The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels

Authoritative chapters chart new developments of gospels interpretation in four main areas: background, content, interpretation and impact.

For students, teachers, lecturers, clergy and lay people who are curious about the gospels: why are there four gospels, not just one or more than four?; what is a gospel anyway?; what is the distinctive flavour of each gospel?; why have the gospels had such an impact down through history?; and what do scholars make of the gospels today?Throughout the history of Christianity, the four canonical gospels have proven to be vital resources for Christian thought and practice, and an inspiration for humanistic culture generally. Indeed, the gospels and their interpretation have had a profound impact on theology, philosophy, the sciences, ethics, worship, architecture, and the creative arts. Building on the strengths of the first edition, The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels, 2nd edition, takes account of new directions in gospels research, notably: the milieu in which the gospels were read, copied, and circulated alongside non-canonical gospels; renewed debates about the sources of the gospels and their interrelations; how central gospel themes are illuminated by a variety of critical approaches and theological readings; the reception of the gospels over time and in various media; and how the gospels give insight into the human condition.