Gregory the Great (c. 560-604 C.E.) occupies a key position in the development of Christian commentary on the Scriptures. Pope and political leader during a chaotic era of transition in the history of Western Europe, he may be best known for his famous encounter with English children in the Roman slave market and his commissioning of St. Augustine of Canterbury's subsequent mission to England. Gregory's "Homilies on the Gospels" were first preached in 591-92, early in his papacy, and were very popular for their vigorous and engaging style. Using simple words to preach to the nobles and common people of Rome, Gregory employs metaphors, analogies, stories and images to answer basic questions of faith. His exegetical interpretation may often seem simplistic to the modern reader, but shows his dependence on earlier patristic tradition and reveals his pastoral heart. -- Book cover.

In these 40 sermons on the Gospel, Gregory the Great can be seen as both pastor and preacher. He pays attention to the historical details of Scripture, seeks out its moral application to daily Christian life, and through it reflects on the hidden reality of God. He believed that the Christian study of the Scripture entailed a personal engagement with mystery and openness to transformation, as an attempt to achieve individual perception of the divine while one is still bound by earthly and bodily ties.

From the eighth to the fifteenth centuries, Bede's authority as a scriptural exegete was second only to that of the Doctors of the Latin Church. His influence was enormous. Yet modern readers associate this remarkable scholar-monk only with his History of the English Church and Nation and ignore the works he saw as his chief accomplishment. - Back cover of book 1.

A synopsis is a tool which displays different passages of a text side by side for comparison. This is most commonly done with the four Gospels of the New Testament because of their similar material, but it could reasonably be done with any text that has similar passages, such as the Old Testament historical narratives. The synopsis you presently hold contains the four Gospels of the New Testament. It is different from comparing parallel versions, such as one English translation to another, because all of the passages displayed in this synopsis are from the same version, the NET Bible. It is different from a harmony because the passages are not reorganized into one story; each Gospel in a synopsis is separate from the others and can be read by itself or in comparison with the others. This parallel arrangement enables fruitful comparison of the Gospels to each other so each may be understood well on its own in light of the others.

Gathers key extra-biblical writings that provide the necessary background for Gospel passages in one handy volume.