The Writings of the New Testament—Johnson

The Writings of the New Testament—Johnson January 19, 2021

Luke Timothy Johnson. The Writings of the New Testament. Third Edition (Fortress Press, 2010). 544 pages. HB, retail $55.

Book Description: 

Luke Timothy Johnson offers a compelling interpretation of the New Testament as a witness to the rise of early faith in Jesus. Critically judicious and theologically attuned to the role of the New Testament in the life of the church, Johnson deftly guides his reader through a wealth of historical and literary description and invites critical reflection on the meaning of these ancient writings for today. The third edition is carefully updated and includes new student-friendly format and features, including a new design and study and reflection questions.

Nijay’s Notes:

This is an excellent introduction that I have used a few times as a classroom textbook at the seminary level. Johnson knows his way around the entire New Testament. He is also a great teacher and a fresh communicator. This resource is worth having on your bookshelf for quick consultation. I return to it often.

About the author

Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson is Candler School of Theology’s Robert W. Woodruff Professor Emeritus, Emory’s most distinguished endowed chair. A noted scholar and an award-winning teacher, Johnson taught at Yale Divinity School and Indiana University prior to arriving at Candler in 1992. His research concerns the literary, moral and religious dimensions of the New Testament, including the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts of early Christianity (particularly moral discourse), Luke-Acts, the Pastoral Letters, and the Letter of James.

A prolific author, Johnson has penned 31 books, more than 70 scholarly articles, 100 popular articles and nearly 200 book reviews. His 1986 book, The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation, now in its third edition, is widely used as a textbook in seminaries and departments of religion throughout the world. A decade later, Johnson made national headlines with The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels (HarperOne, 1996), the first book to systematically challenge the Jesus Seminar’s controversial claims, among them that Jesus said only 18 percent of what the Gospels attribute to him.


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