The Gospel of Tatian: Exploring the Nature and Text of the Diatessaron(The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries)

This volume combines some of the leading voices on the composition and collection of early Christian gospels in order to analyze Tatian's Diatessaron. The rapid rise and sudden suppression of the Diatessaron has raised numerous questions about the nature and intent of this second-century composition. It has been claimed as both a vindication of the fourfold gospel's early canonical status and as an argument for the canon's on-going fluidity; it has been touted as both a premiere witness to the earliest recoverable gospel text and as an early corrupting influence on that text. Collectively, these essays provide the greatest advance in Diatessaronic scholarship in a quarter of a century. The contributors explore numerous questions: did Tatian intend to supplement or supplant the fourfold gospel? How many were his sources and how free was he with their text? How do we identify a Diatessaronic witness? Is it legitimate to use Tatian's Diatessaron as a source in New Testament textual criticism? Is a reconstruction of the Diatessaron still possible? These queries in turn contribute to the question of what the Diatessaron signifies with respect to the broader context of gospel writing, and what this can tell us about how the writing, rewriting and reception of gospel material functioned in the first and second centuries and beyond.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations List of Contributors Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction – Matthew R. Crawford, Australian Catholic University, Australia and Nicholas J. Zola Pepperdine University, USA Part I: The Sources of Tatian's Gospel 1. The Diatessaron and its Beginning: A Twofold Statement of Tatian - Tjitze Baarda, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands 2. Diatessaron, Diapente, Diapollon? Exploring the Nature and Extent of Extracanonical Influence in Tatian's Diatessaron - Charles E. Hill, Reformed Theological Seminary, USA 3. Tatian's Sources and the Presentation of the Jewish Law in the Diatessaron - Jan Joosten, University of Oxford, UK Part II: The Nature of Tatian's Gospel 4. Harmony or Gospel? On the Genre of the (So-called) Diatessaron - Francis Watson, University of Durham, UK 5. What Justin's Gospels Can Tell Us about Tatian's: Tracing the Trajectory of the Gospel Harmony in the Second Century and Beyond - Nicholas Perrin, Wheaton Graduate School, USA 6. Tatian's Diatessaron and the Proliferation of Gospels - James W. Barker, Western Kentucky University, USA Part III: The Witnesses to Tatian's Gospel 7. The Wrong Harmony: Against the Diatessaronic Character of the Dura Parchment - Ian Mills, Duke University, USA 8. Before and After: Some Notes on the Pre- and Post-History of Codex Fuldensis - Ulrich B. Schmid, Kirchliche Hochschule Wuppertal/Bethel, Germany 9. The Use of Tatian's Diatessaron in the Textual Criticism of the Gospels and the Future of Diatessaronic Studies - Nicholas J. Zola, Pepperdine University, USA Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects

About the Author :
Matthew R. Crawford is Associate Professor and Director of the Program in Biblical and Early Christian Studies at the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia. Nicholas J. Zola is Associate Professor of Religion in Seaver College at Pepperdine University, Malibu, USA.