Saturday, May 22, 2010

Gospel Audiences

Note this new book which continues the debate started by Richard Bauckham on the Gospels for All Christians, about whether the Gospels were written for "communities" or for wide distribution amongst Christians.

Edward W. Klink III (editor)
(LNTS; London: Continuum, 2010).
Note: You can read part of the book via the Amazon.com link.

Essays include:



Edward Klink
"Gospel Audience and Origin: The Current Debate"

Michael F. Bird
"Sectarian Gospels for Sectarian Christians? The Non-Canonical Gospels and Bauckham's The Gospels for All Christians"

Justin Marc Smith
"About Friends, by Friends, for Others: Author-Subject Relationships in Contemporary Greco-Roman Biographies"

Richard Bauckham
"Is There Patristic Counter-Evidence? A Response to Margaret Mitchell"

Craig L. Blomberg
"The Gospels for Specific Communities and All Christians"

Adele Reinhartz
"Gospel Audiences: Variations on a Theme"

Edward Klink
"Conclusion: The Origin and Function of the Gospels in Early Christianity"


My essay argues that appeals to the extra-canonical Gospels as a way of proving that all the Gospels were written for specific audiences does not hold water. I point out that the extra-canonical Gospels were probably reactions to the canonical Gospels in terms of supplementation, attempts to displace them, and strive to imitate their content and replicate their wide distribution. Furthermore, many of the extra-canonical Gospels were conducive to dissemination beyond their own original circle and were probably intended to circulate wider than a limited circle. The essay also includes some remarks about unity and diversity in early Christianity.

9 comments:

daskalos said...

Προς το Blog σας
Ένα νέο blog γεννήθηκε με σκοπό να δώσει βήμα σε όλους τους Έλληνες ..Ένα Blog όπου μπορεί ο καθένας μας να γράφει ότι τον απασχολεί επώνυμα η ανώνυμα…ένα blog που δίνει την ευκαιρία σε όλους τους Έλληνες να πούνε όλα αυτά που μέχρι τώρα διστάζανε να πούνε .. Αν θέλεις και εσύ να κάνεις κάτι για όλη αυτή την απάτη που βλέπεις γύρο σου ..έλα μαζί μας …..Το Blog σου δίνει την δυνατότητα να ακουστή η γνώμη σου σε ένα ευρύ κοινό χωρίς πολιτικούς ,κομματικούς ,εθνικούς, θρησκευτικούς, η άλλους περιορισμούς .
Κάνε τώρα την αρχή έλα μαζί μας…………
Οι απόψεις που θα γράφεις εδώ δεν λογοκρίνονται σε καμιά περίπτωση και δημοσιεύονται ακέραιες
Ζητάμε και την δική σας στήριξη καθώς το Blog προωθεί τις απόψεις των Blogger και των πολιτών, και όχι δικές μας…..
www.ksipnistere.blogspot.com

www.ksipnistere.gr
Βάλτε και εμάς στη λίστα με τα ιστολόγια σας... ότι θέλετε μπορείτε να το στείλετε στο e-mail μας και από κάτω το link σας και δημοσιεύετε ακέραιο.

Matt Viney said...

at more than $100 Australian (from Book Depository, which is very cheap) many people will have to add this book to the "books I'll never read" list.
It sounds fascinating, but at that price......I'll think I'll wait for "A Bird-Eye view of the Gospels"!

Keen Reader said...

At $130.00, I think I'll pass.

Frederik Mulder said...

Hi Michael,
I think these guys are somewhat rude.... Of course it is a little expensive, but if one takes into account how much people pay for one dinner out, it puts things into perspective.
My wife is in the medical profession - in their field 130 dollars for a book is very very cheap...
Best regards and keep up the GREAT work you guys are doing here!
Frederik Mulder

Matt Viney said...

Frederik,
I didn't mean to be rude, and Michael has much thicker skin than most, so I'm sure he didn't batter an eyelid!

Surely you don't need me to tell you that what one finds as 'expensive' or 'inexpensive' depends on one's financial situation. I was merely revealing my financial situation (and that of many around me). My desire is that all these scholars who operate 'up there' in the stratoshpere of biblical academics would share some of their rather wordy findings with the rest of us 'down here'. I WANT to understand the issues that Michael and yourself do, but I have neither the time or the money to do so. That's why I found Michael's SROG so good - it was weighty and concise enough, without being too long or expensive. I have recommended it to people that I know, and even did a book review presentation on it for the Bible College I was at. It is available on Book Depository right now for $29 dollars Australian. Now THAT'S helpful!

With a wife and family, as the pastor of a small church, buying a book worth $130+ which is not ESSENTIAL reference material would be almost irresponsible.

For many people - whether we like to admit it or not - if it's over $100, not many will buy it. That's just the way it is. I didn't mean to house down Michael's recommendation. I actually looked it up so I could buy it! No cigar.
thanks

Frederik Mulder said...

Hi Matt,

No hard feelings brother! I take your point!
Best wishes
Frederik

Matt Viney said...

:)

Matt Viney said...

I'd hate to receive one of those 'soggy fish' awards!

Peter M. Head said...

better than battered eyelid.