Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship

This is book one of a four volume dictionary of the New Testament, and it's terrific. Most bible dictionaries are single volume works which encompass the entire canon of scripture. But because this book covers only the four gospels, the scholars were allowed to turn in more detailed articles. Many of them are outstanding. I really liked Ben Witherington's lengthy discussion about The Birth of Christ, and Harold Hoehner's Chronology of the life of Christ. The article on the Geography and History of Israel was also a distinguished article, as were the articles on the death of Christ and the theology of Mark's Gospel. This book represents the best of young evangelical scholarship circa 1992. This is a resource that can be read cover to cover, or it can be consulted occasionally when researching a sermon or a report. I should also say that the other three volumes are also outstanding, and you can purchase them as a set, or you can purchase them (along with other great IVP resources) on a CD-Rom for around $125. You can also get two Old Testament dictionaries covering the Pentateuch and the Historical Books. I can't say enough about the value of these books. Thumbs way up!!! May 2008 update Believe it or not, I actually read this 896 page dictionary from top to bottom on my laptop. And I didn't even get a ribbon :( But what I did get was a tremendous amount of knowledge about all things related to Jesus and the four gospels. I finished this book wanting more! Standout articles include the one on the Birth of Jesus by Ben Witherington, the artiucle on the Chronology of events in the life of Christ by Harold Hoehner, the entries on the Trials of Jesus, the Synoptic Problem, the Genealogies of Jesus, the Death of Jesus in the Gospels, and the article about Wisdom. I would say that in reality, this book is more of an encyclopedia than a dictionary. But it is terrific. And considering the great number of writers, there is an amazing amount of solidarity and agreement on the core issues in Gospel studies. Pretty much all the writers would affirm that the Gospel of Mark was written first, and that the Gospels are historically reliable, and that Jesus actually said the things the Gospels say he said. I found myself in agreement with almost everything I read in this book. I should say that a handful of contributors probably fall outside the evangelical camp (Michael Wise, D.C Allison), but their entries are largely consistent with evangelical perspectives. This is a great book, the most interesting dictionary I've ever read. It is the first of four published IVP Dictionaries of the New Testament. This particular dictionary was published in 1992, so the scholarship is starting to become slightly dated. But it is probably good for at least another 10-15.

The information in this book is comprehensive, well-referenced (including mention of non-scriptural resources related to the period), and quite absorbing. I found myself moving from one cross reference to another, avidly seeking the information which "fleshed out" the accounts, and made the meanings of scriptural texts, even those I had studied a number of times, richer and more complete. The relation of gospel texts, particularly Jesus's parables, miracles and the like, to historical perspectives is well done. There also is a valuable section relating how to use gospel texts in preparing sermons. In total, it is a fine reference for placing Jesus's words in context, and understanding the actions of those with whom he dealt. (For example, look up the article on Pontius Pilate... his fear at "you are no friend of Caesar" has an interesting and very natural basis.) With this said, however, this valuable book should not be one's only reference for scripture study. My five stars are for the book as it is intended - a "dictionary," with extensive and often fascinating explanations. It is not sufficient for most scriptural exegesis or advanced New Testament study, particularly because it is strictly composed from an evangelical perspective. Many distinguished contemporary scholars (Raymond Brown, N.T. Wright, E.P. Sanders, to name a few), equally orthodox in their Christology, would have viewpoints that are far less literalist than this work provides. Just as two minor examples, the Dictionary sees no reason to doubt that the apostle Matthew was the author of the first gospel, and the idea that the visit of the Magi was completely, literally true (with no allowance for its being a midrash at all) is unquestioned. The entire approach in this work is extremely conservative. I would place this book on the shelf of anyone studying the gospels, but it would be one of at least five.

At first I couldn't understand what a Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospel could contain that a regular Bible Dictionary didn't have. Well, was I wrong. This is an invaluable book. Though the scholarship presented is more towards the "protestant"/evangelical (conservative?) side, I, as Catholic, have found it extremely useful.

I am student taking a few classes at a seminary, but have no Greek background. Despite that, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource for indepth study of issues relating to the Gospels. This is a must have reference for anyone who loves the Bible and wants to understand the Gospels and the teachings of Jesus more. It is a great balance of thorough and concise.