The New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction

Building on the model of Carr and Conway, Introduction to the Bible: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts, this book is an accessible, up-to-date introduction to the New Testament as a collection of writings that took shape in the broad context of ancient Mediterranean history. This groundbreaking, introductory textbook narrates a concise and chronological story about the emergence of the Jesus movement in the first century CE as reflected in the writings of New Testament texts. Opening chapters emphasize the complex cultural context of the first century Mediterranean world with the goal of helping students interpret the different writings of the New Testament as part of that world, both reflecting and contributing to its diversity. Includes insights gained, for example, from postcolonial studies, feminist and gender-critical scholarship, including masculinity studies, especially fruitful for understanding aspects of the presentation of Jesus. Uses the concept of intersectional analysis , which recognizes the interlocking systems of social stratification that organizes power relationships between groups, to show how such stratification worked in the ancient world as reflected in the New Testament writings, and in later periods, as reflected in interpretation of the Bible. Includes numerous student-friendly features, such as chapter review questions, list of terms, as well as other suggested reading exercises, timelines, illustrations, and photos. The first introductory textbook on the New Testament to be written by a female academic.https://scholarship.shu.edu/faculty-publications/1034/thumbnail.jp