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The Gospel of Matthew
A Contextual Introduction for Group Study
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Publication Date: 08/2003
Binding: Paperback
Author: Daniel Patte
It is a common method in introductory biblical studies
classes to choose exemplary biblical texts for further
in-depth discussion by students in small group settings.
Such groups provide a safe context for students to learn
by interpreting the biblical texts for themselves.
Increasingly, such interaction with one another and with
the class instructor is electronic, either on bulletin
boards or in chat. This book provides a resource for such
group studies.
Two of the primary aims of most Bible teachers,
especially those in colleges and seminaries, are very
nearly contradictory: 1) the teacher wants the student to
gain perspective, to learn the limitations of his or her
own understanding of the biblical text by encountering
divergent viewpoints and 2) the teacher wants the student
to gain confidence in his or her own ability to interpret
the biblical text responsibly. This introduction to the
book of Matthew assists the instructor with these two
primary aims by: 1) Introducing the student to the wide
variety of claims that are being made about the meaning of
the Gospel of Matthew. 2) Introducing the student to ways
of assessing these claims. 3) Leading the student to take
responsibility within a group context for the choices he
or she will make between these competing claims as an
interpreter of the biblical text (church leader, preacher,
or teacher).
The book introduces the main themes and issues in the
interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew in a student- (and
Instructor-) friendly format. This introduction also
exemplifies a new direction in biblical interpretation
being used at seminaries in the U. S. The method is
comparative cultural and religious interpretation, using
existing scholarly and popular interpretations as
exemplars for study and student discussion.
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