Discovering Luke

by Joel B. Green

Overview

This interpretation of Luke encourages in-depth study of the text and genuine grappling with the theological and sociohistorical questions it raises. It draws on a range of methodological interests (author-, text-, and reader-centered) as complementary rather than mutually exclusive ways of understanding the text. It also recognizes the importance of the reception history of biblical texts, increasingly viewed as a vital aspect of interpretation rather than an optional extra. 

Throughout Discovering Luke, Joel Green gives readers strategies for reading the Gospel of Luke and guides them through Luke’s world in its historical, ideological, political, and economic contexts. Green reviews key issues raised by the Gospel and connects these issues to questions of how Luke should be interpreted today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802874962
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/16/2021
Series:	Discovering Biblical Texts (DBT)
Pages:	259
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Joel B. Green is associate dean for the Center for Advanced Theological Studies and professor of New Testament interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author or editor of more than forty-five books, including Hearing the New Testament; coauthor of Introducing the New Testament; and editor of the New International Commentary on the New Testament series.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations ix

List of abbreviations x

1 Ways of reading Luke's Gospel: through the Middle Ages 1

The early (and medieval) Church 3

From the early Church to the Middle Ages 15

Reflections 24

2 Ways of reading Luke's Gospel: from the Reformation to the present 26

The Reformation and post-Reformation Church 27

The modern and postmodern eras 42

Reflections 54

3 Reading Luke's Gospel 57

Introducing Luke in the early Church 58

Luke's preface (Luke 1.1-4) 60

Reflections 79

4 Mapping Luke's Gospel 80

Luke and his world 81

Geography 92

Spatial metaphors 103

Reflections 107

5 The architecture of Luke's Gospel 109

The anatomy of Luke's narrative 109

The anatomy of Luke's Gospel 114

Reflections 128

6 'I rejoice in God my saviour': God, God's purpose and Luke's narrative 130

God saves: the God of Mary's Song (Luke 1.46-55) 130

God purposes 139

God speaks 143

God empowers 157

Reflections 161

7 'I must preach the good news of God's kingdom': Jesus and his mission 162

Mary's Song and the politics of the kingdom 162

Jesus' missional programme 167

Jesus' death and resurrection 181

Reflections 188

8 'Take up their cross daily': disciples and discipleship 190

Mary, Mary's Song and terms of allegiance 192

Faithful following 205

Reflections 215

Bibliography 217

Scripture acknowledgements 232

Index of Scripture references and ancient authors 233

Index of modern authors 241

Index of subjects 244

Editorial Reviews

A comprehensive account of Luke’s Gospel from an established and respected interpreter, Discovering Luke will be an indispensable resource for those studying Luke, the Gospels, and the New Testament. As he engages with timeless questions and interlocutors from every era, Green has produced a must-read volume for our generation.”
— Amy Peeler
Wheaton College

“Solidly grounded in scholarship, this new introduction lifts the horizon beyond the familiar debates and invites us into a refreshed vision of Luke’s multifaceted message(s) for the church, both then and now. You thought you knew Luke’s Gospel? Think again! Highly commended for students, teachers, and preachers both within and without the academy.”
— Loveday Alexander
University of Sheffield

“Joel Green has crafted a remarkable invitation into the worlds of the Gospel according to Luke. Green’s career-long engagement with the literary character, theology, and ethical vision of Scripture is in evidence throughout this volume. It is a brilliant addition to this series, and it admirably fulfills its goals.”
— David A. deSilva
Ashland Theological Seminary

“Green brings to bear his distinctive combination of theological awareness, literary sensitivity, and historical expertise on the interpretation of Luke’s Gospel. He treats the interpretative traditions of the church with love and respect but recognizes that ‘the grain of the text’ may sometimes run contrary to these and deserves to be traced carefully. The result is a study that is rich and often surprising but always readable.”
— Grant Macaskill
University of Aberdeen

Review of Biblical Literature
“Discovering Luke will prove a valuable resource for scholars seeking orientation to Lukan scholarship or fresh insight into familiar passages, as well as for teachers looking for a narrative-theological introduction to Luke’s Gospel—or, perhaps, to New Testament interpretation more generally. Without sacrificing readability, this book moves from analyzing past and present modes of interpretation to explaining and modeling Green’s own, all the while demonstrating a depth of narrative and theological perceptivity that prompts renewed reflection on Luke’s Gospel.”

The Living Church
“Discovering Luke excels in what it chooses to do, clearing its own path and supplementing and complementing more-worn alternatives, sending the reader back once again to the Gospel.

From the Publisher