Kenneth E. Bailey
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Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels Paperback – 1 January 2008
by Kenneth E Bailey (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars 1,072 ratings
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$39.70Read with Our Free App
Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads you on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus throughout the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women, and especially Jesus' parables. Through it all, Bailey employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead you into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context. With a sure but gentle hand, Bailey lifts away the obscuring layers of modern Western interpretation to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and cultural setting. This entirely new material from the pen of Ken Bailey is a must-have for any student of the New Testament. If you have benefited from Bailey's work over the years, this book will be a welcome and indispensable addition to your library. If you are unfamiliar with Bailey's work, this book will introduce you to a very old yet entirely new way of understanding Jesus.
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446 pages
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Jesus Through Middle Easter Eyes is Bailey's most recent 400 page call to western Christians who need to time travel to the Middle East. And in page after page, he identifies themes and reflexes assumed in the gospels that slip right past us.--Gary M. Burge, Evangelical Quarterly, July 2009
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is intended, explains its author, 'to contribute new perspectives from the Eastern tradition which have rarely, if ever, been considered outside the Arabic-speaking Christian world.' Strictly speaking, of course, Kenneth Bailey does not offer new perspectives, but ideas frequently as old as the earliest church and as the ancient church fathers, that may well be new to many of his Western readership. Here is an imaginative, humorous reading of key Gospel passages, an engaged and engaging set of studies that emphasize the concrete world presupposed in the New Testament. Bailey is informed not only by faithful contemporary scholarship, but also by the great exegetes of the past, and shows his humility by offering alternative explanations of passages where these may be of help to the reader. His writing and argument are cogent to the ordinary reader, tackling problems for the contemporary church, without allowing twenty-first-century debates to dictate the scope of his discussion.--Edith M. Humphrey, William F. Orr Professor of New Testament, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is quite readable, with a minimum of technical language. Wherever Bailey references a rhetorical term, he gives it careful definition, bringing along the novice in the field. He draws upon the works of others, ancient and modern, allowing students of scripture to gain an additional layer of insight from the texts he examines. While one could enjoy reading the book straight through, it has the wealth of information that may also be accessed through use as a resource for examining any of the treated Gospel texts.--John David Bowman, Brethren Life Thought, Winter Spring 2009
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is Bailey's most recent call to Western Christians who need to time-travel to the Middle East. On page after page, he identifies themes and reflexes assumed in the gospels that slip right past us. Stories like the Parable of the Woman and the Judge are given interpretations that should contribute to every commentary writer. And fourteen more parables are made alive again, each in its original context.--Gary M. Burge, Books Culture, March/April 2009
[T]here is no comparable New Testament scholar who is a native speaker of English and yet who has grown up, lived and taught in the Middle East and been fluent in Arabic. Bailey provides a genuinely unique perspective.--James F. McGrath, www.exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com, June 20, 2008
A brilliant addition to Bailey's other works in which he sheds light on the biblical text from Middle Eastern culture.--Roy B. Zuck, Bibliotheca Sacra, October-December 2010
A rich and fascinating anthology of exegetical essays reflecting on gospel texts through the lens of Middle Eastern culture and rhetoric. Bailey's exegetical discussions offer a treasure trove of cultural insights into the Jesus traditions of the Gospels. His essays highlght such issues as nationalism, violence, political oppression, inter-ethnic conflict, and joblessness. Bailey's christological insights are power and poignant.--Dorothy Jean Weaver, Interpretation, July 2009
A wonderful resource in studying the life of Jesus within the life setting in which He lived. This is a powerful tool to give fresh insights as you preach and teach the life of Jesus.--ForeWord, February 20, 2008
Among the many New Testament scholars interpreting the Gospels today, few offer new and dramatic insights like Kenneth E. Bailey. From a childhood in Egypt to a career working within the Middle East, Bailey has established himself as the premier cultural interpreter of the life of Jesus. Using insights from cultural anthropology and skilled exegesis, suddenly the Gospels come alive as the Middle Eastern stories that they are. Long after other scholars' books are forgotten, Bailey's work on the Gospels will continue to be a timeless resource into the world of Jesus. This newest volume, written for the nonspecialist, is a splendid place to begin. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is guaranteed to become a favorite on many Christians' bookshelves.--Gary M. Burge, professor of New Testament, Wheaton College Graduate School
Bailey attempts to bring his extensive background in history to the table to deepen his readers' understanding of the Gospels through understanding culture.--Pulpit Helps, February 2008
Bailey has a gift of clear, lively expression; he takes advantage of his personal experiences, interest in Hebrew poetic structure, and knowledge of Arabic to bring insights into NT interpretation.--Ruth B. Edwards, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 31.5, 2009
Bailey shares insights from Syrian and Arabic Christian thought about Jesus that are almost unknown to the rest of the world. He has the gift of communicating interesting ideas in a devotional way that church members who love God's Word will appreciate.--L. R. K., Church Libraries Journal, Summer 2008
Bailey's important contribution is refreshing and guile-less; authoritative without being authoritarian; theologically sound without having to sound like a theologian. An engaging and compelling read.--Bob Gerow, Pulpit Helps, December 2008
I found myself fascinated as I read of the cultural and historical background behind familiar gospel stories and parables. Bailey's background information, rhetorical analysis, and commentary will provide valuable perspective on often-puzzling passages.--C. W. for Discipleship Journal, March/April 2008
I have long been an admirer of Kenneth Bailey's helpful insights. As in his earlier works, his breadth of knowledge of Middle Eastern culture sheds rich light on numerous points in the Gospels, providing fresh perspectives and often illumining details we have rarely considered. He provokes those of us who depend mostly on ancient written sources to consider new approaches, often cohering with but often supplementing such research.--Craig Keener, professor of New Testament, Palmer Theological Seminary, and author of The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
Kenneth Bailey, a master storyteller and expert observer of Middle Eastern culture, applies his sixty years of experience living in this region to produce a groundbreaking work on Jesus' world. Bailey animates the Jewish cultural world of first-century Roman Palestine through clever, often humorous personal vignettes and observations of current Middle Eastern culture. The blurry outlines of enigmatic biblical characters such as King Herod or Zacchaeus take clearer shape, and unnamed women such as the Syro-Phoenician mother or the adulterous woman are painted with colorful, culturally sensitive strokes. Bailey offers a feast for the mind and heart in his brilliant discussion of the Lord's Prayer and Jesus' parables; each chapter has plenty to savor. Throughout, Bailey connects theological and christological significance to his cultural insights, producing an original, engaging study. Bailey's passion for the biblical story coupled with his conversational prose render Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes a captivating read for scholars, pastors and laypeople alike.--Lynn Cohick, associate professor of New Testament, Wheaton College
Kenneth Bailey's Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is rich with interpretive and cultural insight. He sheds light on what is so often missed in most commentaries and books about Jesus written from a Western perspective. Indeed, Bailey's book provides the much-needed corrective to the dubious results of the Jesus Seminar, whose distorted Jesus is a product of Greco-Roman culture and literature, instead of the Judaic culture and literature of Palestine. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is easy to read--students and pastors will benefit from it tremendously--but there is also much for scholars.--Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, and author of Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels
Learning to read Scripture through other people's cultural spectacles, as well as our own, always brings huge enrichment. Kenneth Bailey has done a fantastic job in enabling us to put on the spectacles of a Middle Eastern believer and to therefore gain new insights into what was always there in Scripture but not quite so clear when only viewed through our lenses.--Mary J. Evans, vice-principal emeritus, London School of Theology
Like getting a Master's degree in the New Testament without paying for it. Like wowing your blog readers with little known facts but not taking the credit for it. Like being the smartest kid in class--well, you get the point. Kenneth Bailey's book is all of that, and even more incredibly impressive.--Worship Leader, December 2008
On every page Bailey utilizes his expertise as an authority of ancient Middle Eastern culture to guide the reader into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context. With astonishingly keen insight and learned expertise Bailey peels back the obscuring layers our modern Western interpretation of scripture [has] added to the Bible to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and ethnic setting.--Jim Miller Book Review, August 27, 2008
The great strength of this work is the author's familiarity with Middle Eastern culture. He succeeds in shedding new light on well known Gospel stories from a cultural perspective. Another valuable contribution of this book is the introduction to, and interaction with, great Eastern commentaries long forgotten or largely unknown to Western Biblical Scholarship. A very readable book and will be profitable to various levels of readers. Anyone interested in understanding the New Testament from its own distinctive Middle Eastern cultural perspective ought to read this book.--Mark Jason, Themelios, 33, no. 3
The work will yield a rich harvest of information, pastoral support, and insight for all who read it.--Susan K. Hedahl, Currents in Theology Mission, February 2010
This book could serve as material for an adult or student Sunday School class. Laid out in simple format for easy absorption by readers, the author's explanations of his findings require no formal training to follow and understand them. Particularly helpful are the summaries provided at the conclusion of each chapter.This book may very well establish Bailey's legacy beyond dispute.--Gene R. Smillie, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, June 2009
While no book on Jesus and the Gospels can be perfect or final, writing any really good book on them places staggering demands on an interpreter. To name just seven: literary aptitude, linguistic competence, critical shrewdness, cultural sagacity, theological acumen, spiritual sensitivity and hermeneutical sophistication. In this highly stimulating study Kenneth Bailey manages to reflect them all, and more besides, in part because he stands on the shoulders of Middle Eastern interpreters whom few in the West can even read. This book will sharpen historical understanding, improve much preaching and fuel new scholarship. It may shed as much new Licht vom Osten ('light from the ancient East') on Gospel passages as we have seen since Deissmann's book by that title a century ago. And in all of this, Bailey keeps the cross and the message of his sources at the center where they belong.--Robert W. Yarbrough, associate professor and New Testament department chair, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
With a life-time of living, observing and teaching in the Middle East, Kenneth Bailey's insights as a commentator are invaluable, showing time after time, how an understanding of the cultural features of the background of the Gospels can bring alive the meaning of the text, and more importantly, the power and significance of Jesus and his message.--David Parker, Evangelical Review of Theology, July 2009
About the Author
Kenneth E. Bailey (Th.D., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) is an author, lecturer and emeritus research professor of Middle Eastern New Testament studies for the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem. He spent forty years living and teaching New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Cyprus, and has written many books in English and Arabic, including The Cross the Prodigal, Poet Peasant, Through Peasant Eyes, Jacob the Prodigal and Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15.
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Kenneth E Bailey
Kenneth E. Bailey is an author and lecturer in Middle Eastern New Testament studies. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he also serves as Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church, USA. He holds graduate degrees in Arabic language and literature, and in systematic theology; his Th.D. is in New Testament. He spent forty years living and teaching New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Cyprus, still holding the title of research professor (emeritus) of Middle Eastern New Testament studies at the Ecumenical Institute (Tantur), Jerusalem. Bailey has written many books in English and in Arabic, including The Cross and the Prodigal, Poet & Peasant, Through Peasant Eyes, Jacob & the Prodigal and Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15. He has also published many articles in The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, The Presbyterian Outlook, Asia Journal of Theology, Christianity Today, Expository Studies, Irish Biblical Studies, Novem Momentum, Theology Review and Temelios.
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Mark D. Illingworth
5.0 out of 5 stars BrilliantReviewed in Australia on 12 December 2013
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I was lent a copy of this book and it took many many months to finally pick it up ... And I was hooked from the first chapter ... So I bought my own kindle copy ... Really enlightening insights into the world behind Jesus - challenges common translations if the Bible too
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Emma K
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute GEM of a book which was like meeting the REAL Jesus for the first time.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2016
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This remarkable book reveals that The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Christian Faith as a whole, can never be properly understood until it is viewed in the light of the culture into which our Saviour was born. That middle-eastern first century era, throws a tremendous light upon those all-too-familiar New Testament stories, providing an essential tool to the correct interpretation of Christ's teachings. I find this an extraordinarily inspired book and I have been greatly blessed and enriched by what the author has brought to my attention. My attitudes have changed for the better, no longer am I confused about my Faith and I appreciate my Saviour to a much greater degree. The author and Christian scholar, Kenneth Bailey, unearths many profound truths essential to our Christian Faith that are sadly missing from the Western Church today. The stories of Jesus become fresh and new and exciting again, simply by examining them in the light of their original setting. Essential information emerges from the religious, social, racial and political aspects of that ancient time. This in turn provides a wealth of comprehension and meaning to the modern reader/disciple that would otherwise have remained hidden, dare I say even lost, forever? The exquisite treasures of our Faith lie within our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Whose many facets reveal new depths when viewed within that 1st Century setting; so that the scenes in which Christ's words are spoken, become as important as the words themselves. Like a beautiful drama unfolding, Christ's costly sacrificial Love is displayed throughout His everyday life, until it's eventual climax upon the Cross. A love and a way of life that embraced all people at all times on an entirely equal footing; regardless of race, gender, politics, culture, status, wealth or religion.
I have a fresh outlook and a deeper appreciation for what Christ has done for me, as well as the far-reaching affects upon the wider Community of which we are all a part. It is my expectation that everyone who reads this book will have the same life-changing realization. I don't think even Kenneth Bailey knew the full implications of his work when he first began to examine Christ within the context of His Middle Eastern ethnicity. This book, along with a couple others by the same author, sits in honorary place next to my Bible, on a shelf with not many others. A real gem of a work which is part of my personal Top Ten; up there with 'Life of Pi' by Yan Martel and 'Mister God This Is Anna!' Those Aha! books of universal truth, that have entered upon the World's stage to bring their unique perspective to the betterment of all mankind. I can't recommended this book highly enough because even after you've read it, it will get you into the right mind-set to extract those wonderful pearls of wisdom for yourself. Reading the Bible will never be quite the same again. Enjoy! ;-)
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John Brand
5.0 out of 5 stars This book has been a sheer joy to read though I must admit to a certain ...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2016
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This book has been a sheer joy to read though I must admit to a certain amount of apprehension as I set about reading it. My apprehension was based on past experiences where writers have, by trying to contextualise Scriptural teaching, actually undermined or questioned the accuracy and inerrancy of the biblical content. Bailey certainly can’t be accused of that.
Drawing on decades of being immersed in Middle Eastern cultures, Kenneth Bailey walks us through some key and familiar sections of the New Testament, bringing them alive in fresh ways as he explains words and practices as they would have been understood by the original authors and readers.
Given that the Grammatical-Historical approach is the correct hermeneutic for understanding Scripture, Bailey’s work is indispensable. It’s a commentary on, for example, the birth narratives of Christ, the beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer and the parables, all of which have taken on new and deeper significance as a result of engaging with this book.
What I found especially helpful and insightful was his structural analysis of the parable, using what he calls the Prophetic Rhetorical Template, which is, he says, “a time-honoured model older than the writing prophets”. These chapters on the parables alone are worth buying this excellent book.
I genuinely can’t recommend this volume too highly and will personally keep it close at hand every time I want to dig in to and understand these parts of the New Testament.
,
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Bar-thalmai
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally informative and interestingReviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2019
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Anyone interested in the larger cultural context of Jesus's teaching will find this book fascinating and profoundly helpful. I bought it for my wife - speculatively - for Christmas and she has absolutely loved it. Christians from any background (we are Catholics) will bless the day they acquire this book. We are spreading the news round our Christian friends because Bailey teaches us so much that we never hear in sermons.
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Believing Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a brilliant book and deserves to be read by anyone who ...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2016
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This is a brilliant book and deserves to be read by anyone who wants to understand what Jesus was doing and teaching in the 4 gospels of the Bible's New Testament. If you have ever read the Gospels and tripped up over the unexpected words or actions of Jesus, this is a 'must read'. Not cheap but worth every penny.
Some of it is a bit technical but if that is not for you you can skip it and cut to the chase of the explanation of each action or story. As it says in the title it is through middle eastern eyes (or culture) that the interpretation comes and much of our traditional 'western church' interpretations are brought in to question.
The outcome for me was a new appreciation of the theology of Jesus (yes he taught theology!) and an even deeper admiration for Jesus the man, the prophet, the Word made flesh.
I'll say it again: BRILLIANT.
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Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book. Has insights into the culture in which ...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 October 2017
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Brilliant book. Has insights into the culture in which New Testament characters lived. Have read the Bible for over 55 years and studied theology but this book has deepened my understanding through the author's firsthand knowledge of the region.
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Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels Paperback – 1 January 2008
by Kenneth E Bailey (Author)
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Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads you on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus throughout the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women, and especially Jesus' parables. Through it all, Bailey employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead you into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context. With a sure but gentle hand, Bailey lifts away the obscuring layers of modern Western interpretation to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and cultural setting. This entirely new material from the pen of Ken Bailey is a must-have for any student of the New Testament. If you have benefited from Bailey's work over the years, this book will be a welcome and indispensable addition to your library. If you are unfamiliar with Bailey's work, this book will introduce you to a very old yet entirely new way of understanding Jesus.
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Jesus Through Middle Easter Eyes is Bailey's most recent 400 page call to western Christians who need to time travel to the Middle East. And in page after page, he identifies themes and reflexes assumed in the gospels that slip right past us.
--Gary M. Burge, Evangelical Quarterly, July 2009
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is intended, explains its author, 'to contribute new perspectives from the Eastern tradition which have rarely, if ever, been considered outside the Arabic-speaking Christian world.' Strictly speaking, of course, Kenneth Bailey does not offer new perspectives, but ideas frequently as old as the earliest church and as the ancient church fathers, that may well be new to many of his Western readership. Here is an imaginative, humorous reading of key Gospel passages, an engaged and engaging set of studies that emphasize the concrete world presupposed in the New Testament. Bailey is informed not only by faithful contemporary scholarship, but also by the great exegetes of the past, and shows his humility by offering alternative explanations of passages where these may be of help to the reader. His writing and argument are cogent to the ordinary reader, tackling problems for the contemporary church, without allowing twenty-first-century debates to dictate the scope of his discussion.
--Edith M. Humphrey, William F. Orr Professor of New Testament, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is quite readable, with a minimum of technical language. Wherever Bailey references a rhetorical term, he gives it careful definition, bringing along the novice in the field. He draws upon the works of others, ancient and modern, allowing students of scripture to gain an additional layer of insight from the texts he examines. While one could enjoy reading the book straight through, it has the wealth of information that may also be accessed through use as a resource for examining any of the treated Gospel texts.
--John David Bowman, Brethren Life Thought, Winter Spring 2009
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is Bailey's most recent call to Western Christians who need to time-travel to the Middle East. On page after page, he identifies themes and reflexes assumed in the gospels that slip right past us. Stories like the Parable of the Woman and the Judge are given interpretations that should contribute to every commentary writer. And fourteen more parables are made alive again, each in its original context.
--Gary M. Burge, Books Culture, March/April 2009
[T]here is no comparable New Testament scholar who is a native speaker of English and yet who has grown up, lived and taught in the Middle East and been fluent in Arabic. Bailey provides a genuinely unique perspective.
--James F. McGrath, www.exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com, June 20, 2008
A brilliant addition to Bailey's other works in which he sheds light on the biblical text from Middle Eastern culture.
--Roy B. Zuck, Bibliotheca Sacra, October-December 2010
A rich and fascinating anthology of exegetical essays reflecting on gospel texts through the lens of Middle Eastern culture and rhetoric. Bailey's exegetical discussions offer a treasure trove of cultural insights into the Jesus traditions of the Gospels. His essays highlght such issues as nationalism, violence, political oppression, inter-ethnic conflict, and joblessness. Bailey's christological insights are power and poignant.
--Dorothy Jean Weaver, Interpretation, July 2009
A wonderful resource in studying the life of Jesus within the life setting in which He lived. This is a powerful tool to give fresh insights as you preach and teach the life of Jesus.
--ForeWord, February 20, 2008
Among the many New Testament scholars interpreting the Gospels today, few offer new and dramatic insights like Kenneth E. Bailey. From a childhood in Egypt to a career working within the Middle East, Bailey has established himself as the premier cultural interpreter of the life of Jesus. Using insights from cultural anthropology and skilled exegesis, suddenly the Gospels come alive as the Middle Eastern stories that they are. Long after other scholars' books are forgotten, Bailey's work on the Gospels will continue to be a timeless resource into the world of Jesus. This newest volume, written for the nonspecialist, is a splendid place to begin. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is guaranteed to become a favorite on many Christians' bookshelves.
--Gary M. Burge, professor of New Testament, Wheaton College Graduate School
Bailey attempts to bring his extensive background in history to the table to deepen his readers' understanding of the Gospels through understanding culture.
--Pulpit Helps, February 2008
Bailey has a gift of clear, lively expression; he takes advantage of his personal experiences, interest in Hebrew poetic structure, and knowledge of Arabic to bring insights into NT interpretation.
--Ruth B. Edwards, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 31.5, 2009
Bailey shares insights from Syrian and Arabic Christian thought about Jesus that are almost unknown to the rest of the world. He has the gift of communicating interesting ideas in a devotional way that church members who love God's Word will appreciate.
--L. R. K., Church Libraries Journal, Summer 2008
Bailey's important contribution is refreshing and guile-less; authoritative without being authoritarian; theologically sound without having to sound like a theologian. An engaging and compelling read.
--Bob Gerow, Pulpit Helps, December 2008
I found myself fascinated as I read of the cultural and historical background behind familiar gospel stories and parables. Bailey's background information, rhetorical analysis, and commentary will provide valuable perspective on often-puzzling passages.
--C. W. for Discipleship Journal, March/April 2008
I have long been an admirer of Kenneth Bailey's helpful insights. As in his earlier works, his breadth of knowledge of Middle Eastern culture sheds rich light on numerous points in the Gospels, providing fresh perspectives and often illumining details we have rarely considered. He provokes those of us who depend mostly on ancient written sources to consider new approaches, often cohering with but often supplementing such research.
--Craig Keener, professor of New Testament, Palmer Theological Seminary, and author of The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament
Kenneth Bailey, a master storyteller and expert observer of Middle Eastern culture, applies his sixty years of experience living in this region to produce a groundbreaking work on Jesus' world. Bailey animates the Jewish cultural world of first-century Roman Palestine through clever, often humorous personal vignettes and observations of current Middle Eastern culture. The blurry outlines of enigmatic biblical characters such as King Herod or Zacchaeus take clearer shape, and unnamed women such as the Syro-Phoenician mother or the adulterous woman are painted with colorful, culturally sensitive strokes. Bailey offers a feast for the mind and heart in his brilliant discussion of the Lord's Prayer and Jesus' parables; each chapter has plenty to savor. Throughout, Bailey connects theological and christological significance to his cultural insights, producing an original, engaging study. Bailey's passion for the biblical story coupled with his conversational prose render Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes a captivating read for scholars, pastors and laypeople alike.
--Lynn Cohick, associate professor of New Testament, Wheaton College
Kenneth Bailey's Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is rich with interpretive and cultural insight. He sheds light on what is so often missed in most commentaries and books about Jesus written from a Western perspective. Indeed, Bailey's book provides the much-needed corrective to the dubious results of the Jesus Seminar, whose distorted Jesus is a product of Greco-Roman culture and literature, instead of the Judaic culture and literature of Palestine. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes is easy to read--students and pastors will benefit from it tremendously--but there is also much for scholars.
--Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, and author of Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels
Learning to read Scripture through other people's cultural spectacles, as well as our own, always brings huge enrichment. Kenneth Bailey has done a fantastic job in enabling us to put on the spectacles of a Middle Eastern believer and to therefore gain new insights into what was always there in Scripture but not quite so clear when only viewed through our lenses.
--Mary J. Evans, vice-principal emeritus, London School of Theology
Like getting a Master's degree in the New Testament without paying for it. Like wowing your blog readers with little known facts but not taking the credit for it. Like being the smartest kid in class--well, you get the point. Kenneth Bailey's book is all of that, and even more incredibly impressive.
--Worship Leader, December 2008
On every page Bailey utilizes his expertise as an authority of ancient Middle Eastern culture to guide the reader into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context. With astonishingly keen insight and learned expertise Bailey peels back the obscuring layers our modern Western interpretation of scripture [has] added to the Bible to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and ethnic setting.
--Jim Miller Book Review, August 27, 2008
The great strength of this work is the author's familiarity with Middle Eastern culture. He succeeds in shedding new light on well known Gospel stories from a cultural perspective. Another valuable contribution of this book is the introduction to, and interaction with, great Eastern commentaries long forgotten or largely unknown to Western Biblical Scholarship. A very readable book and will be profitable to various levels of readers. Anyone interested in understanding the New Testament from its own distinctive Middle Eastern cultural perspective ought to read this book.
--Mark Jason, Themelios, 33, no. 3
The work will yield a rich harvest of information, pastoral support, and insight for all who read it.
--Susan K. Hedahl, Currents in Theology Mission, February 2010
This book could serve as material for an adult or student Sunday School class. Laid out in simple format for easy absorption by readers, the author's explanations of his findings require no formal training to follow and understand them. Particularly helpful are the summaries provided at the conclusion of each chapter.This book may very well establish Bailey's legacy beyond dispute.
--Gene R. Smillie, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, June 2009
While no book on Jesus and the Gospels can be perfect or final, writing any really good book on them places staggering demands on an interpreter. To name just seven: literary aptitude, linguistic competence, critical shrewdness, cultural sagacity, theological acumen, spiritual sensitivity and hermeneutical sophistication. In this highly stimulating study Kenneth Bailey manages to reflect them all, and more besides, in part because he stands on the shoulders of Middle Eastern interpreters whom few in the West can even read. This book will sharpen historical understanding, improve much preaching and fuel new scholarship. It may shed as much new Licht vom Osten ('light from the ancient East') on Gospel passages as we have seen since Deissmann's book by that title a century ago. And in all of this, Bailey keeps the cross and the message of his sources at the center where they belong.
--Robert W. Yarbrough, associate professor and New Testament department chair, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
With a life-time of living, observing and teaching in the Middle East, Kenneth Bailey's insights as a commentator are invaluable, showing time after time, how an understanding of the cultural features of the background of the Gospels can bring alive the meaning of the text, and more importantly, the power and significance of Jesus and his message.
--David Parker, Evangelical Review of Theology, July 2009
About the Author
Kenneth E. Bailey (Th.D., Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) is an author, lecturer and emeritus research professor of Middle Eastern New Testament studies for the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem. He spent forty years living and teaching New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Cyprus, and has written many books in English and Arabic, including The Cross the Prodigal, Poet Peasant, Through Peasant Eyes, Jacob the Prodigal and Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15.
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Publisher : INTER VARSITY PR (1 January 2008)
Language : English
Paperback : 446 pages
ISBN-10 : 0830825681
ISBN-13 : 978-0830825684
Dimensions : 15.24 x 3.3 x 22.86 cm
Best Sellers Rank: 60,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Kenneth E Bailey
Kenneth E. Bailey is an author and lecturer in Middle Eastern New Testament studies. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he also serves as Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church, USA. He holds graduate degrees in Arabic language and literature, and in systematic theology; his Th.D. is in New Testament. He spent forty years living and teaching New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Cyprus, still holding the title of research professor (emeritus) of Middle Eastern New Testament studies at the Ecumenical Institute (Tantur), Jerusalem. Bailey has written many books in English and in Arabic, including The Cross and the Prodigal, Poet & Peasant, Through Peasant Eyes, Jacob & the Prodigal and Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15. He has also published many articles in The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, The Presbyterian Outlook, Asia Journal of Theology, Christianity Today, Expository Studies, Irish Biblical Studies, Novem Momentum, Theology Review and Temelios.
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Mark D. Illingworth
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in Australia on 12 December 2013
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I was lent a copy of this book and it took many many months to finally pick it up ... And I was hooked from the first chapter ... So I bought my own kindle copy ... Really enlightening insights into the world behind Jesus - challenges common translations if the Bible too
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Emma K
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute GEM of a book which was like meeting the REAL Jesus for the first time.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2016
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This remarkable book reveals that The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Christian Faith as a whole, can never be properly understood until it is viewed in the light of the culture into which our Saviour was born. That middle-eastern first century era, throws a tremendous light upon those all-too-familiar New Testament stories, providing an essential tool to the correct interpretation of Christ's teachings. I find this an extraordinarily inspired book and I have been greatly blessed and enriched by what the author has brought to my attention. My attitudes have changed for the better, no longer am I confused about my Faith and I appreciate my Saviour to a much greater degree. The author and Christian scholar, Kenneth Bailey, unearths many profound truths essential to our Christian Faith that are sadly missing from the Western Church today. The stories of Jesus become fresh and new and exciting again, simply by examining them in the light of their original setting. Essential information emerges from the religious, social, racial and political aspects of that ancient time. This in turn provides a wealth of comprehension and meaning to the modern reader/disciple that would otherwise have remained hidden, dare I say even lost, forever? The exquisite treasures of our Faith lie within our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Whose many facets reveal new depths when viewed within that 1st Century setting; so that the scenes in which Christ's words are spoken, become as important as the words themselves. Like a beautiful drama unfolding, Christ's costly sacrificial Love is displayed throughout His everyday life, until it's eventual climax upon the Cross. A love and a way of life that embraced all people at all times on an entirely equal footing; regardless of race, gender, politics, culture, status, wealth or religion.
I have a fresh outlook and a deeper appreciation for what Christ has done for me, as well as the far-reaching affects upon the wider Community of which we are all a part. It is my expectation that everyone who reads this book will have the same life-changing realization. I don't think even Kenneth Bailey knew the full implications of his work when he first began to examine Christ within the context of His Middle Eastern ethnicity. This book, along with a couple others by the same author, sits in honorary place next to my Bible, on a shelf with not many others. A real gem of a work which is part of my personal Top Ten; up there with 'Life of Pi' by Yan Martel and 'Mister God This Is Anna!' Those Aha! books of universal truth, that have entered upon the World's stage to bring their unique perspective to the betterment of all mankind. I can't recommended this book highly enough because even after you've read it, it will get you into the right mind-set to extract those wonderful pearls of wisdom for yourself. Reading the Bible will never be quite the same again. Enjoy! ;-)
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John Brand
5.0 out of 5 stars This book has been a sheer joy to read though I must admit to a certain ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2016
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This book has been a sheer joy to read though I must admit to a certain amount of apprehension as I set about reading it. My apprehension was based on past experiences where writers have, by trying to contextualise Scriptural teaching, actually undermined or questioned the accuracy and inerrancy of the biblical content. Bailey certainly can’t be accused of that.
Drawing on decades of being immersed in Middle Eastern cultures, Kenneth Bailey walks us through some key and familiar sections of the New Testament, bringing them alive in fresh ways as he explains words and practices as they would have been understood by the original authors and readers.
Given that the Grammatical-Historical approach is the correct hermeneutic for understanding Scripture, Bailey’s work is indispensable. It’s a commentary on, for example, the birth narratives of Christ, the beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer and the parables, all of which have taken on new and deeper significance as a result of engaging with this book.
What I found especially helpful and insightful was his structural analysis of the parable, using what he calls the Prophetic Rhetorical Template, which is, he says, “a time-honoured model older than the writing prophets”. These chapters on the parables alone are worth buying this excellent book.
I genuinely can’t recommend this volume too highly and will personally keep it close at hand every time I want to dig in to and understand these parts of the New Testament.
,
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Bar-thalmai
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally informative and interesting
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2019
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Anyone interested in the larger cultural context of Jesus's teaching will find this book fascinating and profoundly helpful. I bought it for my wife - speculatively - for Christmas and she has absolutely loved it. Christians from any background (we are Catholics) will bless the day they acquire this book. We are spreading the news round our Christian friends because Bailey teaches us so much that we never hear in sermons.
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Believing Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a brilliant book and deserves to be read by anyone who ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 February 2016
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This is a brilliant book and deserves to be read by anyone who wants to understand what Jesus was doing and teaching in the 4 gospels of the Bible's New Testament. If you have ever read the Gospels and tripped up over the unexpected words or actions of Jesus, this is a 'must read'. Not cheap but worth every penny.
Some of it is a bit technical but if that is not for you you can skip it and cut to the chase of the explanation of each action or story. As it says in the title it is through middle eastern eyes (or culture) that the interpretation comes and much of our traditional 'western church' interpretations are brought in to question.
The outcome for me was a new appreciation of the theology of Jesus (yes he taught theology!) and an even deeper admiration for Jesus the man, the prophet, the Word made flesh.
I'll say it again: BRILLIANT.
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Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book. Has insights into the culture in which ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 October 2017
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Brilliant book. Has insights into the culture in which New Testament characters lived. Have read the Bible for over 55 years and studied theology but this book has deepened my understanding through the author's firsthand knowledge of the region.
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Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels
by
Kenneth E. Bailey
4.49 · Rating details · 2,163 ratings · 290 reviews
Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads you on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus throughout the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women, and especially Jesus' parables. Through it all, Bailey employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead you into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context. With a sure but gentle hand, Bailey lifts away the obscuring layers of modern Western interpretation to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and cultural setting. This entirely new material from the pen of Ken Bailey is a must-have for any student of the New Testament. If you have benefited from Bailey's work over the years, this book will be a welcome and indispensable addition to your library. If you are unfamiliar with Bailey's work, this book will introduce you to a very old yet entirely new way of understanding Jesus. (less)
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Paperback, 443 pages
Published January 1st 2008 by IVP Academic (first published January 11th 2007)
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David McConnell-Booher This book is pretty thick, yet approachable. I think most Bible Study groups would find its scholastic approach and sheer volume a bit intimidating, h…more
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Nov 09, 2014Texas Bob rated it liked it
Imagine a book about the American Founding Fathers that starts: "Jefferson wrote the Declaration as a Virginian. I have lived in Richmond since 1970 and so, as someone familiar with Virginians, let me explain what he meant by all men being created equal..." It would strike the reader as absurd.
I wanted to like this book and I had very high expectations based upon the reviews here, but I was generally disappointed. One suspects (hopes?) that much more scholarship lies behind the assertions of Middle Eastern context than Dr. Bailey reveals, but with few footnotes and little explanation, the reader is often left with the impression that he is making the absurd leap that "if you were to read this parable from the perspective of Lebanon in 1984 you would think ______, therefore this is what it must have meant to Luke in the first century."
When the author does reach back into historical Middle Eastern sources, he most often cites (32 times, more than all other such sources combined) Ibn al-Tayyib, an 11th century Persian Christian. al-Tayyib is himself a thousand years removed from the sources and represents a particular strand of Christian tradition. (Imagine citing a modern British exegete to explain what William the Conqueror's motivations, it may or may not be good scholarship, but his British-ness adds little to his credibility).
The book is divided into six sections, each of which are stand-alone and build very little upon one another. If you are going to invest the time in this book I would suggest:
Part 1: Birth of Jesus - very good and worth the time, some genuine insights from a Middle Eastern perspective
Part 2: The Beatitudes - go elsewhere for this, can be skipped in its entirety
Part 3: The Lord's Prayer - worth a quick read, some interesting insights, skim this
Part 4: Dramatic Actions of Jesus - skip this and pick up any N.T. Wright book on the subject. It will be more readable, more in-depth, and offers better Middle Eastern context
Part 5: Jesus and Women - worth a skim if you have not read an explanation of this elsewhere. If you are already familiar with first century attitudes toward women in Jewish and in Hellenistic societies from any of the alternative and excellent sources, this will seem superficial and won't add much.
Part 6: The Parables - Worth the investment of time as there are some real gems here.
The book abruptly stops after the Parable of the Vineyard. No concluding chapter or paragraph to tie it altogether because, sadly, this is less a book than a collection of essays stitched loosely together by a few recurrent themes.
I would very much like to give this a more positive review, especially because the entire book exudes faithfulness and love of the subject. But I just do not think this merits anything close to the high marks given here. You can find much better treatment of nearly all this material elsewhere. (less)
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Sep 22, 2009Gregory rated it it was amazing
Shelves: nt-studies, theology
This book is amazing! Bailey lived for 60 years in the Middle East, and has literally lived through the Bible story. The book begins with a stunning study, which presents a convincing case that Jesus was actually born in a house (since many poor, Middle Eastern homes actually have mangers in the house!). I won't give away the rest of his argument, but I did want to share another tid-bit that lept out at me.
Speaking of the Magi, and who they might have been, he writes: "In the 1920s a British scholar, E.F.F. Bishop, visited a Bedouin tribe in Jordan. This Muslim tribe bore the Arabic name al-Kokabani. The word kokab means "planet" and al-Kaokabani means "Those who study/follow the planets." Bishop asked the elders of the tribe why they called themselves by such a name. They replied that it was because their ancestors followed the planets and traveled west to Palestine to show honor to the great prophet Jesus when he was born. This supports Justin's [Justin Martyr - ca. 165 A.D.:] second-century claim that the wise men were Arabs from Arabia," (Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, 53).
****
So, I've finally finished this! It took about three years to read, mostly because I had to fit into the cracks of my teaching and graduate school schedule. But, it was well worth it. Bailey's insights probably need to be digested over a long period of time, anyway, since they are so paradigm-changing. Nearly chapter had moments of truly deep insight, combined with pastoral applications throughout. I can't recommend this highly enough! Every pastor needs to read it, to avoid recycling some common misnomers about the Bible. (less)
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Aug 17, 2011Richard rated it it was amazing
Shelves: christianity, reviewed, 2017
A very illuminating and enjoyable read. Bailey approaches his subject with much knowledge and much humility. Sometimes he repeats himself, for example in his explanations of Biblical rhetoric or his fulsome praises of some of his favorite commentators. However that may have to do with the fact that some of the material was transplanted from his earlier writings.
He uses his knowledge of Middle Eastern culture, languages and Bible commentaries to clarify the meaning of specific selections of the New Testament. He pinpoints and explains details of the Christmas narratives, parables and other passages that had hitherto puzzled me or even escaped my notice. He shows how Jesus drew material for his teachings from the cultural and religious heritage of Israel. However, as Bailey demonstrates, Christ did not hesitate to challenge and overturn some of the prejudices and limitations of his times, particularly in his attitude to women and to people who were generally considered undesirable.
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Aug 19, 2012Paul, rated it did not like it
I was quite excited to start reading Bailey's book on 1st century culture and the Bible. This subject was a significant part of my studies in seminary (biblical studies and cultural anthropology), and my years living overseas have only heightened my interest and expertise. I thought the first chapter was quite insightful.
So, why the 1 star rating? A book like this is based on our trust of the author. Bailey makes a lot of assertions, and he is not using many footnotes, so the reader must trust the author. The first chapter augmented and agreed with things that I had already learned. However, as the book progressed, cultural studies gradually disappeared, and it became more about sharing anecdotes from modern Middle Eastern culture, about theology and finding "ring composition". Which is a problem for three reasons. One, cultures change over 2,000 years. Even Middle Eastern ones. Two, Bailey's theology is not really that good. Third, even a novice exegete should know enough to know that you can "find" ring composition (which most scholars refer to as "chiasm" from the Greek chiasmus) in almost any piece of literature if you look long enough and are creative enough. So, why is Bailey calling it "ring composition"? In my opinion, and I could be wrong here, he doesn't use the Greek word for it just to make it sound like an Aramaic/Hebrew literary device. That was troubling to me, but I didn't worry about it too much.
More importantly, Bailey lost his credibility in my eyes as an expert on 1st century culture by making several critical cultural exegetical errors. If he is making fundamental errors, then I cannot even trust those things that sound like they might be true (because there aren't footnotes). Examples of fundamental mistakes (in my eyes and the eyes of modern scholarship):
1. Making arguments based on the grammar of the Aramaic original - What Aramaic original? This is pure speculation. We have no textual evidence from an Aramaic original, not one line, not one sentence. So, in essence, Bailey is making arguments from a possible Aramaic original that he must construct on his own and analyze. That is bad scholarship. Not totally uncommon, but still bad.
2. Making arguments based on very sketchy readings of the Greek - For example, the beggar accepting Jesus as his "Lord". This is such poor exegesis! May I offer an alternative cultural analysis? The beggar is a man of low status. He is addressing a rabbinical healer of high status. He uses Davidic titles out of respect, then addresses him as "sir" or perhaps "my lord" using exactly the appropriate, normal word to address someone of Jesus' status. To take this as a major theological claim of divinity without further evidence ... ? Speculation.
3. The straw that broke the camel's back was interpreting "poor" in Luke 4 (quoted from Isaiah) as "humble". WOW! Major red flag! The other two mistakes were just over-reading the text. Those mistakes are easy to detect and not too serious. But this is a grave error. Even if you weren't an expert in first-century culture, if you were to read Isaiah, it would be absolutely clear that poor means poor, as in lacking possessions, food, etc. It is clear from the first chapter by implication and made explicit in Isaiah 3. Bailey actually reads Enlightenment era, Western pietistic culture back into the text. In Isaiah, the rich haven't oppressed the humble and the orphan and the widow. The wages of the humble aren't crying out. Unbelievable. Social injustice is a sign of a lack of love for God and a failure to obey his laws in Isaiah. That's a major theme of the book. I have never read a scholar that has spiritualized poverty in Isaiah before. That doesn't mean those scholars don't exist. But I've been lucky enough to avoid them until now.
I kept on reading for a hundred pages after I started to have misgivings about Bailey's expertise before I finally quit. I quit because of the Isaiah passage. An error of that magnitude means that even if there are nuggets of truth buried in the book, I can't trust them because I can't trust the author. (less)
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Jul 04, 2012Christine rated it it was amazing
Shelves: spiritual
This is a spectacular book. Well worth the investment of time and energy. It has revolutionized my view of Jesus and the gospel story
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May 11, 2021Rachel B rated it really liked it
Shelves: nonfiction, christian, history, intercultural-nonfiction
This was an insightful read. Bailey explains the composition styles of the Middle East in the Biblical times, and walks through various parables and historical accounts, showing how the original authors and readers of the texts understood them. This information was very helpful, especially when it came to some hard-to-understand stories, like Jesus talking to a woman about feeding scraps to dogs.
I did feel that some of the literary/translation jargon became a bit repetitive, and there were a couple of instances where I felt Bailey was reading too much into certain texts, without anything to back up his thoughts, but these things were relatively minor. Also, the ending was very abrupt, as there was no concluding chapter.
I’d definitely recommend this book to all Western Christians to get a deeper understanding of Scripture passages which are so familiar that we take them for granted, and a better understanding of who Jesus was and is. (less)
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Jan 30, 2019Tim Casteel rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This is my favorite kind of book- books that pay compounding interest because they help you better read the scriptures.
Bailey takes 32 different passages and seeks to uncover the Middle Eastern cultural realities that really open up the meaning of the gospel accounts. The author spent 60 years of his life in the Middle East and devoted his academic career to trying "understand the stories of the Gospels in the light of Middle Eastern culture."
Bailey leans heavily on Middle Eastern scholars and texts written in Arabic (that have yet to be translated into English):
"My intent is to contribute new perspectives from the Eastern tradition that have rarely, if ever, been considered outside the Arabic-speaking Christian world"
Because of this, his book is unique and full of "I have NEVER heard any of this before" moments.
But Bailey is not just a just telling you nifty insights -"Jesus wasn't born in a stable, but a house"- to impress your friends at parties. Bailey is teaching you how to read the Gospels.
The Gospels are "meaning tied intimately to history and to event. That is the way it is with Jesus - not neutrality, bare record, empty chronology, but living participation and heart involvement.
Christian faith is fact, but not bare fact; it is poetry, but not imagination.
Jesus is the music of the reality of God"
Some of Bailey's best insights are re women:
"In the stories Luke chooses to tell he makes it clear that this Savior came for both women and men. A careful examination of the book of Luke unearths at least twenty-seven sets of stories that focus in one case on a man and in the other on a woman. Among these is the parable of the good shepherd with a lost sheep and the parable of a good woman with a lost coin (Lk 15: 3-10). The first story emerges from the world of men and the second from the life experience of women.”
As this book is not a cohesive whole but 32 separate "studies" it's a bit repetitive. (less)
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Jan 18, 2015Andrew rated it it was amazing
Rereading Kenneth Bailey’s classic book proved just as rewarding as the first time 12 years ago. Every chapter is packed with insights into the text and the Middle Eastern background of Jesus’ day. It’s like reading these parables and episodes for the first time. A bonus is the understanding Bailey brings from ancient Middle Eastern Christian commentators on the text who were much closer to the culture of the New Testament than we are both chronologically and culturally.
What really happened in the Christmas story, the importance of what the Lord’s Prayer does not say, why (in the parable) the employer’s actions are so astounding in hiring laborers throughout the day and in how he pays them—these and so much more offer rich and moving insights.
Just one key idea among dozens I will carry with me for a long time: Despite the deeply insulting refusal of guests to come to the master’s banquet (Luke 14:15-24), he does not send a force to destroy them. Instead he generously opens the banquet to the outcasts. He reprocesses anger into grace. I will long ponder how I can turn anger about injustice into acts of grace.
This is without a doubt one of those few books meant to be slowly chewed and digested. (less)
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May 25, 2020Kristin rated it really liked it
This gave me so much new insight into a lot of passages that I hadn't fully understood before. I appreciated how Bailey really delved into the structure of the Biblical passages, the multiple ways it had been translated into different languages, and especially the cultural heritage of the texts and the underlying assumptions that would have been made at the time they were written. I mean, what a delight to have him declare that a parable needs to be liberated from our capitalist lense! Or to highlight the use of both female and male metaphors for God in discussion of the Lord's prayer in tandem with an analysis of the parable of the Prodigal Son? Some of these chapters were absolutely invigorating. Most instances where I felt like certain elements of a story hadn't made sense, it was because my cultural understanding really didn't match up with what would have actually
been happening. It made the stories feel both more alive and more accessible. I'll be happy to check out other works by Bailey. (less)
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Sep 28, 2020Barry rated it it was amazing
Shelves: bible-commentary-study, church-history-church-doctrine
Bailey uses his extensive knowledge of Semitic sources and his experience of living in the Middle East for 40 years to provide critical context and understanding for the gospel texts. His examination of the multiple uses of “ring composition,” or chiastic structure in the NT yields enormous insight for otherwise familiar gospel passages.
In the West, we have come to expect that the point of a story is revealed, as a climax, at the end. But in “Ring Composition” format, the critical point is given in the middle of the narration.
I have been hearing sermons and reading books about these passages for decades, but I found his observations to be consistently eye-opening, and for several sections (e.g., the stories of Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, the Syrophoenecian woman) his analyses are truly revelatory.
This is one of my favorite books of the year, and I’m sure I will be returning to this one again and again. (less)
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Jun 16, 2008Dan Curnutt rated it it was amazing
Again another fabulous book by Ken Bailey. Don't let the length of the book cause you problems. It is 400 pages, but each chapter is pretty much stand alone.
Again, the insights that Dr. Kenneth Bailey gives to the culture during the time of Jesus is amazing. You will understand parables in a better way. You will understand why some sayings of Jesus offended the local Rabbi's in a way that you didn't catch with a casual reading.
This books helps me to dig deeper into the real lessons behind many stories of Jesus's healings, parables and inneractions with the local people.
You will not be disappointed. Enjoy the adventure with Dr. Bailey. (less)
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Nov 19, 2017Tristan Sherwin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Bailey’s insights on Middle Eastern Culture are a gift to the church, and should be lapped up by all those who are hungry to grapple with the historical Jesus.
There’s not a dull sentence within the precious tome.
—Tristan Sherwin, author of *Love: Expressed*
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Jun 26, 2020Nick rated it it was amazing
Shelves: biblical-studies, own
Rich insights! Bailey gets academic, yet it is highly readable.
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Apr 10, 2021Thomas Mulshine rated it really liked it
Enjoyed the author’s commentary regarding how Jesus managed to bring women into His stories equally with men, and made sure women were very involved with His ministry, in opposition to the Jewish culture of that time. The author’s commentaries of the parables,through eastern eyes, were interesting but struck me a little odd at times. He seemed to analysis too deeply as if the people involved in Jesus’s parables were real people with real lives and history, instead of focusing on the point of the teaching. (less)
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May 04, 2019John rated it it was amazing
The late Kenneth E. Bailey taught New Testament studies in the Middle East for decades. Thus, he brings to "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" an understanding of both the original language used in the Gospels and the culture in which Jesus lived.
I learned so much from this book. I learned that the way the Christmas story is presented in every Sunday school pageant is almost certainly wrong (it stems from a misunderstanding of the word translated as "inn"). I learned that the phrase in the "Lord's Prayer" invariably translated in English as "Give us this day our daily bread," could as easily be translated, "Give us the bread that never runs out." Either translation could be correct, but oh, the difference in meaning.
"Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" is divided into sections, and the most interesting section to me consisted on chapters about Jesus' encounters with women. Even I know enough of the culture of the time to know that the manner in which Jesus treated women as equals was very counter-cultural. This becomes all the more real and astonishing in Bailey's careful analysis of seven texts.
My interest level dropped a little during the final section, on the parables. But I'm very glad not to have missed the chapter on Luke 12:35-38, which Bailey labels "The Parable of the Serving Master." I don't believe I've ever heard a sermon or teaching on this parable, and I think when I've read it I've just breezed through it without really considering it. It's so short -- how important could it be?
Well, Bailey freed me from that sort of thinking. It's an amazing little story, in which the master of the household walks away from a wedding banquet, goes home to see if his servants are on the job -- and then he serves them a meal! I wonder if Jesus' disciples thought of that parable on the night of that last Passover supper, when Jesus served them.
I was a little disappointed that this book had no section on the miracles of Jesus. It also had no section on the resurrection, although that is discussed in the introductory chapter on Jesus and women. I would love to have read a book by Bailey on those two subjects.
Instead, I'm already starting on "Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes," Bailey's study of 1 Corinthians. I'm excited to dig into it. (less)
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May 07, 2021Jim B rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: christian, nonfiction, cross-cultural, history, middleeast
Rarely does a book surprise me with new insight into the familiar Biblical accounts of Jesus and His teachings as this one has.
Years ago I stumbled across a book by Kenneth Bailey called The Cross and the Prodigal: Luke 15 through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants which introduced me to the riches of this approach to understanding the New Testament. Bringing the culture of the Middle East into the discussion of the story scrapes off centuries of misreading or simply missing significant details - many of them strong Gospel insights.
Culture skews the way we understand so many things. As an example, in Japan there is a culture of worship of the dead. One of the hard things for Japanese followers of Jesus is to move against this culture. Then they observe the gift of flowers at American Christian funerals and their first understanding of this custom is that it is a form of worship of the dead! To an American Christian, that sounds foreign to our perceptions of grieving. Now imagine American Christians steeped in capitalism (as one part of our culture) reading the Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-27). It's easy for an American to skip over all the details of the rich man "going off to be appointed king" and "his citizens hated him" and make the story about faithful stewardship of our gifts or our worldly goods. That would sound very foreign to someone in the Middle East who understands what is going on in this parable.
Bailey spent most of his ministry in the Middle East and immersed in the study of the ancient middle eastern Biblical translations such as Syriac and Aramaic. He doesn't just talk about culture - he backs up his observations with references to these texts.
The book is more scholarly than the Prodigal Son book, but even an amateur with no foreign language experience or familiarity with the theological terms Bailey uses will understand his analysis. Although I purchased a paperback copy of the book, I listened to an audiobook version which meant I couldn't look at the diagrams but I still benefited from digging deep into the Biblical text to bring up new insights. I look forward to consulting the book I purchased when I want to look at specifics.
A lengthy section of the book is dedicated to the parables of Jesus. In my training, we were taught to stick to the "point of comparison" of the parable - this was a corrective to allegorizing the details of the parables. The allegorical approach was very subjective to the interpreter and often pretty far-fetched. But limiting the interpretation of parables to the "point of comparison" sometimes strips the story of details significant to understanding the parable.
Besides the cultural insights, Bailey also points out a structure that is invisible to Western readers, but common in the literature of the Middle East. We are familiar with parallelism of the Psalm, but the New Testament also uses a story telling structure where the point is at the center verse and the verses on both sides are connected - a pattern like 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4 - it's amazing how much this pattern is there and yet after 40 years of working professionally with the New Testament text I was never aware of this structure!
There is a danger into reading too much into the text of a parable. We distinguish between applying the commands contained in God's Word and applying descriptive language which is not intended to be a command. For example, the fact that Abraham lied about the identify of Sarah is not intended to teach us to lie. Occasionally Bailey's analysis of the details may find moral teachings where Jesus was only telling the story, but he rarely crossed that line and far more often revealed how a parable had the gospel of the Lord emptying Himself in grace for the sake of sinners. This is clearly a theme in the teachings of Jesus that I hadn't seen in so many of the places He tells a story.
This is a long book! (And for me, a long review!) It is worth the read. As I downsize my library in the years ahead for the sake of my family, this is a book that will make the cut every time! (less)
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Jan 02, 2018Seán Mchugh rated it liked it
Shelves: theology
To be honest I found this book to be a real slog... but I’m glad I persevered. You will trawl through pages of tedium, but just as you’ve nodded of for the umpteenth time, you’ll stumble upon a revelation that makes it all worth while. One such example for me is how clearly he shows radical aspects of the teaching of Jesus that escaped my western worldview. Here’s an example:
P147
The inauguration of Jesus' ministry
[Jesus' and remixing the Bible]
Luke 4:16–31
Jesus unrolled the scroll to Isaiah 61 a ...more
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May 18, 2019Anna Mussmann rated it really liked it
Dr. Bailey laments that “Middle Eastern Christians evaporated from Western consciousness after the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451.” Because Westerners interpret Scripture through the lens of our own culture, we miss out on the riches of a full cultural understanding of the context of Jesus’ words. In his book Bailey takes his personal experience in the Middle East and combines it with his scholarly studies of Biblical languages and historic Middle Eastern Christian sources. He applies this knowledge to selected topics from the New Testament.
This book made some fascinating points. Reading it was also hard work. There were several reasons. One: It’s a series of essays, and therefore lacks overarching momentum. Two: The author spends a great deal of time discussing things like “modified prophetic rhetorical template” and “ring structure” and deduces all kinds of things from a passage’s formatting. Part of me wants to think he’s making stuff up, and part of me suspects I simply don’t have the background to fully “get” and evaluate what he says. Three: I struggle with whether or not his approach to Scripture borders on the historical-critical method (more on this later).
I especially appreciated Dr. Bailey’s discussion of the cultural context of the Christmas story. He points out that even though certain imagery surrounding Jesus’ birth is deeply ingrained in Western culture, it is not entirely accurate. Some of the details we see in paintings and nativity sets come not from Scripture but from The Protevangelium of James, essentially a Christian novel written 200 years after Jesus’s life. Interesting stuff. Some of the background he brings to the parables of Jesus is also enlightening.
I found myself scratching my layperson’s head over other passages. He discusses Mary’s Magnificat and points out that it includes no reference to God punishing the Gentiles even though such a phrase would balance the poetic format. He says, “In like manner, Jesus exhibits no hostility against the Gentiles, as is demonstrated in Luke 4:16-30. Did Jesus absorb these attitudes from his mother?. . . . Regardless of one’s views on the origins of this hymn of liberation, it links Mary and Jesus. The text of Luke affirms the sentiments in this text to be the views of Mary. Thereby the reader is led to understand that Jesus was raised by an extraordinary mother who must have had enormous influence on his attitudes toward women.”
Does it disrespect the accuracy of Scripture to suggest that even if the Magnificat reflects “the views of Mary,” it was arranged in its present poetical format by someone else? [And does Bailey believe this himself, or is he simply acknowledging the academic scholarship in his field?] Is it overly naturalistic to contribute the Savior's outlook to his human experiences? Where exactly lies the line in the sand between “acceptable speculation” and “not-so-acceptable speculation”? Stuff like this forces me to realize how little I know about the nitty-gritty of hermeneutics. I’ve asked my pastor to recommend some reading on this topic and am looking forward to clarifying things a bit in my own mind.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone. I’m glad though that I read it--if nothing else, it forced me to ask myself new questions about Scripture and theology and to realize how much more I need to learn.
(That rating: perhaps 3.5? Not sure). (less)
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Nov 04, 2018Derek rated it really liked it
This book is not exactly what I was expecting. It was less a study of the way Middle-Eastern perceptions of Jesus differ from Western ones, and more a Biblical commentary on a random collection of stories and parables found in the four Gospels from a Middle Eastern perspective. But it still does the job of giving a different perspective on those stories.
There were a lot of things in this book that I had legitimately never heard before, so it was certainly worth the read. His perspectives on the birth of Jesus with "no room in the inn" and the "wise men" were legitimately fascinating and compelling. His perspective on the Call of Peter was completely new to me, as was his explanation of the Syro-Phoencian woman. And his insights on "The Parable of the Unjust Steward" and "The Parable of the Pounds" were worth the price of the book.
His chapters on the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer dragged a bit for me. They were not bad, they just didn't have many insights that I wasn't already reasonably familiar with. Additionally, while he is clearly familiar with Middle-Eastern culture, I would have preferred to see more citations. This was particularly problematic in areas where he appeals to ancient Middle-Eastern culture. I don't necessarily think he is wrong, but for a book that resembled a Biblical commentary, he didn't go out of his way to show his work most of the time.
All in all, despite this book being different from what I expected, I really enjoyed it. It has been really beneficial to me to learn about and consider Biblical perspectives that differ from my own. I found this book instructive in that way. It was more interesting than practical, but would likely be a good resource for preachers and teachers who want to explain a passage in a fresh new way. (less)
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Jun 22, 2010Michael rated it it was amazing
I highly recommend this book, and it's on my list of books to buy for my library. It's highly readable by the layperson and filled with tremendous insight on Jesus and his teachings from a Middle Eastern perspective. It is a commentary, but without being academic and unreadable like many commentaries: each chapter covers the text, some comments and meditations on the text, and then a summary of take away points. I found it very practical to use in my bible study and devotional time. Great for discussions with the spouse as well.
Dr. Bailey is well known for his several books on The Prodigal Son parable. He lived and taught in the Middle East for 40 years, so he has a very good understanding of Middle Eastern culture.
Here's a description of the contents borrowed from Amazon:
Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads you on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus throughout the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women, and especially Jesus' parables.
Through it all, Bailey employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead you into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus within his own cultural context. With a sure but gentle hand, Bailey lifts away the obscuring layers of modern Western interpretation to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and cultural setting. (less)
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Aug 18, 2016Robert Durough, Jr. rated it it was amazing
Shelves: must-reads
Kenneth E. Bailey’s Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels is a treasure trove of cultural insights on the life and teachings of Jesus the Christ. Bailey pulls together writings, traditions, and perspectives both ancient and contemporary to help us better understand Scripture. Though it is written more for the academic, I would recommend this to anyone wanting a deeper understanding of Scripture. He writes that neither separating “the exact words of Jesus from the careful editing of the Gospel authors” nor authoring a “full-fledged technical commentary” are purposes of this book (20); rather, “My intent is to contribute new perspectives from the Eastern tradition that have rarely, if ever, been considered outside the Arabic-speaking Christian world” (21).
The book is presented in six parts, each worth the reader’s time and energy:
1. The Birth of Jesus
2. The Beatitudes
3. The Lord’s Prayer
4. Dramatic Actions of Jesus
5. Jesus and Women
6. Parables of Jesus
Most people I know read the Bible solely from a Western tradition and perspective heavily influenced by the Enlightenment period, completely unaware of over a millennium’s worth of culture and writings predating those views that have been virtually ignored, often intentionally. Many thanks to Bailey for making some of this more accessible and bringing these things to light. (less)
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Jan 31, 2017Celebrilomiel rated it liked it
Shelves: reviewed, theology, nonfiction, psychology, history, 0-0-own, politics, to-read-in-2016, arabian-eastern, to-read-in-2017
Instructive and enlightening. I greatly enjoyed learning the cultural context of the gospels. A Western worldview (including the lenses of individualism and capitalism), combined with ignorance of first century Middle Eastern culture, distorts certain aspects of the Bible, all the worse for the distortion being invisible to the viewer. The New Testament makes so much more sense now, knowing how Jesus's audience perceived His actions and words and how He styled His message and deeds so they could understand. Additionally, understanding how Jesus was a master of Hebrew rhetoric and how He wove Old Testament references into His speech and stories creates a greater sense of cohesion of the Bible as a whole.
Bailey's omission of the Oxford comma was annoying, and he occasionally chose odd paragraph breaks, but by the time I was halfway through the book I had mostly become inured to the eccentricities of his style. Since each chapter is an independent essay, there is a great deal of repetition of explanations, but not so much that it becomes tedious. The formatted diagrams highlighting the rhetorical forms (ring composition, step composition, et cetera) were quite helpful in showing the parallels in the text and the implications inherent in Hebraic literary forms. (less)
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Sep 26, 2011Sarah rated it it was amazing
Shelves: religious
This is the book I've been searching for my whole life. It is basically a commentary on the gospels through the lens of Middle Eastern culture, and it is by far the best commentary I have read.
I've always been a bit unsettled by Americanized biblical analysis and have longed for something that focused less on fitting the bible into my frame of reference and more on fitting me into Jesus' frame of reference. Well this is it! Kenneth Bailey has done a masterful job of setting the scene for gospels in a way that takes you right to the event as it unfolds, and explaining the context in a way that is understandable to the average American with little knowledge of historical Middle Eastern culture and custom. I have been brought to tears with new understanding of gospel stories that I've read so many times before and yet not understood. A truly transforming experience.
I cannot recommend this book more highly. I will definitely seek out all of Kenneth Bailey's books and writings. (less)
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Jun 09, 2018Doris rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: religion, z-2018-challenge, z-2018-new, z-2018-tbr-challenge, z-2018-nonfiction, middle-east
26 highlights
I wanted to like this more than I did. I found most of the author's observations on Middle Eastern culture to be self-evident. His linguistic analyses were much more valuable. Unfortunately the author has an unfortunate tendency to repeat himself, even within chapters. And the chapters read as though they were written to be self-contained, so there's a great deal of repetition across chapters as well.
This could be a valuable resource to accompany Bible study or for a homilist, i.e., for someone who would be reading only the relevant chapter. But for reading from cover to cover, not so much.
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Nov 07, 2018Dick Davies rated it it was amazing
Shelves: theology
I have really enjoyed this book. It is fresh and insightful in giving a new perspective for me on the Gospels in their context.
Bailey not only draws on his extensive contemporary understanding of the Middle East, but also moving beyond the Greek language of the writer to consider the Aramaic which was the language of Jesus.
As a result many passages take on new meaning.
I especially appreciate the treatment of some of the hard to understand passages that sometimes have "inspired" strange interpretations.
Because Bailey is of western extraction he is particularly sensitive to false perspectives that western thought can sometimes engender. (less)
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Feb 11, 2020Dana rated it it was amazing
I bought this book way back in 2008 while visiting Manchester, England. I had no idea who the author was but thought the book sounded interesting. I curse myself for waiting so long to read it. It is definitely one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. The author's insight into the Bible from living and teaching in the Middle East for 40 plus years is fascinating and rich to say the least. I wish he would have written more books. I will read whatever I can get my hands on from him. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a fresh and deeper look into the Bible from a really good teacher. (less)
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