The Gospel of Matthew as Enculturated Narrative

Matthew as Enculturated Narrative is a structurally organized study of the gospel traditionally ascribed to Matthew as author. It is designed to guide both the beginner and enrich the master exegete, especially those with special interest in the gospel according to Matthew. It begins with general issues concerning the traditions behind the biblical reports and dovetails into a detailed expos of specific Matthean considerations. These considerations include Matthew's literary features and his treatment of his sources. The last section of the book combines insights from source criticism, form criticism, and tradition history to survey the key Matthean text of 16:13-20. This passage could be seen as the crux interpretum of Matthew's image of the Church and an adequate demonstration of the theoretical block of this book. Matthew as Enculturated Narrative blends latest biblical scholarship with high sensitivity to the cultural givens of the intended reader. It is not simply hermeneutic. It has a high pedagogical tendency.