Boxes Maps, Timelines, and Diagrams Preface Notes on Suggestions for Further Reading Resources for Instructors and Students Credits Master Timeline Introduction: Why Study the New Testament? 1. What Is the New Testament? The Early Christians and Their Literature The Diversity of Early Christianity The New Testament Canon of Scripture Implications for Our Study Excursus 1: Some Additional Reflections: The Historian and the Believer 2. Do We Have the Original New Testament? Publishing Books: Now and Then How Can We Know if We Have an Ancient Author''s Actual Words? What Manuscripts of the New Testament Do We Have? The Good News and Bad News A Concrete Example Accidental Mistakes Intentional Errors Criteria for Establishing the Text Photo Essay 1: Ancient Manuscripts of the New Testament 3. The Greco-Roman World of Early Christian Traditions The Problem of Beginnings One Remarkable Life The Environment of the New Testament: Religions in the Greco-Roman World 4. The Jewish World of Jesus and His Followers Judaism as a Greco-Roman Religion Political Crises in Palestine and Their Ramifications The Formation of Jewish Groups 5. From Oral Traditions to Written Gospels Oral Traditions behind the Gospels The Earliest Christian Gospels The Question of Genre Biography as a Greco-Roman Genre The Gospels as Ancient Biographies Excursus 2: Some Additional Reflections: The Authors of the Gospels 6. Jesus, the Suffering Son of God: The Gospel According to Mark The Beginning of the Gospel: Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God Who Fulfills Scripture Jesus the Authoritative Son of God Jesus the Opposed Son of God J esus the Misunderstood Son of God Jesus the Acknowledged Son of God Jesus the Suffering Son of God Jesus the Crucified Son of God Jesus the Vindicated Son of God Conclusion: Mark and His Readers 7. The Synoptic Problem: Two Competing Views Evidence of Literary Copying Markan Priority The Relationship of Matthew and Luke Looking Ahead 8.

Jesus, the Jewish Messiah: The Gospel According to Matthew The Importance of Beginnings: Jesus the Jewish Messiah in Fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures Jesus and His Forerunner from Matthew''s Perspective The Portrayal of Jesus in Matthew: The Sermon on the Mount as a Springboard Jesus and the Jewish Cultic Practices Prescribed by the Law Jesus Rejected by the Jewish Leaders Matthew and His Readers 9. Jesus, the Savior of the World: The Gospel According to Luke The Comparative Method and the Gospel of Luke A Comparative Overview of the Gospel The Preface to Luke''s Gospel Luke''s Birth Narrative in Comparative Perspective From Jew to Gentile: Luke''s Portrayal of Jesus the Rejected Prophet Luke''s Distinctive Emphases throughout His Gospel Conclusion: Luke in Comparative Perspective 10. Jesus, the Celestial Man: The Gospel According to John John versus the Synoptics The Teachings of Jesus and John Does the Author of John Know the Synoptics? John and Narrative Criticism Composing John Excursus 3: Methods of Ideological Criticism 11. From John''s Jesus to the Gnostic Christ: The Johannine Epistles and Beyond The Questions of Genre The Epistles as "Johannine" The New Testament Epistles from a Contextual Perspective Reflections on the Contextual Method The Rise of Christian Gnosticism Major Views of Various Gnostic Groups The Gnostics and the Johannine Literature 12. Jesus from Different Perspectives: Other Gospels in Early Christianity Narrative Gospels Marcion''s Gospel Sayings Gospels Infancy Gospels Passion Gospels Conclusion: The Other Gospels 13. The Historical Jesus: Sources, Problems, and Methods Problems with Sources Non-Christian Sources Christian Sources Using Our Sources: Some of the Basic Rules of Thumb Specific Criteria and Their Rationale Conclusion: Reconstructing the Life of Jesus Excursus 4: The Historian and the Problem of Miracles 14. Jesus in Context Popular Modes of Resistance to Oppression An Ideology of Resistance Jesus in His Apocalyptic Context Photo Essay 2: The Material World of Jesus and the Gospels 15. Jesus, the Apocalyptic Prophet The Apocalyptic Deeds of Jesus The Apocalyptic Teachings of Jesus The Apocalyptic Death of Jesus 16.

From Jesus to the Gospels The Beginning of Christianity Jesus'' Resurrection from an Apocalyptic Perspective Jesus'' Death, According to the Scriptures The Emergence of Different Understandings of Jesus 17. Luke''s Second Volume: The Acts of the Apostles The Genre of Acts and Its Significance The Thematic Approach to Acts From Gospel to Acts: The Opening Transition Themes in the Speeches in Acts Conclusion: The Author and His Themes in Context Excursus 5: The Author of Luke-Acts and His Audience 18. Paul the Apostle: The Man and His Mission The Study of Paul: Methodological Difficulties The Life of Paul 19. Paul and His Apostolic Mission: 1 Thessalonians as a Test Case The Founding of the Church in Thessalonica The Beginnings of the Thessalonian Church: A Socio-historical Perspective The Church at Thessalonica after Paul''s Departure Conclusion: Paul the Apostle 20. Paul and the Crises of His Churches: 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Philippians Philemon 21. The Gospel According to Paul: The Letter to the Romans The Occasion and Purpose of the Letter The Theme of the Epistle Pauline Models for Salvation The Flow of Paul''s Argument Conclusion: Paul and the Romans Photo Essay 3: The Cities and Roads of Paul 22. Does the Tradition Miscarry? Paul in Relation to Jesus, James, Thecla, and Theudas Paul in Relation to What Came Before Paul in Relation to What Came After Conclusion: Pauline Christianities 23. In the Wake of the Apostle: The Deutero-Pauline and Pastoral Epistles Pseudonymity in the Ancient World The Deutero-Pauline Epistles The Pastoral Epistles The Historical Situation and Authorship of the Pastoral Epistles Conclusion: The Post-Pauline Pastoral Epistles 24.

From Paul''s Female Colleagues to the Pastor''s Intimidated Women: The Oppression of Women in Early Christianity Women in Paul''s Churches Women Associated with Jesus Paul''s Understanding of Women in the Church Women in the Aftermath of Paul Ancient Ideologies of Gender Gender Ideology and the Pauline Churches 25. Christians and Jews: Hebrews, Barnabas, and Later Anti-Jewish Literature Early Christian Self-Definition Continuity and Superiority: The Epistle to the Hebrews Discontinuity and Supremacy: The Epistle of Barnabas Conclusion: The Rise of Christian Anti-Judaism Excursus 6: The Digital Bible 26. Christians and Pagans: 1 Peter, the Letters of Ignatius, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, and Later Apologetic Literature The Persecution of the Early Christians Christians in a Hostile World: The Letter of 1 Peter Christians Sentenced to Death: The Letters of Ignatius Christians before the Tribunal: The Martyrdom of Polycarp Christians on the Defensive: The Later Apologetic Literature 27. Christians and Christians: James, the Didache, Polycarp, 1 Clement, Jude, and 2 Peter The Epistle of James The Didache Polycarp''s Letter to the Philippians 1 Clement 2 Peter Conclusion: Conflicts within the Early Christian Communities 28. Christians and the Cosmos: The Revelation of John, The Shepherd of Hermas, and the Apocalypse of Peter Introduction: The End of the World and the Revelation of John The Content and Structure of the Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation from a Historical Perspective Apocalyptic Worldviews and the Apocalypse Genre The Revelation of John in Historical Context The Shepherd of Hermas The Apocalypse of Peter Excursus 7: Doing Research in Early Christianity: Sources and Tools Glossary of Terms Index.