Interpreting the New Testament

Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, PhD, (1940-2014), was professor of New Testament at Boston College and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Massachusetts. He wrote numerous scholarly works, including What Are We Hoping For? New Testament Images, The Gospel of Mark, Jesus Ben Sira of Jerusalem: A Biblical Guide to Living Wisely, and The Letter to the Hebrews, all published by Liturgical Press. He served as editor of New Testament Abstracts from 1972 until his death.

• ContentsIntroduction   ix1. Literary Criticism in Genera  l 1A. The New Testament Literature   1B. Examples of Literary Criticism   5C. Literary Expression and Theological Content   122. Textual Criticism   16A. Principles of Textual Criticism   16B. Examples of Textual Criticism   213. Translations   25A. Six Modem English Translations   25B. Examples of Modem English Translations   29C. Using the Translations Effectively   374. Words and Motifs   42A. The Language of the New Testament   42B. Examples of Word Studies   495. Source Criticism   56A. Detecting Sources in New Testament Documents   56B. Examples of Source Criticism   646. Form Criticism   70A. Form Criticism in General   70B. Discourse Forms in the Synoptic Gospels   72C. Narrative Forms in the Synoptic Gospels   75D. Parables in the Synoptic Tradition   79E. Forms in Other Parts of the New Testament   81 7. Historical Criticism   85A. Historical Criticism and the Gospels   85B. Examples of Historical Criticism   908. Redaction Criticism   96A. Principles of Redaction Criticism   96B. Examples of Redaction Criticism   1009. Parallels   108A. Using Literary Parallels   108B. Jewish History From Alexander the Great to A.D. 100   109C. Primary Sources for Literary Parallels to the New Testament   113D. Examples of Literary Parallels   11710. The Meaning of the Text   124A. What the Text Says   124B. What Others Have Brought to the Text (The History of Interpretation)   126C. What We Bring to the Text   130D. What It Means Today (Preaching on Biblical Texts)   134E. Exegesis and Spirituality   142Appendix One: The Dating of the New Testament Books   146Appendix Two: Questions in Exegesis   148