The Living Text of the Gospels [Paperback]

This book represents an important departure in Gospel studies and textual criticism, providing an innovative introduction to the discipline.This book represents an important new departure in New Testament textual criticism. Parker offers a different way of reading the Gospels which treats seriously the fact that they first existed as manuscripts. He argues that the search for an original text of the Gospels is a misunderstanding of the way in which the early church passed down its traditions. All serious New Testament scholars will have to read this book, but it can also be used a primer of New Testament textual criticism as it does not assume any prior knowledge of the subject.This book represents an important new departure in New Testament textual criticism. Parker offers a different way of reading the Gospels which treats seriously the fact that they first existed as manuscripts. He argues that the search for an original text of the Gospels is a misunderstanding of the way in which the early church passed down its traditions. All serious New Testament scholars will have to read this book, but it can also be used a primer of New Testament textual criticism as it does not assume any prior knowledge of the subject.This book represents an important new departure in New Testament textual criticism. David Parker offers, for the first time, a different way of reading the Gospels that treats seriously the fact that they first existed as manuscripts. Through an analysis of different forms of a number of key passages, he demonstrates that the Gospels cannot be properly understood as texts without taking into consideration their physical existence as manuscripts, printed books and electronic text. In conclusion, he argues that the search for an original text of the Gospels is a misunderstanding of the way in which the early church passed down its traditions.Abbreviations; Preface; 1. The theory; 2. The materials; 3. The practice; 4. As our Saviour taught us ... the Lord's PlcÀ