The Dubious Disciple: Book review: A New Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2011

Book review: A New Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels

MY LATEST BOOK

By Roland Meynet This book is not what I was expecting when I saw the title! Wow. When Meynet titled his book an introduction, he didnt mean hed be providing a surface description. He meant that after you work your way through 415 pages of analysis, youll have barely turned the cover on the Synoptics.

Revelation: The Way it Happened Inside these pages lives a love story gone awry. Bare your teeth at the original beast of Revelation and John's nemesis, the false prophet. Relive the gruesome Jerusalem war of 70 AD and the fire-andbrimstone tragedy of Mount Vesuvius. I promise, you'll never read the Bible the same way again!

You can give a man a fish, and feed him for a day. Or, you can teach him to fish, and feed him until they quit stocking the pond. This book is meant as a university text, to teach you how to analyze the Bible as a linguist, by taking note of the links which tie the pericopes together, and trying to grasp the logic which connects them. Its a relatively new approach to Biblical study, sometimes at odds with the historical-critical method and normal form criticism. My rating of four stars does not represent my reading enjoyment, but rather, the teaching technique and depth of study. Reading Meynets book is not fun; its work. Seriously. Youre going to study primarily two Bible pericopes in these 415 pages: the healing of the blind man at Jericho, and the calling of the rich man . Youll study them in context, noting each texts sub-sequences, carefully grinding out their meaning through rhetorical analysis of all three Synoptics. This exhausting technique does yield results. As a simple example of the strength of this type of literary Biblical analysis, consider the story of the blind man at Jericho, as told in the Gospel in Mark. Or were there two blind men healed, as Matthew relates? Exegetes in the past have wondered which version is historically accurate; Matthew or Mark? But the question misses the point of the passage. Contextual analysis to the rescue: By reading up just a little bit, in both Matthew and Mark, we find the story of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, requesting that they sit on the right and the left of Jesus when he comes into his glory. Matthew has recognized the context, and aided in its interpretation by changing one man into two. The story of the blind man has become the story of two blind men in Matthew, and we now recognize the blind men as James and John. (click picture to buy on Amazon) Posted by The Dubious Disciple at 7:58 AM

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The Dubious Disciple: Book review: A New Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels

8/24/11 7:28 PM

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2011 (234) August (24) Book review: A New Introduction to the Synoptic Go... Revelation 4:4, The Twenty-four Elders Book review: Naked Pastor 101 Matthew 4:19-20, Follow Me Book review: The New Complete Works of

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The Dubious Disciple: Book review: A New Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels

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The Dubious Disciple: Book review: A New Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels

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ABOUT ME

The Dubious Disciple Hello! I'm an author, historical Jesus scholar, book reviewer, and liberal Christian, which means I appreciate and attempt to exercise the humanitarian teachings of Jesus without getting hung up on supernatural or religious beliefs. The Bible is a miraculous book that has inspired and spiritually fed generations for thousands of years, and each new century seems to bring a deeper understanding of lifes purpose. This is true of not only Christianity; through the years, our age-old religions have slowly transformed from superstitious rituals into humanitarian philosophies. In short, we are growing up, and I am thrilled to be riding the wave.

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I avidly read all things religious. New authors: I'd love to read and review your book! Email me here View my complete profile
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