The Bible contains four Gospels which tell the story of Jesus of Nazareth. And yet, many more Gospels once existed. Who, then, determined which Gospels would, for the next two thousand years, serve as the main gateways to Jesus and his teaching? Recent books and films have traced the decision to a series of fourth-century councils and powerful bishops. After achieving victory over their rivals for the Christian name, these key players, we are now told, conspired to 'rewrite history' to make it look like their version of Christianity was the original one preached by Jesus and his apostles: the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John became the prime tools for their re-sculpting of the Christian story, leading to the destruction of previously treasured writings like the Gospels of Judas, Mary, and Thomas. Are the four canonical Gospels, then, in the Bible as the result of a great, ecclesiastical conspiracy? Or does this explanation itself represent another 'rewriting of history', this time by a group of modern academics? Who Chose the Gospels? takes us to the scholarship behind the headlines, examining the great (and ongoing) controversy about how to look at ancient books about Jesus. How the four Biblical Gospels emerged into prominence among their competitors is a crucial question for everyone interested in understanding the historical Jesus and the development of the Christian church.
Reviews
A short review cannot do justice to the depth and quality of this work. For anyone who has to deal with the issue of why we have the four canonical Gospels in some detail, this is essential material. ... This book is very good value for a hardback and is therefore to be highly recommended. * Mark Burkill, Churchman *



Book Information
ISBN 9780199640294
Author C. E. Hill
Format Paperback
Page Count 308
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 364g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 134mm * 17mm