Tried, tested and trusted by students and teachers across the world, this widely respected study guide enables the reader to engage with an array of essential topics, including:

• the Jewish and Greco-Roman background to the New Testament
• literary genres and forms
• issues of authorship, date and setting
• the content and major themes of each book
• well established and newer methods of study
• the latest scholarship in the quest for the historical Jesus
• the intersection of New Testament studies with contemporary faith and culture

Now in its third edition, this popular textbook has been fully revised and updated, and includes new sections on:

• the impact of social memory theory on Gospel studies
• recent work on characterization in narrative studies of the Gospels
• women in the Gospels
• reading the Gospels and Acts theologically
• how the Hebrew Scriptures are read by the New Testament authors
• the resurrection and Ascension of Jesus
• Luke's presentation of Jesus' identity and mission
• updated bibliographies, highlighting the most important and influential works published in the past decade

Drawing on the authors' decades of experience in teaching these topics, this comprehensive textbook gives students a strong understanding and a solid foundation for further study.