Synopses & Reviews
Few New Testament texts have had their meaning debated so vigorously as those in which Jesus discusses divorce: Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:6, 9; Mark 10:9-12; Luke 16:18; and 1 Cor 7:11. From the early Church, through there formation, and into the present day, they have continued to rouse debate within the Churches and among believers.
This work focuses on one aspect of that debate; namely, what Jesus has to say regarding divorce when his sayings are interpreted in their literary and historical context. To aid in this contextual understanding, the sayings are studied in the order in which they were written down in ancient times. Not every aspect of the debate therefore is addressed - nor could it be on an issue of such personal and pastoral complexity. Yet it is the challenge of biblical scholars to study the Word of God - in al its complexity - and to try to make that Word understandable. This work is offered to scholars and believers alike in the hope of adding to that understanding.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 329-367) and indexes.
About the Author
Raymond F. Collins, STD, is the Warren-Blanding Professor of Religion Emeritus and former dean of the School of Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America. He is the author of The Many Faces of the Church: A Study in New Testament Ecclesiology (Crossroad, 2003), I and II Timothy and Titus (Westminster John Knox, 2002), Sexual Ethics and the New Testament: Behavior and Belief (Crossroad, 2 ), and First Corinthians in the Sacra Pagina series (Liturgical Press, 1999).