Praise for the First Edition
"Drawing on several decades of effective classroom teaching, Mark Allan Powell has produced the quintessential 'user-friendly' introduction to the New Testament, which should be a welcome addition to any New Testament teacher's pedagogical resources. Three features distinguish this introduction from most others in the field, and all of them serve to draw the reader into the world of the New Testament text in compelling and attractive ways. First, Powell encourages and empowers his readers to engage the issues raised by the New Testament documents and the solutions to those issues but without drawing definitive (and for the reader, perhaps premature) conclusions. Second, with stunning effect, Powell uses visual images (maps, historical photographs, and especially examples from the history of Christian art) both for their aesthetic appeal and as examples of the text's continuing influence on subsequent culture. Third, throughout the text Powell provides markers that point to a companion Web site that contains additional material for further study and reflection beyond the book and course. With Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey, Mark Allan Powell has put student and teacher alike in his debt, and for this we are all grateful."
Mikeal C. Parsons, Kidd L. and Buna Hitchcock Macon Chair in Religion, Baylor University
"Mark Allan Powell's Introducing the New Testament is just what today's students need: the length is right, the perspective balanced and fair, the choice of content perfect, the layout reader-friendly and attractive, and the author is a respected New Testament scholar and popular classroom teacher. Adopting this book as the primary text for introductory Bible courses (in a college, seminary, or church) is a no-brainer. I recommend it highly."
Craig A. Evans, John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins, Houston Baptist University
"Beautifully presented, accessibly written, clearly organized, and attentive to the beginning student. Both students and faculty will benefit from engaging this book."
Stephen E. Fowl, professor of theology, Loyola College in Maryland
"Mark Allan Powell's Introducing the New Testament is a real gem, a true diamond, not in the rough but well polished. Like a diamond, it reflects the multifaceted beauty of the New Testament text. Like a diamond, it is a concentrate of years of scholarship. Like a diamond, it is a thing of beauty, with its artistic reproductions and useful illustrations. Like a diamond, it is valuable, with a wealth of information that is not readily available elsewhere in any one place."
Raymond F. Collins, Warren Blanding Professor of Religion emeritus, The Catholic University of America; visiting scholar, Brown University
"This splendid introduction to the New Testament is vivid, engaging, and designed to reach a broad audience. Its clear and accessible style invites contemporary readers into the biblical world, while the colorful graphics catch the eye and stimulate the imagination. Historical, literary, and theological questions are addressed in ways that invite readers to venture further into the scriptures. As a resource for teachers and students, it is excellent."
Craig R. Koester, professor of New Testament, Luther Seminary
Mark Allan Powell (PhD, Union Theological Seminary, Richmond) is professor emeritus at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, where he taught New Testament for thirty-two years. He is the author of the successful textbook Introducing the New Testament and the general editor of the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Powell has served as the chair of the SBL Historical Jesus Section and is the former New Testament editor of the SBL Academia Biblica dissertation series. Every summer he travels to a different Latin American country to study the native language and culture (so far he has visited Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela, with more to come).