Jesus and the Gospels (Paper)

"Good 'introductory' texts are hard to find, as they tend to be too thin and superficial, on the one end, or too thick and ponderous, on the other. John Carroll, however, strikes that 'just right' balance in this substantive and stimulating introduction to the Gospels. He particularly excels at unfolding the distinctive literary themes and patterns of each Gospel narrative within the social and political contexts of first-century Roman Palestine; moreover, as a welcome bonus, his concluding chapter offers judicious reflections on the challenges of Gospel study for contemporary ethics. Beautifully written, carefully organized, and critically engaged, this work shoots to the top spot of recommended Gospel surveys."
—F. Scott Spencer, Professor of New Testament and Biblical Interpretation, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond

"This is a rich and timely introduction to the Gospels by a seasoned scholar who is deeply committed to engaging biblical texts on their own terms, soundly and theologically, and then bringing them into genuine conversation about the pressing social and political realities of our times. The result is an honest, highly nuanced, yet imminently accessible reading of the Gospels in their ancient and modern contexts that neither shields their troubling aspects in piety nor allows the reader to go unchallenged (or uninspired) by their collective moral vision of worldly values turned upside down."
—Alexandra Brown, Fletcher Otey Thomas Professor in Bible, Washington and Lee University