'Reading Scripture with the Saints' is a small museum. On its pages hang portraits of Christianity's "masters of the sacred page": Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine of Hippo, Benedict of Nursia, Maximus Confessor, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther and Charles Wesley. Other, surprising figures also appear, such as Shakespeare, Washington and Lincoln. How did these figures from history interpret Scripture? What might their diverse approaches teach today's readers of the Old and New Testaments? What is missing in contemporary biblical interpretation that an awareness of the history of exegesis might complete? Join C. Clifton Black as he traverses the Bible, Church History, systematic theology, Elizabethan drama and American politics. Reading Scripture with the Saints retrieves pre-modern insights for a post-modern world.

It has been more than two decades since the publication of George Kennedy's influential New Testament Interpretation Through Rhetorical Criticism (1984). The essays in Words Well Spoken demonstrate the influence of Kennedy's work on New Testament studies. The essays offer applications of his method to canonical New Testament books and provide more general discussions of rhetorical analysis. Kennedy's thoughtful response articulates his present thinking about the New Testament and demonstrates why this scholar continues to be of such value to New Testament studies.

While most books on biblical rhetoric focus primarily on the epistles, this volume from prominent scholar C. Clifton Black considers the variety of rhetorical critical approaches now being applied to the Gospels (including LukeaEURO"Acts). This updated edition takes into account recent research since the first volume was published in 2001 and features two brand new chapters. Black provides an overview of the different forms of rhetorical criticism, with examples from the Gospel of John; studies of characterization in Matthew and Luke; an analysis of classical rhetorical criteria found in Mark and LukeaEURO"Acts; and an analysis of the rhetoric of the parables with implications for contemporary preaching.

Redaction criticism attempts to identify biblical authors' theological interests by examining their adaptation of sources. Focusing on representative studies of Jesus' disciples in the Gospel of Mark, this pioneering book by C. Clifton Black has become the standard evaluation of that method's exegetical reliability. Comprehensively reviewing recent scholarship, Black identifies three distinctive types of redaction criticism in Markan interpretation. He demonstrates that diverse redaction-critical interpretations of the disciples in Mark have bolstered rather than controlled scholarly presuppositions to a degree that impugns the method's reliability for interpreting Mark. The book concludes by assessing redaction criticism's usefulness and offering a more balanced approach to Mark's interpretation. This second edition includes a substantial, detailed afterword that revisits the book's primary issues, converses with its critics, and provides an update of Markan scholarship over the past twenty-five years.

Exploring anew the figure of mark, this breakthrough study is essential for students and scholars alike.

This study of Mark, the apostolic associate to whom Christians have traditionally attributed authorship of the second gospel, views him from a variety of angles: historical, literary and theological. It shows how images of Mark helped shape the identity of the Early Church.

In "Exploring the Gospel of John," scholars of international standing gather to honor D. Moody Smith by examining the trails he has blazed in Johannine scholarship. Every aspect of the study of John is represented in this book, including the historical origins of the Johannine community, the religious traditions in the gospel within and beyond early Christianity, the Fourth Gospel's literary dimensions and theological concerns, and the distinctive challenges presented by the Gospel's interpretation. This book is indispensable for all interested in the Fourth Gospel. For researchers, it summarizes the modern history of Johannine scholarship as it points the way for its advancement in the next century. For pastors and students, it offers a comprehensive, up-to-date, and reliable guide to this important New Testament book.