Reality and Illusion in New Testament Scholarship is a basic introduction to the theory of interpretation and theory of history for New Testament readers, students, and scholars. It offers an entry into the thought of the late, great Bernard Lonergan on insight and judgment, subjectivity and objectivity, horizons and changes of horizon, alienation and ideology. It focuses on what it takes to measure up to the literature of the New Testament. Book jacket.

"The New Testament does not develop a systematic doctrine of salvation," writes Brenda Colijn. "Instead, it presents us with a variety of pictures taken from different perspectives." Students of the New Testament and of theology will both find their vision broadened and their understanding deepened by this rich, informative study. As the author seeks to understand their implications for people of faith, she uncovers how New Testament images provide the building blocks of the master story of redemption.

Your ticket from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians. A readable, one-volume introduction placing the entire New Testament and early Christianity in its original context, written by distinguished scholar and author N. T. Wright. An ideal guide for students, The New Testament in Its World addresses the many difficult questions faced by those studying early Christianity, including: What was the first century understanding of the Kingdom of God? What is the meaning of the resurrection in its original context? What were the Gospels, and how did they come about? Who was Paul and why are his letters so controversial? Written for both classroom and personal use, this book brings together decades of ground-breaking research, writing, and teaching into one volume. It presents the New Testament books—along with their subjects: Jesus and the early church—within the historical and social context of Second Temple Judaism and Greco-Roman politics and culture. The New Testament in Its World allows you to recover the excitement of what it was like to live as Christians in the first or second centuries. Features include: Surveys of each New Testament book that discuss their significance and provides commentary on their contents, along with implications for the Christian life. Major sections on the historical Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and Paul's chronology and theology. Up-to-date discussions of textual criticism and the canonization of the New Testament. Frequent illustrations, maps, charts, diagrams, and artwork provide additional explanations and insights. A distillation of the life work of N. T. Wright on the New Testament with input from Michael Bird. Also available are Video and Workbook companion resources (sold separately) to enhance learning and experience the world of the New Testament.

This work identifies two distinct methodological approaches in Jesus studies, as represented by the work of two prominent historical Jesus scholars, Dominic Crossan and Ben Meyer. Crossan's work is the apotheosis of a venerable approach centered on "tradition criticism." Meyer offered a critique of this approach in the form of a historiographic "holism." This work brings Meyer's proposals to light in a sharp comparison with the historiographic assumptions he criticized. It goes beyond Meyer, recognizing the full significance of narrativity in historical method.

Understanding the Bible is a learner-friendly overview of the major theories of biblical interpretation from ancient times to the present. Author George Montague surveys the major trends in the history of the discipline and carefully notes the contributions and the limitations of each period. He puts into coherent perspective the diverse and often contradictory interpretations of scripture, culminating with in-depth examinations of Dei Verbum of Vatican II and the Pontifical Biblical Commission's The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. Understanding the Bible is an invaluable resource for graduate and theology students, and for anyone interested in making sense of hermeneutics.

This work is primarily written as a class manual for those who wish to deepen their understanding of and love for the New Testament. It is of course no substitute for reading the Biblical text itself, which is the first and foremost task of the student. This book is simply a companion to guide the reader of the New Testament on his or her pilgrimage. It furnishes a few key signposts in terms of the basic ideas of how the biblical text came about, its objective value and special character and inspiration, the Synoptic Problem and the Canon of the New Testament. Some tools for interpretation are offered, and then some basic themes are treated, in particular the Church, the Holy Eucharist, Mary, the Mother of God, the rôle of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and the interplay between faith and reason in the New Testament. Paul Haffner, a priest of the diocese of Portsmouth (England), obtained his first degree in physics at Oxford University. He went on to philosophical and theological studies in Rome, and received his doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University. At present, he is professor of systematic and dogmatic theology in Rome at Regina Apostolorum University, invited lecturer at the Pontifical Gregorian University and at Duquesne University Italian campus. His publications number more than 20 books and 100 articles and include A Methodology for Term Papers and Theses, Mystery of Creation, The Sacramental Mystery, The Mystery of Reason, The Mystery of Mary and Mystery of the Church, all from Gracewing.

Samuel Adams engages the classic problem of the relation between faith and history from the perspective of apocalyptic theology in critical dialogue with the work of N. T. Wright. He argues that historical and theological scholars must take into consideration, at a methodological level, the reality of God that has invaded history in Jesus Christ.