The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings - Softcover

Bart D. Ehrman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199757534 ISBN 13: 9780199757534

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2011

Synopsis

Featuring vibrant full color throughout, the fifth edition of Bart D. 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. 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 other Christian writings that were roughly contemporary with the New Testament, such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the letters of Ignatius.

FEATURES:

* A uniquely accessible and engaging writing style that vividly brings the New Testament story to life
* Descriptions and models of various methods for studying ancient literature
* Time lines, illustrations, maps, and more than 100 photos, including three photo essays
* Five types of text boxes: "What to Expect," "At a Glance," "Another Glimpse into the Past," "What Do You Think?," and "Take a Stand"
* An extensive glossary of key terms, which appear in boldface type the first time they are used in each chapter
* An updated Instructor's Manual on CD containing a media resources section, chapter summaries, key terms, pedagogical suggestions, PowerPoint based lecture outlines, and a test bank with essay and multiple choice questions (not included with book, available separately)
* An updated Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/ehrman that provides students with links to media resources, chapter summaries, interactive multiple choice self quizzes, reading guides, flash cards, maps, and time lines
*
NEW TO THIS EDITION:

* A completely reworked chapter (2) on textual criticism, which now appears at the beginning of the book
* Take a Stand" boxes that are designed to help students synthesize the material in each chapter
* Expanded bibliographies featuring the most up to date research available
* New boxes on "Jesus and the Woman Taken in Adultery," "The Ending of Mark," and "The Laughing Jesus"

About this title

About the Author

Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has published numerous books and articles, including The Apocryphal Gospels: Texts and Translations (OUP, 2011); A Brief Introduction to the New Testament, Second Edition (OUP, 2010); and Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew (OUP, 2005).

Review

"The overall quality of this text is far superior to others of the same genre on the market today. Its biggest advantage is its readability. Bart Ehrman has done a masterful job at developing what at times are the most arcane issues of early Christian textual studies in such an inviting and clear manner that he's able to not only keep students' interest, but also present the arguments in a clear, concise, and highly logical manner. Of special interest are the boxes, which have provided some of the best discussions for my students."--George Heyman, St. Bernard's School of Theology andMinistry

"Outstanding. This is the only book that students have told me they like."--Kenneth Atkinson, University of Northern Iowa

"From cover to cover, this book is packed with rich information. It's also a strength that Ehrman chooses a different methodological approach for each of the gospels as an illustration of the variety of ways that scholars can read a text. I have used this book for a long time and will continue to do so indefinitely."--Zeba A. Crook, Carleton University

"The text makes a special effort to acquaint students with recent developments in New Testament scholarship and offers responsible appraisals of scholarly opinions. I like very much the 'What to Expect' and 'At a Glance' features, which must be a great help to students in grasping major points."--Bradley Nystrom, California State University, Sacramento

"The presentation, especially the many boxes and the glossary of terms, is wonderful for students to grasp the vast project that any introduction to the New Testament entails. The book's pedagogical devices are generally outstanding and extremely helpful to students."--Robert A. Ludwig, LoyolaUniversity Chicago

"I especially like the approach of introducing critical methods for reading the Bible by demonstrating various methods along the way, reinforcing and reviewing by returning to a few methods in different chapters."--Janet E

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0199757534
• ISBN 13: 9780199757534
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 5
• Number of pages: 608