Jesus and the Gospel : tradition, scripture, and canon /
William R. Farmer.
- Philadelphia : Fortress Press, c1982.
- xiv, 300 p.; 23 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index
1. The inadequacies of the Marcan hypothesis Mark's selection of items in relation to Matthew and Luke The order and chronology of Mark's gospel The relationship of Matthew and Luke The testimony of external evidence The testimony of history 2. Matthew and the Bible The shape of Matthew The challenge of Hellenism The challenge of Marcion The shape of the Bible Conclusion 3. The public career of Jesus Categories of evidence Preliminary methodological considerations Part I: The origin and development of the gospel tradition 4. The historical setting of Jesus' public ministry 5. Jesus and the gospel tradition 6. Paul and the Jesus tradition 7. Peter and Paul 8. Modification and creation of tradition 9. Chreiai 10. Legends and myths 11. The War of A.D. 66-70 and the development of the gospel tradition Part II: From the gospel tradition to the gospel genre 12. The sequence of the gospels 13. Renewal and postwar Syrian churches 14. Literary method of Matthew (Matt. 4:12-25) 15. Hellenistic rhetoric 16. Isaiah and the healing motif in Matthew 17. The wisdom motif 18. The motif of martyrdom and the passion of Jesus 19. Son of God Christology and the Passion of Jesus 20. Canon criticism of Mark Part III: The development of the New Testament canon 21. The final phase: The closing of the canon Alexander the Great Constantine the Great Eusebius's witness on the canon Summary statement 22. The classical phase: the forming of the canon The Alexandrian school Irenaeus and the church of Gaul 23. The archaic phase: the beginnings of the canon The protology of the Christian canon The conceptual importance of Luke-Acts Marcion Justin Martyr and Tatian Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr of Smyrna Basilides and Valentinus Irenaeus The collection of Paul's letters Hippolytus Summary conclusions
"This book provides a credible account of the essential development of the tradition concerning Jesus from his own time to that of Constantine. The author, an internationally known and highly original scholar, situates the beginnings of the Jesus tradition with special reference to the Roman-Jewish War of AD 66-70. Attention is given to Paul in relation to the developing Jesus tradition, and to the normative importance of the historical and theological solidarity of Peter and Paul in the face of Judaizers on the one hand, and Gnostics who questioned the normativity of the imitatio Christi ideal on the other. With an account of the relationships between Jewish and Hellenistic literature and the literary and theological form of the Gospels, Prof. Farmer dwells especially on the incorporation of the Jesus tradition into that form. There is a new treatment of the sequence of the Gospels, a full discussion of the external evidence for any treatment of that sequence, and a comprehensive documentation of the secondary character of Mark. The author, who has long been associated with Matthean priority, here lays out his views on that position."
0800606663
Jesus Christ--History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600 Bible. N.T. Gospels--Criticism, interpretation,etc. Bible. N.T.--Canon Jesus Christ--Historicity