Customer Reviews
10 pounds in a 5 pound bag - By: , 22 Jun 1999 
Father Brown puts 10 pounds of information into a 5 pound bag! Very informative & smothered with footnotes & bibliography. Written with the novicein mind, he does a great job of presenting the views of the latest in biblical scholarship even if he does not agree with the majority opinion. I must admit though, I find myself with more questions after reading a section than I had before I read it. Heavy reliance on a particular scientific method with little attempt to reconcile with other methods of interpretation.
A must-have for everyone interested in the New Testament - By: , 21 May 1999 
A thorough & scholarly examination of the New Testament which is entirely accessable to the lay reader. Father Brown lucidly sets forth the social, religious, political & historical context of each book without losing sight of the essential Christian message. His approach is an intellectually-challenging counterbalance to the work of the "Jesus Seminar"; he expounds on the development of each New Testament book without challenging its essential, spiritual veracity. Well done, indeed.
Fantastic - By: , 10 Dec 1998 This book is the best New Testament guide I have found. The author guides you through the many issues surrounding the origins & authorship of the New Testament, & provides the reader with a balanced understanding of the strengths & weaknesses of the many positions. There are so many different approaches to these issues that it is easy to assumein reading a particular book that one view is "the" way it is. The author provides the reader with some perspective. I think the book's greatest contribution isin explaining what the current NT documents are, & how they fit together.
ABSOLUTELY THE FINEST NEW TESTAMENT INTRO AVAILABLE! - By: , 02 Dec 1998 Brown's "Introduction" (if something over 800 pagescan be called an "introduction"!) is nothing less than a masterpiece of Modern Biblical Scholarship. It covers every NT topic imaginable - The NT Social & Political World, Authorship, Christology, major Themes, historicity, Theological divisions, Manuscript Dating, even the Historical Jesus Debate -in an even-handed, (fairly) non-technical, heavily footnoted manner. The book is extremely well documented with charts & maps & references from some of the world's most renowned Catholic & Protestant Scholars.
If you must own only ONE Intro. to The New Testament, MAKE IT THIS ONE.
Superb Review, Even For Us Laypersons - By: , 15 Nov 1998 I am not a religious scholar, but I do enjoy reading a religious book on occasion. Father Brown's overview of the New Testament is fantastic, & should be read by all persons who consider themselves to be a Christian to better understand the New Testament. Father Brown will be sorely missed for his outstanding books.
