![]() ![]() In this book Parker studies the transmission of the Gospel texts based on the fundamental observation that there are variations in all of the surviving manuscripts. Yet a warning to the reader is in order: this book will forever change the way in which you look at the New Testament. There is no better way to do this than by reading the “Living Text”. The Living Text of the Gospels – Cambridge University Press, 1997Īs the appetite grows for more and more Textual Criticism and the discipline’s fundamental principles are settled, it is time to address the big questions. This appetizer will equip each and every reader with what-there-is-to-know and in addition offers plenty of stimulation for further individual considerations. The third part “The Sections of the New Testament” turns the tables and looks at the extent manuscript tradition for each section of the New Testament: Revelation, Paul, Acts and Catholic Epistles, and Gospels. The second part (“Textual Criticism and Editions”) discusses scribes and their roles, presents fundamental text-critical principles and methods (including the latest digital developments in the field) and offers a discussion of critical editions past and present. The book comes in three sections: the first one (“The documents”) offers a general introduction to the codex-form, to manuscripts of the New Testament (from Greek and Latin to Syriac and Coptic to Slavonic and Gothic and many more), to palaeography and practical skills for studying the texts and artefacts. As such it is a must-read for every student of the Bible. With his change of perspective on the transmission of the text, Parker’s introduction is a treasure chest that contains the state of the art of textual scholarship on the New Testament in a concise and reader-friendly style. Its approach is unique because – in contrast to exegetical introductions to New Testament Studies which may mention Textual Criticism as a mere tool to establish a text that can then be exegetically interpreted – manuscripts and their varying text are at the heart of this book. This book is exactly what its title promises: an introduction to the field. Copyright Cambridge University Library, Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License (CC BY-NC 3.0).Īn Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and Their Texts – Cambridge University Press, 2008 Kreinecker – Image: Codex Bezae, Matthew 14:15-26. Parker OBE, retired Edward Cadbury Professor at the University of Birmingham as well as founder and director of the Institute for Textual Scholarship and Electronic Editing (ITSEE) until 2017, a “five star chef” of Textual Criticism who once said that “while you can eat without being a textual critic, the reverse is not possible” (Parker 2012: 31) – Christina M. ![]() All text-critical “courses” are prepared and provided by David C. The following “banquet” of books has been compiled with the intention to offer the reader a gradual guide into the fascinating depths of studying manuscripts. ![]() Therefore, it is time to have a “text-critical banquet” of five “must-reads” to celebrate the thriving research of New Testament manuscripts and to have a closer look at the basics, specialties and implications of Textual Criticism. From studying the text and history of individual codices of varying languages to critically editing the New Testament to investigating the transmission and interpretation of the biblical text over centuries – the tasks of textual critics are manifold. At the same time the discipline is as broad as it ever has been. Yet the discipline has undergone dramatic changes over the last couple of decades: new digital technology, new methodologies, new findings, and a re-discovered awareness of manuscripts as artefacts have brought new possibilities and new challenges. As such it has sometimes been discredited as dusty and inaccessible for newcomers to the field, as it requires philological skills and an eye for details. New Testament Textual Criticism, which is the study of manuscripts and their texts, is the oldest critical method for studying the Bible. Must-reads offers food for thought and recommends further reading in the guise of non-exhaustive lists with brief comments on books on a specific topic.
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