New Jerome Bible Handbook

by Raymond E. Brown SS (Editor)

Other authorsJoseph A. Fitzmyer SJ (Editor), Roland E Murphy O Carm (Editor)

Hardcover, 1992

Status

Available

Collection

SC Scripture

Genres

Religion & Spirituality

Publication

Liturgical Press (1992), Edition: First Published, 416 pages

Description

This handbook is drawn from the New Jerome Biblical Commentary with the full co-operation and help of the contributors and eidtors on whose work it is based. It makes available to general readers the background knowledge they need in a simple form, with the help of pictures and maps. The teaching of each book of the Bible is brought out in detail, and a highlight from each book is featured, to give a flavour of its style. The handbook includes a comprehensive index and contains 13 articles on relevant subjects from archaeology to fundamentalism.

User reviews

LibraryThing member keylawk

This work is a simplification of the verse by verse work entitled "The New Jerome Biblical Commentary" which it excerpts. Following the same order of the Commentary, this handbook does not provide much text, but outlines every book of the Old and New Testament.

Illustrated quite brilliantly, and

with a short Index. ["Vespasian" is mentioned in the text, but is not in this short Index.] Concludes with "General Articles on the Bible", parts 64 - 76:

For example:

64: "Inspiration". Noting that "early Christianity shared with Jewish tradition the belief that the (Jewish) Scriptures were inspired", this section concludes that "Christians of various backgrounds should be able to approve and accept the language of Vatican II about Scripture's teaching without error that truth which God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation." 322.

This claim about "Jewish tradition" traduces Judaism, and Deuteronomy 30:11-14. In the article on "Canonicity", no Jewish canonization is mentioned, and the confusion over "deuterocanonical" inclusion, and the lack of any Hebrew or Aramaic text, is admitted. [323]. The portion cites Paul saying "All Scripture is inspired by God..." in 2 Timothy 3:16, before the "New Testament" was canonized as "Scripture". The Canonization process is apparently still taking place - as different sects still do not agree on the composition of the Canon. Luther himself excluded the deuterocanonical books. [323]

76: "The Church in the New Testament". It concludes..."..the four characteristics just discussed (church structure, idealism about the church, the role of the Spirit, and the relationship to Jesus as disciples), which were already explicit in New Testament Christian life, gave the church the ability to survive the death of the apostles and a rupture of unity. Those characteristics have kept the church alive from the 2nd century to our own times."

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