The New Testament and Other Early Christian Writings: A Reader - Softcover

Ehrman, Bart D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195111923 ISBN 13: 9780195111927

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1997

Synopsis

The twenty-seven books of the New Testament were not the only writings produced by early Christians. Nor were they the only ones to be accepted, at one time or another, as sacred Scripture. Unfortunately, nearly all the other early Christian writings have been lost or destroyed. But approximately twenty-five books written at about the same time as the New Testament have survived, books that reveal the rich diversity of early Christian views about God, Jesus, the world, salvation, ethics, and ritual practice.
This reader presents, for the first time in one volume, every Christian writing known to have been produced during the first hundred years of the church (30-130 C.E.). In addition to the New Testament itself, it includes other early non-canonical Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses, as well as additional important writings, such as those of the Apostolic Fathers. Each text is provided in an up-to-date and readable translation (including the NRSV for the New Testament), and introduced with a succinct and incisive discussion of its author, date of composition, and overarching themes. With an opening overview which shows how the canon of the New Testament came to be formulated-- the process by which some Christian books came to be regarded as sacred Scripture whereas others came to be excluded--this accessible reader will meet the needs of students, scholars, and general readers alike. An ideal primary text for courses in the New Testament, Christian Origins, and Early Church History, it can be used in conjunction with a companion volume, the author's The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 2/e (OUP, 1999).

About this title

About the Author:

Bart D. Ehrman is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Widely recognized for his expertise in the textual criticism of the New Testament, he has published numerous books and articles on the literature and history of early Christianity, including his 1993 study The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament (OUP). A popular teacher and lecturer, he is the editor of The New Testament in the Greek Fathers and co-editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature and New Testament Tools and Studies.

Review:

"At last! A coursebook that sets the New Testament documents in the context of other Christian literature from the same period. Ehrman's collection presents the New Testament in a truly 'historical' way and is a worthy companion to his The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. Ehrman's collection should obviate the need for professors of the New Testament to assign several books of documents for their courses."--Elizabeth A. Clark, Duke University

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0195111923
• ISBN 13: 9780195111927
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416