What do you think?
Rate this book
An Early Christian Reader
The Early Christian Reader prepares the earliest Christian writings in a historically meaningful order and includes writings similar in age and historical importance to the books of the New Testament.
Each book of the New Testament is presented in the NRSV, the most widely accepted version in university classrooms today. The Reader also supplies up-to-date translations of the Gospel of Thomas, the Didache, the Letter of Barnabas, 1 Clement, and the letters of Ignatius.
Broader issues affecting the treatment of these texts open the six sections of literature. Lead articles discuss pseudonymity, church tradition, synoptic sources, epistles as documents, conflicting doctrines, and originating events.
Introductions to each individual work discuss the date and place of composition, authorship, audience, basic themes, literary features, and the Jewish and Hellenistic contexts, and they suggest further readings in the secondary literature. Generous notes illumine specific historical, lexical, and interpretive issues.
The Early Christian Reader thus offers an objective, informed entree into the complex world of the earliest Christian literature. Useful appendixes, maps, and charts make this an ideal text for the university or college classroom.
Each book of the New Testament is presented in the NRSV, the most widely accepted version in university classrooms today. The Reader also supplies up-to-date translations of the Gospel of Thomas, the Didache, the Letter of Barnabas, 1 Clement, and the letters of Ignatius.
Broader issues affecting the treatment of these texts open the six sections of literature. Lead articles discuss pseudonymity, church tradition, synoptic sources, epistles as documents, conflicting doctrines, and originating events.
Introductions to each individual work discuss the date and place of composition, authorship, audience, basic themes, literary features, and the Jewish and Hellenistic contexts, and they suggest further readings in the secondary literature. Generous notes illumine specific historical, lexical, and interpretive issues.
The Early Christian Reader thus offers an objective, informed entree into the complex world of the earliest Christian literature. Useful appendixes, maps, and charts make this an ideal text for the university or college classroom.
752 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1993
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 12, 2009
I bought this version of the New Testament while studying for my Masters Degree, and it's now my favorite version of the NT.
Mason and Robinson supplment the RSV with exceptionally helpful notes that enhance understanding of the text in both scholarly and faith-based ways.
Mason and Robinson supplment the RSV with exceptionally helpful notes that enhance understanding of the text in both scholarly and faith-based ways.
Displaying 1 of 1 review