Reading the New Testament in the Church: A Primer for Pastors, Religious Educators, and Believers

by Francis J. Moloney

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 2015

Overview

Internationally respected scholar Francis Moloney offers a Catholic introduction to the New Testament that shows how to read it both faithfully and critically. The opening chapter and an epilogue directly address the theological requirements of, and historical challenges for, ecclesial reading. The remaining chapters give exemplary readings of the figure of Jesus and of the various divisions of the New Testament canon. Conceived as a resource for religious educators, deacons, and other ministers in the Catholic Church, this book will serve Catholics and others as an ideal supplement to a conventional New Testament introduction or as a companion to reading the New Testament itself.

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Key Features

• Shows how to read the New Testament faithfully and critically from with an ecclesial context
• Reveals how to read the Bible historically and theologically
• Presents a theological introduction to the New Testament

Contents

• Catholic and Critical: The Challenge of Scripture in the Catholic Tradition 1
• Historical Context: The New Testament World and Our World 22
• The Origins of the New Testament: Its Creation and Reception 45
• Jesus of Nazareth: A Biographical Sketch 64
• Paul: The First Christian Author 91
• The Four Gospels: Stories of Jesus 113
• The Acts of the Apostles: Telling God’s Story to the End of the Earth 140
• Later Writings of the New Testament: Letters from Apostles and a Homily 155
• The Revelation to John: Apocalypse Now

Praise for the Print Edition

Reading the New Testament in the Church succinctly describes the first-century context, insightfully probes what we know about the ‘historical Jesus,’ deftly explains the literary strategies of the Gospels, explores the passionate commitments and engaged rhetoric of the apostle Paul, and assists those wrestling with the complexities of somewhat strange texts such as Hebrews and Revelation.

—Harold Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity, Yale Divinity School

Frank Moloney’s very readable guide to the New Testament attempts to bridge the gap that all too often exists between the scholarly interpretation of Scripture and the faith of the church. By reminding us that the Scriptures were written by believers for believers, he encourages his readers to face up to the challenges they contain.

—Morna D. Hooker, Lady Margaret's Professor Emerita, University of Cambridge Life Fellow, Robinson College

The emphasis throughout the book is on the wealth of Scripture and the need to encourage believers to develop a deeper knowledge of, and encounter with, the sacred text. Such knowledge, the book argues, is integral to the church's life and mission.

—Dorothy Lee, dean of Trinity College Theological School, Frank Woods Professor of New Testament Studies, Trinity College, Melbourne

Product Details

• Title: Reading the New Testament in the Church: A Primer for Pastors, Religious Educators, and Believers
• Author: Francis J. Moloney
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Publication Date: 2015
• Pages: 240
• Christian Group: Catholic
• Resource Type: Introduction
• Topic: Theological Interpretation

About Francis J. Moloney

Francis J. Moloney earned his STL from the Salesian Pontifical University in 1970 and his LSS from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in 1972. He earned a DPhil from the University of Oxford in 1976. He was professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological College in Melbourne’s College of Divinity in Australia from 1976 to 1994. Moloney was the first theologian to be recognized as a fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities—an honor conferred in 1992—and was awarded the Order of Australia in 1994.

Moloney became professor of New Testament at the Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, DC, in 1999, and was elected president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America in 2001. By 2003, he was dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at CUA. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II to the International Theological Commission to the Holy See and served on it for 18 years. Moloney has written 36 books and numerous articles, including a popular commentary on the Catholic Epistles, From James to Jude and A Body Broken for a Broken People. Eucharist in the New Testament.

Sample Pages from Reading the New Testament in the Church: A Primer for Pastors, Religious Educators, and Believers