Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Matthew (Volume 1) Paperback – October 1, 2007

There is a movement among Roman Catholic biblical-theologians (not the least of them being Pope Benedict XVI) that is questioning an over-reliance on historical-critical methods. See, for instance  'Behind' the Text: History and Biblical Interpretation (Scripture and Hermeneutics Series) . The Sacra Pagina series of commentaries tends to favor historical-critical methods and this work is one of the prime examples of how that can be taken too far. In this case, the priority of Mark and the Quelle (Q) source (a logical conclusion in the eyes of many favoring the historical-critical methods) are taken as fact and referred to continually as a basis for conclusions concerning Matthew's gospel. Even in the introduction, the date of Matthew's writing is based on this hypothesis as fact. A good deal of recent scholarship is finding internal and external evidence that challenges the Markan/Q hypotheses as unlikely. See, for instance,  The Gospel of Jesus: The Pastoral Relevance of the Synoptic Problem .It is not that historical-critical methods are bad in themselves. It is that they are insufficient for a better interpretation of biblical texts. In this case, as has been pointed out by another reviewer, the author is hesitant to make any conclusions about any point in Matthew. This is precisely one of the conclusions the Holy Father keeps pointing to - that the historical-critical methods cannot help us find answers; the historical-critical methods result only in various historical hypotheses with no real answers. The historical-critical tools are not sufficient in themselves but are only one specialized tool in the interpreter's toolbox.Since the author avoids taking a stand on any question of theological significance that might make this work "Catholic," it cannot be recommended as a truly Catholic commentary. Sad to say, it suffers the same fate as so many others, just one more collection of sometimes interesting but spiritually dead opinions in a vast sea of similarly subjective opinions. It seems the world of biblical interpretation has taken the approach of relativism, afraid or unwilling to take a stand on any truth except the relativist mantra that we cannot know what is true.Still, given the bias involved in the one-method approach this commentary adopts, there is a great deal of technical detail to be gleaned here. If taken along with other commentaries, there is still much to be gained from the Sacra Pagina commentary. However, it would be recommended primarily only for those gifted with strong critical thinking skills. And it can only be recommended as one in a wider range of study.

A useful and insightful commentary, especially in looking at parallels, connections and background in the evangelist's social/religious context in 1st-century Judaism and the Roman empire. Sometimes it seems that his strong desire to find Matthew innocent of anti-Semitism leads him to interpretations that seem somewhat stretched. Also, by far his chief focus throughout the book is the Matthean community's concerns in its rivalry with other communities within 1st-century Judaism (as Harrington proposes it; other scholars disagree - both he and they make good points). Reading the book cover-to-cover, it often felt like just about every single pericope was reinforcing the same basic message: "This reflects the concerns of the Matthean community; they're not anti-Semites; it's a debate within Judaism not against it." This came at the expense of other theological/ethical themes in the passages, which I find more important, but to which he did not devote as much attention (sometimes none at all). For these we must turn to other commentaries.

`The Gospel of Matthew' is part of `Sacra Pagina', the series which presents commentary on the books of the New Testament. The author of the book is well-know Catholic biblical scholar, professor of New Testament at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge University.The commentary of `the Gospel of Matthew' by Prof. Harrington is characterized by analysis of translation with a comparison between Hebrew and Greek equivalents and detailed interpretation of the text. The latter includes parallels to other Gospels. Each chapter is finished by references for further studies.Undoubted merit of the book is the reasonable arrangement of the content. The author presents each chapter by the following parts: the text of the Gospel of Matthew, notes, interpretations and references for further study.This form of introduction of the content facilitates understanding and learning of the text of the Gospel. In my opinion, this commentary would be appropriate for specialists, students and for the average readers. The Gospel of Matthew (Sacra Pagina (Quality Paper))

I am a fan of the Sacra Pagina series, which, like any other series, has its strong entries and its less strong entries. It's telling that this commentary is the briefest of the four Gospel commentaries in the series. (Published in 1991, it's also now the oldest.) It follows the same format: a brief introduction, textual notes, and interpretation. The textual notes are fine, helpful. The interpretation leaves something to be desired, though: "is that all?" is my common reaction. Harrington's major interpretive goal seems to be to dissuade Christian readers from seeing Matthew as set in violent opposition to Judaism. This is a valuable corrective for those who have not considered or who do not appreciate the shared heritage of Judaism and Christianity. Harrington's goal, though, seems to pass by a fuller theological interpretation and discussion of Matthew. I recommend this commentary with caution--have another Matthew commentary to supplement this one.

Sacra Pagina books are always good sources for translation interpretations on all the Books of the Bible

I do not understand why I need to write a 'book' report for this item.... it arrived ahead of schedule, in excellent condition, and I would recommend any book this seller has .... it is a book... the pages and cover are clean... it is the item I wanted... what more can I say...

I have used this text numerous times in preparing sermons and to lead discussion groups. The author does an excellent job in presenting the background of the social climate surrounding Jesus and placing it into a context of our modern times. The detail of his intrepretation is excellent. Sometimes there is more technical detail than what the average person might use, but the information can be very helpful.

Wears his scholararshipy lightly and provides a thoughtful commentary on Matthew

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