A Brief Introduction to the New Testament

• Offers streamlined coverage - this edition is over 100 pages shorter than The New Testament, fifth edition
• Explores the New Testament from a historical, contextual, and comparative perspective, emphasizing the rich diversity of the earliest Christian writings
• Written in Ehrman's inimitable style, bringing the story of the New Testament to life for students and general readers
• Describes and models methods of studying ancient literature
• Contains time lines, maps, line drawings, and over 75 color photos
• Features five types of boxes: "What to Expect" boxes in the beginning of each chapter prepping readers for the discussion to come; "At a Glance" boxes at the end of each chapter summarizing key points; "Another Glimpse Into the Past" boxes containing useful supplementary information; "What Do You Think?" boxes presenting puzzling or controversial issues; and NEW "Take a Stand" boxes, which ask students to defend a specific position based on what they've learned in the chapter
• Features two photo essays: The Material World of Jesus and the Gospels and Ancient Manuscripts of the New Testament
• Features key terms boldfaced at their first appearance in each chapter and collected at the end of that chapter. The terms are defined in the glossary at the end of the book
• Includes annotated "Suggestions for Further Reading" at the end of each chapter
• Accompanied by an updated companion website with chapter summaries, key terms, guides for reading, and self-quizzes for students and summaries, key terms, and pedagogical suggestions for instructors

Readership: Freshman to Junior-level Introduction to the New Testament students. This includes an annual enrollment of about 80,000.

Bart D. Ehrman, James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has published numerous books and articles, including The New Testament, Fifth Edition (2011), The Apocryphal Gospels (2011), The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, Second Edition (2011), and Forgery and Counter-forgery (2012), all published by Oxford University Press.

*=New to this Edition
Each chapter opens with a "What to Expect" section and closes with Suggestions for Further Reading and Key Terms.
Boxes:
Preface to the Third Edition:
Preface to the Second Edition:
Preface to the First Edition:
Acknowledgments:
Notes on Suggestions for Further Reading:
Credits:
Master Time Line:
1. INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENT?
The New Testament: Some Basic Information
Other Early Christian Writings
The Development of the Christian Canon
Implications for Our Study
The New Testament: One Other Set of Problems
At a Glance: The New Testament Canon:
Excursus: Some Additional Reflections: The Historian and the Believer
* Take a Stand:
2. THE ENVIRONMENT OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS: THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD
The Problem of Beginnings
One Remarkable Life
The Environment of the New Testament: Religions in the Greco-Roman World
At a Glance: The World of Early Christianity:
* Take a Stand:
3. THE ENVIRONMENT OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS: THE WORLD OF ANCIENT JUDAISM
Monotheism: The Belief in One True God
The Covenant: Israel's Pact with Its God
The Law: Israel's Convenantal Obligations
Temple and Synagogue: Israel's Places of Worship
Forms of Early Judaism
Political Crises in Palestine and Their Ramifications
The Formation of Jewish Sects
The Jewish Context for the Traditions About Jesus
At a Glance: The World of Early Judaism:
* Take a Stand:
4. THE TRADITIONS OF JESUS IN THEIR GRECO-ROMAN CONTEXT
Oral Traditions Behind the Gospel
The Gospels as Biographies of Jesus
At a Glance: The Traditions of Jesus:
Some Additional Reflections: The Authors of the Gospels
* Take a Stand:
5. JESUS, THE SUFFERING SON OF GOD: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK
The Synoptic Problem
Mark, Our Earliest Gospel
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
Jesus 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
At a Glance: The Gospel of Mark:
* Take a Stand:
6. JESUS, THE JEWISH MESSIAH: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
A Redactional Approach to Matthew
The Importance of Beginnings: Jesus the Jewish Messiah in Fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures
The Portrayal of Jesus in Matthew: The Sermon on the Mount as a Springboard
Jesus Rejected by the Jewish Leaders
Matthew and His Readers
At a Glance: Matthew:
* Take a Stand:
7. JESUS, THE REJECTED PROPHET: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 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
At a Glance: The Gospel of Luke:
* Take a Stand:
8. JESUS, THE MAN SENT FROM HEAVEN: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN
The Gospel of John from a Literary-Historical Perspective
The Gospel of John from a Redactional Perspective
The Gospel of John from a Thematic Perspective
The Gospel of John from a Comparative Perspective
The Author of the Fourth Gospel
At a Glance: The Gospel of John:
* Take a Stand:
9. THE HISTORICAL JESUS
Problems with Sources
Using Our Sources
Jewish Apocalypticism
Jesus in His Apocalyptic Context
The Beginning and End as Keys to the Middle
The Apocalyptic Deeds of Jesus
The Apocalyptic Teachings of Jesus
The Apocalyptic Death of Jesus
At a Glance: Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet:
* Take a Stand:
10. 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
At a Glance: From Jesus to the Gospels:
* Take a Stand:
11. LUKE'S SECOND VOLUME: THE BOOK OF ACTS
The Genre of Acts and Its Significance
The Thematic Approach to Acts
From Gospel to Acts: The Opening Transition
Themes in the Speeches of Acts
At a Glance: The Book of Acts:
Conclusion: The Author and His Themes in Context
* Take a Stand:
12. PAUL THE APOSTLE: THE MAN AND HIS MISSION
The Study of Paul: Methodological Difficulties
The Life of Paul
At a Glance: Paul and His Mission:
* Take a Stand:
13. PAUL AND HIS APOSTOLIC MISSION: I 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
At a Glance: I Thessalonians:
* Take a Stand:
14. PAUL AND THE CRISES OF HIS CHURCHES: THE CORINTHIAN CORRESPONDENCE
1 Corinthians
At a Glance: 1 Corinthians:
2 Corinthians
At a Glance: 2 Corinthians:
* Take a Stand:
15. PAUL AND THE CRISES OF HIS CHURCHES: GALATIANS, PHILIPPIANS, AND PHILEMON
Galatians
At a Glance: Galatians:
Philippians
At a Glance: Philippians:
Philemon
At a Glance: Philemon:
* Take a Stand:
16. 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
At a Glance: Romans:
* Take a Stand:
17. IN THE WAKE OF THE APOSTLE: THE DEUTERO-PAULINE AND PASTORAL EPISTLES
Pseudonymity in the Ancient World
The Deutero-Pauline Epistles
At a Glance: The Deutero-Pauline Epistles:
The Pastoral Epistles
The Historical Situation and Authorship of the Pastoral Epistles
At a Glance: The Pastoral Epistles:
* Take a Stand
18. 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
At a Glance: Women in Early Christianity:
* Take a Stand:
19. CHRISTIAN CONFLICTS WITH JEWS AND PAGANS: HEBREWS AND 1 PETER
Christians and Jews
Early Christian Self-Definition
Continuity and Superiority: The Epistle to the Hebrews
At a Glance: Hebrews:
Christians and Pagans
Christians in a Hostile World: The Letter of 1 Peter
At a Glance: 1 Peter:
* Take a Stand:
20. CHRISTIAN CONFLICTS WITH CHRISTIANS: JAMES, 2 PETER, JUDE, AND THE JOHANNINE EPISTLES
Christian Conflicts with Christians
The Epistle of James
Jude
2 Peter
The Johannine Epistles
Understanding the Johannine Epistles
Reflections on the Contextual Method for Understanding the Johannine Epistles
Conflicts within the Early Christian Communities
At a Glance: Christian Internal Conflicts:
* Take a Stand:
21. CHRISTIANS AND THE COSMOS: THE BOOK OF REVELATION
The Content and Structure of the Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation from a Historical Perspective
Apocalyptic Worldviews and Apocalypse Genre
The Revelation of John in Historical Context
At a Glance: The Book of Revelation:
* Take a Stand:
Glossary of Terms:
Index:
Photo Essays: