The Framework Of The Story Of Jesus

Now available for the first time in English, Karl Ludwig Schmidt's The Framework of the Story of Jesus (Der Rahmen der Geschichte Jesu) has been a foundation of New Testament studies. Through meticulous analysis, Schmidt demonstrates that the Synoptic Gospels are collections of individual stories that circulated orally and independently in the earliest Christian communities. Schmidt shows persuasively how, in their oral forms, most of these traditions existed apart from any sequence or specific temporal or geographic location, and that the chronology and locations now evident in the Gospels were applied by the evangelists while collecting and recording the oral traditions. Across much of the twentieth century and even into the present day, Schmidt's thesis has undergirded Gospel interpretation. Yet as long as The Framework of the Story of Jesus remained untranslated, Schmidt's ideas have been open to neglect and misinterpretation among Anglophone scholars. Discussion of the Synoptic Gospels and broader New Testament study will be enriched by engagement with the evidence and argument as originally presented.

"The Passion is the climactic event in each of the gospels. These volumes elucidate the passion in its historical background and explore its theological breadth and depth."--Back cover

Now available for the first time in English, Karl Ludwig Schmidt’s The Framework of the Story of Jesus (Der Rahmen der Geschichte Jesu) has been a foundation of New Testament studies. Through meticulous analysis, Schmidt demonstrates that the Synoptic Gospels are collections of individual stories that circulated orally and independently in the earliest Christian communities. Schmidt shows persuasively how, in their oral forms, most of these traditions existed apart from any sequence or specific temporal or geographic location, and that the chronology and locations now evident in the Gospels were applied by the evangelists while collecting and recording the oral traditions. Across much of the twentieth century and even into the present day, Schmidt’s thesis has undergirded Gospel interpretation. Yet as long as The Framework of the Story of Jesus remained untranslated, Schmidt’s ideas have been open to neglect and misinterpretation among Anglophone scholars. Discussion of the Synoptic Gospels and broader New Testament study will be enriched by engagement with the evidence and argument as originally presented.

Dr. Ehrhardt considers that New Testament teaching could benefit by being more closely related to its context and background than is often the case. He suggests that the method of the presentation of the Gospel is important, as well as the intention behind it. In an examination of the background, Dr. Ehrhardt deals principally with two aspects. The first is the fact that the New Testament and the form Christianity took in the first few centuries after the death of Christ were subject to several influences. One of the most important was Greek and Dr. Ehrhardt traces Hellenistic influence in St. Paul's treatment of Christ, in Greek modes of thought in the preaching of the Gospel and the historical tradition in the Book of Acts. He then turns to Jewish and Roman practices and ideas which played a part in forming Church doctrine and ritual, such as ordination and baptism. Secondly, he discusses the daily life of the newly-converted Christians, the problems they met with and the changes that took place. It is hoped that these essays, many of which aim at giving a fresh, rather than a final view, may prove stimulating by asking unfamiliar questions and offering new solutions.

Stressing the historical and theological significance of pivotal figures and movements, William Baird guides the reader through intriguing developments and critical interpretation of the New Testament from its beginnings in Deism through the watershed of the Tubingen school. Familiar figures appear in a new light, and important, previously forgotten stages of the journey emerge. Baird gives attention to the biographical and cultural setting of persons and approaches, affording both beginning student and seasoned scholar an authoritative account that is useful for orientation as well as research.

Jesus rose from the dead, and that makes a difference in our lives here and now. The Christian faith is not just about the past or about the future. We are a new creation in Christ. The gospel is about reconciliation, union with Christ, and participation in Christ. In Life in Christ, all aspects of the life of Christians, in the church and world, are addressed from the perspective that we are in Christ. In doing so, Burger builds bridges between different Christian traditions.

The culmination of a lifetime of work on the Gospel of John, William Loader's Jesus in John's Gospel explores the Fourth Gospel with a focus on ways in which attention to the structure of Christology in John allows for greater understanding of Johannine themes and helps resolve long-standing interpretive impasses. Following an introductory examination of Rudolf Bultmann's profound influence on Johannine studies, Loader turns to the central interpretive issues and debates surrounding Johannine Christology, probing particularly the death of Jesus in John, the salvation event in John, and the Fourth Gospel in light of its Christology. The exhaustive bibliography and careful, well-articulated conclusions take into account the latest research on John, ensuring that this volume will be useful to scholars and students alike.

Including a range of materials dating from the nineteenth century to the present, this comprehensive collection brings together the essential research into the historical reality of Jesus the man, his teachings, and the acts and events ascribed to him that comprise the foundational story of one of the world's central religions. br br The set features a substantial new introduction by the editor in the first volume and a full index in the last, and provides work covering all of the key aspects of the field, including the recent discussions concerning anti-Semitism in early Christianity, and the political and ideological filtering of the Jesus story through the Roman empire and beyond.