June 15, 2012
Borg (Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture, emeritus, Oregon State Univ.; Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time), a prolific biblical scholar, guides the reader into understanding the New Testament (NT) by presenting its text in the New Revised Standard Version and arranged in the order in which its books were written. As such, the early Pauline epistles appear before the gospels, general epistles, and the book of Revelation. Borg finds this approach instructive since readers can understand the process by which the biblical material developed. He provides a helpful introduction to each NT book, ranging from three to eight pages in length. Additionally, he includes chapters addressing the oral period and Paul and his writings. A decade-by-decade timeline covering both events of the first century C.E. and the writing of biblical works offers helpful additional guidance. One problem with Borg's approach, however, is that he assumes general agreement among scholars as to the dating of each book's writing. This is not always the case. VERDICT This book will provide general readers and undergraduates with a good guide to the background and content of the New Testament. Of less value to specialists.--John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ. Lib.
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