| Title | : | A Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies: Understanding Key Debates |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0801097576 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780801097577 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 |
| Publication | : | First published March 17, 2020 |
A Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies: Understanding Key Debates Reviews
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The title is a perfect match for the content. Dr. Gupta provides an excellent overview of contemporary debates in New Testament studies. I found the concise chapters a perfect fit to satisfy my curiosity, and the references at the end an excellent resource for diving deeper. The writing was well done, and I could hardly put the book down.
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I thought it did a great job completing what it set out to do, surveying the NT debates thoroughly and fairy.
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Anyone thinking of picking up this book needs to know that it is about biblical scholarship rather than a layperson's guide to basic New Testament books. It is not popular debate over the New Testament nor about a survey of the 27 books of the New Testament. It is essentially about scholastic debates within the realm of NT biblical scholarship. Meant primarily for beginner students of New Testament scholarship, it summarizes many of the important controversies surrounding the subject. Controversies such as the which gospel is the earliest; whether some of the gospel writers had copied from an anonymous source named Q; how the synoptic gospels differ from John; authorship of some New Testament books; the view of Paul and Jesus; etc. These and many more form a primer for theological studies in the New Testament.
Author and professor Nijay Gupta summarizes the general issue before giving us various perspectives surrounding it. He is careful not to be dogmatic about the issue, choosing instead to lay out the basic ideas and points of view before giving a personal take on it at the end. For the new NT student, this book is a godsend. It is like a special edition of "New Testament Studies for Dummies." With this clear guide, New Testament students can grasp quickly the history and context of the matter concerned. The key debates include:
1) Understanding the Synoptic Problem
2) Perspectives surrounding the Search for the Historical Jesus
3) The Fourth Gospel
4) Relationship Between Jesus and Paul
5) Paul's Theological Perspective
6) Paul and the Jewish Law
7) Interpreting Revelation
8) Pseudonymity, Authorship and Authority in the New Testament
9) The New Testament and the Roman Empire
10) Women in Leadership in the New Testament
11) Justification by Faith vs Judgment by Works
12) The Old Testament in the New Testament
13) Application and Use of Scripture
Three Thoughts
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First, I must say I wish I had this book when I was in seminary. I enjoy the way Gupta introduces the issue, and gradually bringing in the different ideas surrounding it. By incorporating elements of his own teaching experience with regard to these studies, one would feel like being in a classroom with the author as professor! This book brings back a lot of memories from my seminary years. I remember having to grapple with the various debates and multiple perspectives on topics that seemed quite foreign. Why study the synoptic problem? What's the big deal with regard to the research controversy surrounding the historical Jesus? Surely, there is just one perspective of Paul, that is, Paul's!
Second, this book is not for everyone. For those who are not familiar with theological terms or seminary level education, they might find the studies more philosophical and technical. Some might even say that such debates are a waste of time. If that is your position, then such topics are not for you, at least for the moment. This is an academic treatment, not a Bible-Study type of book. While there are instances of Bible study, the way the Scripture is used tend to be meant for argumentative or illustrative purposes. Chapter 13 however speaks to most of us in terms of how we can apply and use Scripture. Of all the chapters, the general reader might appreciate this last chapter the most as it is not just a summary but an overview of the different ways we apply and use the Bible.
Third, readers will appreciate the author's gentle leading through the different facets of arguments and debates. Gupta does a great job in helping us sift through the maze of perspectives. I enjoy the way Gupta introduces the issue, and gradually bringing in the different ideas surrounding it. By incorporating elements of his own teaching experience with regard to these studies, one would feel like being in a classroom with the author as professor! Like a good professor, he includes some resources for advanced studies as well.
Nijay K. Gupta is Associate Professor of New Testament studies at Portland Seminary in Portland, Oregon. His research interests include Biblical theology, biblical hermeneutics and exegesis, Pauline literature, the Gospel of John, and New Testament ethics.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied. -
This book is NOT just for young seminarians!
I read/studied this book with a group of friends on Facebook -- reading a chapter per week and answering/discussing a question for each chapter.
I was surprised to find that I was already familiar with many of the debates (probably due to my advanced age, lol), and really enjoyed having the main points of the different perspectives so clearly laid out and explained. There is a 'Reflections' section at the end of each chapter that pulls that chapter all together, and is followed by reading lists segmented by one's level of interest or level of experience.
Dr. Gupta does not take a partisan stance on these topics, for which I am grateful. Life experience has led me to believe that godly people can disagree on many things, without calling their salvation into question, and I really appreciated the general neutrality in this presentation. (I'm still skeptical of the whole "Jesus Seminar"thing, but that's another topic, I'm sure!).
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning the basics of these key debates that tend to underlie other debates and discussions, and then pursue the suggested reading if desired. -
With this very accessible book, Nijay Gupta has done an excellent service to (especially beginner) students of New Testament studies. He helpfully boils down the most important, ongoing debates in the field without getting bogged down in the minutia of the matters. I’d highly recommend it to anyone wanting to get a foundational grasp of the key conversations happening in New Testament studies.
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Ok. Gupta seems to mention N.T. Wright in every chapter while leaving many Orthodox and Catholic scholars out of the discussion. He didn't mention the renewal of patristic exegesis or anything of the sort either, which is a noteworthy development in new testament studies, imo.
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Great overview of critical NT studies debates.
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Title is pretty self explanatory. Survey of the major topics in NT studies. Great place to start if you’re interested in reading more NT books.
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Nijay K. Gupta is a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and received his PhD from Durham University. He has written a number of Bible commentaries and several other academic works related to the New Testament.
New Testament studies is a very broad area of research and includes scholars of varying beliefs, those who hold to high church ecclesiology and others with more of a low or free church view. Some are liberal, centrist, conservative, even fundamentalist. You'll find Christians, Muslims, Jews, and even some atheists among their number. Gupta is writing specifically for a Christian audience and more specifically an evangelical one. This shouldn't detract from this excellent little resource, but it does help the reader understand many of the statements and assumptions that the author makes at times.
With the breath of topics that one could cover it's nice that Gupta was able to pack so much into such a small package. He spends three chapters on topics related to the Gospels, three more on Paul, one on Revelation, and then several on various topics including pseudonymity, empire studies, justification by faith and works, women in leadership, and concludes with the relationship of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, and finally one on applying and using the New Testament.
Each chapter covers a specific topic, discussing the various views related to that topic, and ends with a reflection, and a suggested reading section that include a beginner and advanced readings. I think the suggested reading was one of the most valuable aspects of the book, giving readers additional resources for further study.
The one topic that I would have wished the author covered is related to the Gospels and specifically what they are and how they relate to history. Since Gupta already had three chapters related to the Gospels including one on the Gospel of John and history I can understand why he had to limit what was covered, otherwise his book could easily grow exponentially and go way beyond a beginners text.
The chapter that interested me the most was on empire studies, The New Testament and the Roman Empire. Although I have most of the books listed in the suggested reading section it's a topic that I haven't studied much and need to read some of the literature.
Like all books there are going to be sections that you really like and others that you are going to have problems with. Unfortunately the one I found that had some problems was chapter 7 on interpreting the book of Revelation.
Unfortunately Gupta muddles things with regards to dispensationism when he states that they fall into two main views regarding the millennium. They in fact do not. He writes,
"Scholars who subscribe to a dispensational approach to eschatology and biblical chronology split into two main views on the nature and placement of the millennium (thousand-year reign of Christ) according to Revelation 20:1–7. Those who argue in favor of premillennialism conceive of a thousand-year reign of Christ that follows Christ’s second coming (i.e., the second coming precedes the millennial reign of Christ). Others believe that the millennial kingdom (not necessarily a literal number) is an age of the flourishing of the church on earth, and the second coming of Christ follows this—hence this is called a postmillennial view."
Most postmillennialists do not associate with dispensationalism. The split that dispensationalists have concerns the question of the rapture, which Gupta does bring up in the next paragraph. Dispensationalists actually divide over the question of the timing of the rapture and it's relation with a seven year tribulation period. They fall into pretributional, midtribulational, posttribulational, and partial rapturists.
Honestly the short discussion here on the millennium should have been separated from that of the various approaches to the Book of Revelation. Indeed one can find different millennial views within each of the various approaches, for example, among preterists one can find amillennialists, postmillennialists, and historical premillennials.
The paragraph regarding why scholars reject rapture teaching may be correct but was really out of place for this work. The author no where else argues against a specific view.
I'd recommend in a second edition that the millennial discussion be made separate from the approaches to Revelation, that the distinctive rapture positions be presented within dispenationalism, and the arguments against rapturism be dropped.
With that said, don't let my comments about one chapter dissuade you from getting and reading this volume, it's excellent and will serve well the person interested in pursuing New Testament studies. -
Nijay K. Gupta has written an introduction to New Testament studies aimed at students, pastors, and aspiring scholars. Characteristic of his other work, this book is clear and engaging. Gupta also makes great use of metaphor and other tools to help his readers understand subject matters that may be foreign.
The premise of the book is simple: Gupta has selected 13 subjects within New Testament studies that young scholars will need to be aware of if they intend to enter the field. While Gupta would be the first to say that he is not an expert on every matter that is relevant to NT studies, his grasp on the matters selected in this book demonstrates that he has done his homework.
We should commend Gupta for providing objective analysis in these chapters. For example, I know that from Dr. Gupta’s blog and Twitter feed that he is an Egalitarian, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from his analysis of the debate in chapter 10, “Women in Leadership in the New Testament.” This even-handed analysis is impressive.
Each chapter has suggestions for further reading. Gupta helpfully gives examples of introductory and advanced options in these sections, as well as options that specifically represent the various sides of these debates.
The chapters represent a variety of subjects in the New Testament, although there are, of course, areas that he didn’t address that could have warranted a chapter (such as “Textual Criticism,” “Greek Language,” or “New Testament Ethics”).
At just under 200 pages, this book shouldn’t take too much time to read, and I highly recommend it to any interested in New Testament Scholarship. -
All in all, I think this book is an excellent primer to someone who is thinking about pursuing a higher theological education, or for someone who has previously earned a degree but would like to follow the debates a bit more closely. For pastors or ministers working with students, or for those who would like to study a bit more deeply even if not pursuing a degree, will find a lot in this book. I would be curious how they could apply it to their congregations, but it might trigger more advanced studies for a pastor/minister and open doors for them to help their congregation go deeper into theology.
my full review at my blog, chriswerms .wordpress .com. -
As a Biblical studies amateur, I found this book so useful in examining a wide range of topics in a balanced and thorough way. It helped illuminate issues that are debatable, but often not clearly explained in discussions of biblical topics. The book is easy to read, and carefully thought out. While the author has opinions on the topics, he presents both sides in a fair and even way. The author also provides a helpful reading list at the end of each chapter, graded from beginner to advanced. I would recommend the book to anyone interested in the Bible, whether they are exploring contemporary scholarship or would merely like some background information to consider.
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Това е много добро въведение към някои трудни и спорни теми в новозаветното изследване. Ключовата дума в предното изречение е въведение. Ако някой очаква задълбочен анализ на всички доказателства ще остане разочарован. Но ако търси сравнително кратко и ясно представяне на проблема, различните гледни точки и подходи към него, някои бележки без да се взема страна и насоки към добра допълнителна литература това е точно за него.
Лично на мен като цяло книгата не ми даде нищо ново, но я намирам за много интересна, добре написана и много полезна за подходящата група хора. -
Easy-to-read and informative, I learned something new in every chapter. Dr. Gupta expertly threads the needle of making the material accessible to the non-theologian while respecting his reader’s overall intelligence and desire to learn. Each chapter even-handedly explores multiple schools of thought on various topics ranging from Paul & the Law to Works vs Faith. The book presents the complex in a simple way—and then challenges the reader to think and decide what his/her individual beliefs are.
Highly recommend. -
Gupta's book is an accessible introduction to major issues debated in the New Testament studies. It will be useful for introductory New Testament courses at undergraduate and seminary-level. It may also be helpful for pastors who want to refresh their memory about major debates in academic literature and all who are 'relative newcomers' to the field. More on my blog:
https://fsylwestrowicz.com/book-thoug... -
An excellent beginner's survey of contemporary New Testament studies as informed by history. Fair, nuanced, well written and all in all, very helpful! This helped me round out a seminary NT course I recently took.
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A fantastic introduction to current issues in NT studies. Perfect for someone curious to dive deeper, an undergrad honors class, or an introductory seminary class on NT studies. I'd highly recommend it.
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A great intro to the basic points of New Testament Studies! Dr. Gupta does a great job summarizing many of the discussion points without speaking negatively about the ones he disagrees with. He gives both sides of topics equal room for discussion.
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I appreciate the accessibility and of this text. As a sometimes church curriculum writer, I value writers who can talk about complex theological ideas in sensible ways. Highly recommended.
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I'll post a full review on my blog in a day or two but, suffice to say, WHERE WAS THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS A FIRST YEAR SEMINARY STUDENT!!! Sorry to yell.
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This book does exactly what the title infers. If you're interested in NT studies but don't know where to start, Gupta's clear writing and summary of the issues is definitely the place.
