Luke the Priest

Rick Strelan is an ordained Lutheran who, on the completion of his PhD dissertation on Paul, Artemis and Jews in Ephesus (1995), took up a lecturing position at the University of Queensland. In addition to the publication of his thesis (1996), he has published Crossing the Boundaries: A commentary on Mark (1991), and Strange Acts: Studies in the cultural world of the Acts of the Apostles (2004). He has also published in many of the leading New Testament journals. Rick is currently Head of the Studies in Religion department and Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of Queensland, Australia.

• Contents: Preface; Introduction; Who were the Gospel writers?; Gospels, authors and authority; The status of Luke in scholarship; Why write another Gospel?; Owning, controlling, guarding the traditions; The oral and the written; Luke in the tradition; Luke among the scholars; Luke the priest; Luke as authoritative interpreter of Scripture; Luke as interpreter of the Jesus tradtions; Luke as interpreter of Paul; Conclusion; Bibliography; Indexes.

"This book is a model of clarity in the shaping of its argument and its use of a wide range of early Christian texts.’ Journal for the Study of the New Testament ’This carefully researched and well-written study makes a provocative contribution to Lucan studies." Worship"Strelan’s approach is at once unique and a return to older methods while still attentive to recent scholarly concerns. He argues that the combination of literacy, biblical knowledge, and, most importantly, the self- claimed authority to interpret not only scripture but recent events in light of scripture adds up to a likelihood that the author of Luke was a member of the Judean priesthood."Margaret Froelich, Willamette University, Religious Studies Review