop of a rival set of 'gospels' concerning the Roman emperors. In later chapters Stanton examines the earliest criticisms of Jesus and of claims concerning his resurrection. Finally, he discusses the early Christian addiction to the codex (book) format as opposed to the ubiquitous roll, and undermines the view that early copies of the Gospels were viewed as downmarket handbooks of an inward looking sect. With half the material previously unpublished and the rest carefully gathered from sources difficult to access, this is a timely study with broad appeal.

1. Introduction
Part I. Jesus and Gospel: 2. Jesus and gospel
3. The fourfold gospel
4. Jesus traditions and gospels in Justin martyr and Irenaeus
5. The law of Christ and the gospel
Part II. Jesus: 6. Jesus of Nazareth: a magician and a false prophet who deceived God's people?
7. Early objections to the resurrection of Jesus
Part III. The Gospels and Papyri Codices: 8. Why were the early Christians addicted to the Codex?
9. What are the gospels? New evidence from papyri?

Subject Areas: Christian theology [HRCM], Bible readings, selections & meditations [HRCG9], Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG], Palaeography [history of writing CFL]