The New Testament: A Very Short Introduction (Audio Edition): Luke Timothy Johnson,

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The New Testament: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
by Luke Timothy Johnson | Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc. | 1 March 2010
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The New Testament: A Very Short Introduction Audible Audiobook – Unabridged
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As ancient literature and a cornerstone of the Christian faith, the New Testament has exerted a powerful religious and cultural impact. But how much do we really know about its origins?

In this concise, engaging book, noted New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson takes listeners on a journey back to the time of the early Roman Empire, when the New Testament was written in ordinary Greek (koine) by the first Christians. The author explains how the Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and Revelation evolved into the canon of sacred writings for the Christian religion, and how they reflect a reinterpretation of the symbolic world and societal forces of first-century Greco-Roman and Jewish life. Equally important, listeners will find both a positive and critical reading of the New Testament-one that looks beyond its theological orientation to reveal an often-surprising diversity of viewpoints. This one-of-a-kind introduction engages four distinct dimensions of the earliest Christian writings - anthropological, historical, religious, and literary - to provide listeners with a broad conceptual and factual framework. In addition, the book takes an in-depth look at compositions that have proven to be particularly relevant over the centuries, including Paul's letters to the Corinthians and Romans and the Gospels of John, Mark, Matthew, and Luke.
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©2010 Luke Timothy Johnson (P)2021 Tantor


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Listening Length 5 hours and 15 minutes
Author Luke Timothy Johnson
Narrator Robert Feifar



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4.6 out of 5 stars
Top reviews from the United States


The Wolf
5.0 out of 5 stars Great explanation of what the NT is all aboutReviewed in the United States on August 7, 2012
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Whether you are a Christian, of another faith, or of no faith, this book can can help you understand the NT...perhaps even learn much that surprises you. It is well written, easy to understand but not simplistic, and interesting. I have read a lot of theology, and I have taken many religion classes, and yet I feel that this short book opened my eyes, or helped me organize my understanding, in a way that had not happened before. In a relatively short book Johnson gives one a very comprehensive explanation of the NT and of the early followers of Jesus and what they believed and how the canon of the NT came to exist. Johnson neither slams religion down one's throat nor apologizes for Christianity, as one other reviewer seem to think. Johnson gives a balanced objective overview of a book that has influenced more people than any other book in history...for better or worse. You will not be disappointed.

13 people found this helpful

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R. J. Karris
5.0 out of 5 stars A Highly Informative and Inspiring NT IntroductionReviewed in the United States on September 3, 2010
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I stand in awe of Johnson's ability to write so concisely and clearly and to do so with inspiration and enthusiasm. While we have the usual territory to be covered in a NT Introduction, there are some pleasant surprises, e.g., 

• his superb treatment of Hebrews and the Letter of James. 
• Of the discussions of the Gospels I appreciated most what he had to say about apocalyptic Mark. 
• Because this is 'a very short introduction,' he didn't get into as much depth with Paul as I would have liked. Thankfully, though, he did not ride his special hobby horse on the authenticity of 1-2 Timothy and Titus, 
• but stuck with positions generally accepted by the majority of NT scholars.

What is the audience for this tiny book? Clergy needing a quick review. Interested lay people who want a general overview before plunging into one or the other NT books in some detail.

19 people found this helpful

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James Carter
5.0 out of 5 stars Luke Timothy Johnson teaches New Testament at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2021
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In 160 pages LTJ has distilled years of study of and teaching NT. His treatment of two 'Hidden Treasures' was refreshing. What are they? 

• THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS & 
• THE LETTER OF JAMES.

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Dostoevskyite
5.0 out of 5 stars Very InsightfulReviewed in the United States on December 26, 2017
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Very insightful. Gave me a deeper insight into the origins of the New Testament and convincing interpretations of the various books discussed. The sections on Paul were especially interesting.

One of the best very short introductions I have read.

2 people found this helpful


A. Huber
5.0 out of 5 stars The New Testament: A very short introductionReviewed in the United States on June 24, 2010
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This little book by a well-known authority provides a scholarly yet very readable and brief introduction to the "why" of the New Testament. 

Not in any way a Reader's Digest version; nor is it a quick read, but one to be read at leisure, re-read, and to be brought out again when studying the New Testament or early history of the Christian church.

Very suitable for mature minds trying to make sense of ancient and initially disconnected appearing writings.

11 people found this helpful



Mr. T. E. Rochester
5.0 out of 5 stars Fair and Balanced, Something for AllReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 7, 2014
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This "Very Short Introduction" is written by Luke Timothy Johnson (LTJ), a former monk who is now a professor of New Testament studies, and does exactly what it says on the tin.

The work is divided into 11 Chapters.

Chapter 2 contextualises the NT in its contemporary setting, explaining the difference in belief and lifestyle of Jew and Gentile.

Chapter 3 focusses on the resurrection, and whilst not suggesting exactly what happened, LTJ lets the reader know that *something* significant must have happened in order for the Christian faith to begin. That *something*, he claims, is that the disciples of Jesus came to believe he had risen from the dead, but he refrains from passing personal comment on that issue.

Chapters 6-9 provide an overview of most of the documents of the NT, with only Jude and 1 + 2 Peter being passed over.
Chapter 6 looks at the Synoptic Gospels, going through each in turn.
Chapter 7 focusses on the life and works of Paul, and as a representation of his work provides a great mini-exegesis of his theology in 1 Corinthians and Romans.
Chapter 8 "Two Hidden Treasures" provides an exegesis of James and Hebrews.
Chapter 9 finishes this section looking at a Johannine school of thought as found in the Gospel of John, 1,2,3 John and Revelation, again, providing a mini-explanation of these works and their contexts.

Chapter 10 discusses the creation and importance of the NT canon in brief detail. Readers should then be aware of CE Hill's "Who Chose the Gospels?" for more info on this one.

Chapter 11 provides a neat summary of the continuing importance of the NT in contemporary society, despite the personal failings of Christians, and the ambiguities of the text that have led to oppression in Christ's name.

Overall this book is a brilliant introduction, fair and balanced, that presents a broad scholarly consensus of the relevant issues involved, whilst retaining some individual perspectives. However, because of this "catch-all" approach, there are several things that both liberal and conservative historians and believers may find disagreement with.

A liberal audience won't like (among other things): 

• A. his suggestion that Paul made use of an amanuensis, so that the Pastoral Letters may indeed be genuine, 
• B. his understanding that the "Gospel" of Thomas is most likely late 2nd century and 
• C. that the canon of the NT represents the best and earliest of our documents about the initial phase of Christian history.

A conservative audience probably has more things to take issue with, but hopefully by reading will learn the difference between accepted church tradition and the current position of NT scholarship. For example: 

A. he dates 2 Peter to the 2nd Century, 

B. suggests that Millenialism is a gross misreading of the genre of Revelation, 

C. calling the Holy Spirit an "energy field" several times, 

D. dating the Gospels 'late' EG 70AD or later, 

E. suggesting that Daniel was actually written c.167BC and not during the Babylonian exile.

There is much of use in here, and it overall provides a fair introduction to key themes and topics of NT studies that both Christian and non-Christian, layman and scholar will find of use.
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R. S. Stanier
4.0 out of 5 stars Undoubtedly handy, concise but sometimes misleading about a consensus

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2012
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As with others in the series, this tight volume packs a lot of knowledge and understanding into a relatively short book.
It is divided into clear, useful chapter headings: some of these are overall questions, how the New Testament got put together, or what hermeneutics are applied to it; others are on individual sections: one on the Synoptic Gospels, one on Johannine literature, one on St Paul's letters etc..

The challenge here is that there can be a blur between when we are reading Johnson's summary of received opinion, and when we are reading Johnson's own personal take on something. For example, he describes the Gospel of Mark as in its essence a piece of Apocalyptic literature, with a few stories and life incidents of Jesus thrown in: his argument comes from emphasisising the otherwise slightly out of place Mark 13, full of wild apocalyptic imagery. Now Johnson may be right, and his view is well-argued, but I would say that his take on it is well left of centre in terms of how scholars in general view Mark's Gospel. (Yes, Mark 13's apocalpytic imagery is important, but there is a human truth in the Passion story and a focus on the kingdom of God in most of it that doesn't square with the book being primarily apocalyptic.)

When one picks up "A very short introduction", I believe one is looking more for scholarly consensus than an author's own hobbyhorses.

That said, I may have slightly overstressed this aspect. Johnson is excellent at compressing information and argument into a tight format, and - when one is writing this concisely - inevitably one cannot be entirely evenhanded as otherwise the book would be tedious and overlong.

He is very balanced in terms of commitment to faith: this can be read by believers and non-believers without alienating either and would be good for keen A-level students, undergraduates just starting the New Testament who need a bit of a basic overview, or just anyone with an interest. It might especially be good for someone who goes to church, listens to sermons but wants a little more learning to go with what they hear.
Very good, but not perfect.

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11630809-the-new-testament

Luke Timothy Johnson - Wikipedia

Luke Timothy Johnson - Wikipedia

Luke Timothy Johnson

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Luke Timothy Johnson
Born	November 20, 1943 (age 78) Park Falls, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation	Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology
Known for	Theologian, historian, scholar, former priest
Spouse(s)	Joy Randazzo (1974–2017; her death)
Children	1 (& 6 stepchildren)
Awards	2011 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion
Academic background
Education	Notre Dame Seminary, Saint Meinrad School of Theology, Indiana University
Alma mater	Yale University (Ph.D.)
Academic work
Discipline	New Testament studies
Institutions	Candler School of Theology, Emory University
Notable works	The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels

Luke Timothy Johnson (born November 20, 1943) is an American New Testament scholar and historian of early Christianity. He is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology and a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University.

Johnson's research interests encompass the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts of early Christianity (particularly moral discourse), Luke-Acts, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Epistle of James.

Contents

• 1Early life
• 2Academic career
• 3Recognition
• 4Personal life
• 5Publications
• 6References
• 7External links

Early life[edit]

A native of Park Falls, Wisconsin, Johnson was educated in public and parochial schools. A Benedictine monk and priest at St. Joseph Abbey, St. Benedict, Louisiana from 1963 to 1972, he received a B.A. in Philosophy from Notre Dame Seminary in 1966, a M.Div. in Theology from Saint Meinrad School of Theology in 1970, an M.A. in Religious Studies from Indiana University, and a Ph.D. in New Testament from Yale University in 1976.^[1] He has taught at St. Meinrad, Saint Joseph Seminary College, Yale Divinity School, and Indiana University.

Academic career[edit]

Johnson is a critic of the Jesus Seminar, having taken stances against Burton Mack, Robert Funk and John Dominic Crossan in discussions of the "historical Jesus".^[2] Johnson objects to the Seminar's historical methodology. He is also a proponent of an early dating for the Epistle of James, arguing:

The Letter of James also, according to the majority of scholars who have carefully worked through its text in the past two centuries, is among the earliest of New Testament compositions. It contains no reference to the events in Jesus' life, but it bears striking testimony to Jesus' words. Jesus' sayings are embedded in James' exhortations in a form that is clearly not dependent on the written Gospels.^[3]

In some areas, Johnson disagrees with Roman Catholic teaching. He has argued that "same-sex unions can be holy and good" and is in favor of "full recognition of gay and lesbian persons within the Christian communion."^[4]

Johnson has produced lectures on early Christianity and ancient Greek philosophy for The Teaching Company. ^[5]

Recognition[edit]

He is the recipient of the 2011 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion.^[6]

Personal life[edit]

Johnson married Joy Randazzo in 1974 and is stepfather to six children and father of one.

Publications[edit]

• Johnson, Luke Timothy (1973). Teaching Religion to Undergraduates. Society for Religion in Higher Education.
• ——— (1977). The Literary Function of Possessions in Luke-Acts. Dissertation series (Society of Biblical Literature). Vol. 39. Missoula, MT: Scholars Press. ISBN 978-0-8913-0200-1. OCLC 3327240.
• ——— (1980). Invitation to the Letters of Paul III: Ephesians, Colossians, Pastorals. (Commentary)
• ——— (1980). The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation (1st ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. ISBN 978-0-800-61886-5.
• ——— (1981). Sharing Possessions: Mandate and Symbol of Faith. Overtures to Biblical Theology. Vol. 9. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. ISBN 978-0-800-61534-5. OCLC 7553096.
• ——— (1981). Some Hard Blessings: Meditations on the Beatitudes in Matthew. ISBN 978-0-8950-5058-8.
• ——— (1982). Luke-Acts: A Story of Prophet and People. ISBN 978-0-8199-0524-6.
• ——— (1983). Decision Making in the Church: A Biblical Model. ISBN 978-0-800-61694-6.
• ——— (1987). 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus. ISBN 978-0-8042-3242-5.
• ——— (1990). Faith's Freedom: A Classic Spirituality for Contemporary Christians. ISBN 978-0-800-62428-6.
• ——— (1991). The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina series. Vol. 3. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. ISBN 978-0-8146-5966-3. OCLC 23733531. (Commentary)
• ——— (1992). The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina series. Vol. 5. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. ISBN 978-0-8146-5968-7. (Commentary)
• ——— (1993). Proclamation 5: Interpreting the Lessons of the Church Year. ISBN 978-0-800-64184-9.
• ——— (1995). The Letter of James: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible. Vol. 37a. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-3854-1360-2. OCLC 31374078. (Commentary)
• ——— (1996). The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 978-0-0606-4166-5. OCLC 32625131.
• ——— (1996). Scripture and Discernment: Decision Making in the Church. ISBN 978-0-6870-1238-1.
• ——— (1996). Letters to Paul's Delegates: A Commentary on 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus. New Testament in Context. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International. ISBN 978-1-5633-8144-7. OCLC 35360799. (Commentary)
• ——— (1997). Reading Romans: A Literary and Theological Commentary. Reading the New Testament Series. New York: Crossroad Pub. ISBN 978-1573122764. OCLC 35151248. (Commentary)
• ——— (1998). Religious Experience: A Missing Dimension in New Testament Studies. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. ISBN 978-0-800-63129-1. OCLC 39079005.
• ——— (1999). Living Jesus: Learning the Heart of the Gospel. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 978-0060642839. OCLC 39050865.
• ———; Crossan, John Dominic; Kelber, Werner H. (1999). The Jesus Controversy: perspectives in conflict. Rockwell Lecture Series. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International. ISBN 978-1-5633-8289-5. OCLC 41628131.
• ——— (2001). The First and Second Letters to Timothy: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible. Vol. 35a. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-3854-8422-0. OCLC 43657061. (Commentary)
• ——— (2002). The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation (2nd revised ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. ISBN 978-0-334-02911-3.
• ———; Kurz, William S. (2002). Future of Catholic Biblical Scholarship: A Constructive Conversation. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-802-84545-0. OCLC 49902174.
• ——— (2002). Septuagintal Midrash in the Speeches of Acts. Père Marquette lecture in theology. Milwaukee: Marquette University Press. ISBN 978-0-8746-2582-0. OCLC 49011355.
• ——— (2003). The Creed: What Christians Believe and Why it Matters. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-50247-4. OCLC 51534973.
• ——— (2004). Brother of Jesus, Friend of God: Studies in the Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-0986-5.
• ——— (2006). Hebrews: A Commentary. New Testament library. Louisville, KY: Westminster, John Knox Press. ISBN 978-0-6642-2118-8. OCLC 62738718. (Commentary)
• ——— (2009). Among the Gentiles: Greco - Roman Religion and Christianity. Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-14208-2. OCLC 444387833.
• ——— (2010). The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation (3rd ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. ISBN 978-0-800-66361-2.
• ——— (2010). The New Testament: A Very Short Introduction. Very short introductions. Vol. 229. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-199-73570-9. OCLC 438055743.
• ——— (2011). Sharing Possessions: What Faith Demands, Second Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-0399-3.
• ——— (2011). Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-802-80390-0.
• ——— (2013). Contested Issues in Christian Origins and the New Testament: Collected Essays. Supplements to Novum Testamentum. Brill. ISBN 978-9-0042-4290-6.
• ——— (2015). The Revelatory Body: Theology as Inductive Art. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-0383-2.
• ——— (2020). Constructing Paul (The Canonical Paul, vol. 1). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-0758-8.
• ——— (2021). Interpreting Paul (The Canonical Paul, vol. 2). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-2466-0.
• ——— (2022). The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 978-0-8028-8011-6.

Johnson is also the author of a large number of scholarly articles, encyclopedia, anthology and popular articles, book reviews, and other academic papers and lectures.

References[edit]

1. ^ Emory Candler School of Theology. Luke Timothy Johnson.
2. ^ Price, Robert M. (Spring 1997). "Review of The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels". The Journal of Higher Criticism: 156–158. Archived from the original on 2008-06-11. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
3. ^ Johnson, Luke Timothy (1996). The Real Jesus. HarperOne. p. 121. ISBN 0060641665. The Letter of James also.
4. ^ "Homosexuality & the Church: Scripture & Experience". Commonweal Magazine. June 2007.
5. ^ "Professor Bio Page". The Teaching Company. Retrieved 18 Nov 2014.
6. ^ "Ancient religions had much in common, says Grawemeyer winner".

External links