Behind the Gospels: Understanding the Oral Tradition

by Eric Eve

New Testament scholars often talk about “oral tradition” as a means by which material about Jesus reached the writers of the Gospels; but despite the recent flowering of interest in oral tradition, the study of memory, and the role of eye-witnesses, the latest scholarly advances have yet to fully penetrate the mainstream of academic Gospels scholarship, let alone the wider public. There is no convenient book-length treatment that can be used by students, or indeed by anyone else wishing to be informed about this crucial topic. Behind the Gospels fills this gap, both by offering a general theoretical discussion of the nature of oral tradition and the formation of ancient texts, and by providing a critical survey of the field, from classical form-criticism down to the present day.

Genres: New Testament

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2013

Reviews

[Chris Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful survey of the current scholarship around oral tradition and the Gospels. Eve discusses in detail the development of ideas around how oral traditions shaped the writing of the Gospels, from the early form critics through to recent attempts to refocus on eye witness testimony, through the likes of Richard Bauckham (whose 'Jesus and the Eyewitnesses' gets a very mixed review).
In his conclusions Eve pumps for a very sensible middle way between those who would assert that most of what is in the Gospels is as close to verbatim testimony as is possible and those who claim that it's mostly a product of the Evangelists' imaginations and/or particular social contexts. Much depends on the presuppositions we bring to the texts.
An additional point that I found useful was the assertion mentioned in several places that the Gospels cannot be usefully dissected in such a way as to separate the historical core from later additions and redactive measures. This attempt to access 'the real Jesus' may have sustained many author's careers, but is unlikely to ever purposive satisfactory results, due to the reductive process involved.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking through the history of understandings of how the Gospels came to be created, Mr. Eve offers a balanced analysis of each historical model/understanding. Each model is treated fairly, with adequate pros and cons articulated. Despite its academic nature, Behind the Gospels is accessible, though not wholly engaging. Mr. Eve tries his best to find the good in each model, and he does a good job of connecting each model to its successor. This positive approach is refreshing and helps the reader see the good in each model. As a result, Behind the Gospels is an interesting albeit somewhat dry read that is helpful for understanding how the Gospels may have been formed by the original authors.

His conclusion, that we likely will never know exactly how the Gospels came to be, is a bit disheartening and feels like a letdown, but it is realistic. After reading the book, I came to a greater understanding of why it is difficult to know the origin of the Gospels, and I learned a lot about social memory, memory in general, oral retellings, and eyewitness accounts. Though not the most exciting read, it is balanced, informative, and well-researched.

[Tommi Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summaries of scholarship