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GOSPEL WRITERS AND CLASSICAL POETS - (D.R.) MacDonald Synopses of Epic, Tragedy, and the Gospels. Volume 1: Mimetic Synopsis of Four Synoptic Gospels (Q+, Mark, Matthew, and Luke). Imitations of Deuteronomy, Homer, and Athenian Tragedies. Volume 2: Mimetic Syncrisis of the Acts of the Apostles. Imitations of Homer and Euripides and Rivalry with the Aeneid. Volume 3: Mimetic Synopsis of Three Gospels of John. Imitations of the Synoptics and Euripides’ Bacchae. Pp. viii + 564, colour ills. Claremont, CA: Mimesis Press, 2022. Paper, £36.51. ISBN: 979-8-9867801-1-5.

GOSPEL WRITERS AND CLASSICAL POETS - (D.R.) MacDonald Synopses of Epic, Tragedy, and the Gospels. Volume 1: Mimetic Synopsis of Four Synoptic Gospels (Q+, Mark, Matthew, and Luke). Imitations of Deuteronomy, Homer, and Athenian Tragedies. Volume 2: Mimetic Syncrisis of the Acts of the Apostles. Imitations of Homer and Euripides and Rivalry with the Aeneid. Volume 3: Mimetic Synopsis of Three Gospels of John. Imitations of the Synoptics and Euripides’ Bacchae. Pp. viii + 564, colour ills. Claremont, CA: Mimesis Press, 2022. Paper, £36.51. ISBN: 979-8-9867801-1-5.

Fifty years ago, Raymond Brown had already established his position as one of the world's leading Catholic New Testament scholars. His magisterial two-volume commentary on John's gospel remains an invaluable reference for scholars. At a time when American Catholics were still “minor leaguers” in contrast to British, German, and French exegetes, biblical theologians, Fr. Brown along with Joseph A. Fitzmyer, SJ, and Roland E. Murphy, OCarm. had produced the Jerome Biblical Commentary (1968) to provide a solid foothold for students in the best of historical-critical research into the books of the Bible, their history, religion, and theological concepts. Like his coeditors, Brown remained convinced that careful historical-critical study was our surest way of understanding what the Bible's authors sought to communicate. Where that analysis unseated naïve or literalist dogmatic “proof-texting,” it requires a correction in theological argument but will not require rejection of the foundational dogmas of the church.

James 3:1–12 supplements routine exhortations to guard against the speech which follows from particular vices (1:19–20, anger; 1:26, false piety; 4:11, slander) with a wisdom speech on the tongue, which appears to make the project impossible. Limiting the reflection on out of control or destructive speech to those seeking recognition as teachers (v. 1) introduces examples of destructive false teaching not present in James. The moralists’ distinction between those who require moral reprimand, those serious about making progress in virtue, and the “wise” as employed in Pauline exhortation resolves the tension between goal and difficulty noted in James. James 3:1–12 cautions “those in progress” against considering themselves “the perfect” (v. 2). Positive speech within the community, encouragement, mutual correction, healing, and prayer (5:7–20) do not require instruction by the wise.

The interest in sociological analysis of early Christianity among New Testament scholars has brought questions of power, authority and social structure to the fore in many areas of New Testament exegesis. The definitions of power, authority and leadership often vary from one exegete to another, since the sociological base from which he/she proceeds may be quite different: Weberian typologies; sociology of knowledge following the work of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann; neo-Marxist critique of ideology, or analyses based on the work of cultural anthropologists like Clifford Geertz, Mary Douglas or Victor Turner are among the most common. The seminar discussion centered on the following survey of scholarly approaches to the problem of power in the New Testament. The survey, itself, seeks to reflect directions being taken by contemporary scholars rather than to create a single, new approach to the topic.

The Committee, constitued in fall 1986 by the executive boards of The Catholic Biblical Association, The Catholic Theological Society of America, and The College Theology Society, and made up of two members of each society, met twice during 1986-87 to fulfill their general mandate—to provide services regarding issues of academic freedom and ecclesial responsibility. The Committee decided that it could best fulfill its mandate given the constraints of time by providing a statement of the main issues for the use of the executive committees.