This book provides a student-level overview of the foundational
elements necessary to grasp textual criticism of the New Testament,
also addressing such issues as canonical formation and
translation theory.
Stanley Porter and Andrew Pitts cover a range of topics related
to New Testament textual criticism, including appropriate definitions,
the canon, the manuscripts of the New Testament, and
the best methodologies for determining the original reading
when manuscripts disagree. They also provide a history of the
various editions of the New Testament with a how-to guide for
using and understanding them.
The end of each chapter includes a list of key vocabulary and a
select bibliography, making this text especially useful for teachers
and students. An appendix introduces students to the tools of
textual criticism and invites discussion on how they might use
textual criticism in a future classroom or ministry setting.
About the Author :
Stanley E Porter is president, dean, and professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario. His many previous books include Fundamentals of New Testament Greek (with Matthew Brook O’Donnell and Jeffrey T. Reed). Andrew W Pitts is Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at Hope International University, Fullerton, California.
Review :
Journal for the Study of The New Testament Booklist
"A quite superb introduction to the subject of textual criticism. It is well organized, readable and engaging, and achieves its objective of wanting to be neither too basic nor overly detailed. It is easily the best text book of its kind. . . . An excellent resource." TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism
"A fresh and unique midlevel student's introduction to the field of New Testament textual criticism."
Craig S. Keener
-- Asbury Theological Seminary
"This very readable textbook provides a helpful and balanced introduction to text criticism aimed at just the right level for beginning students. It is clear, introduces multiple views, gives good reasons for the approaches it favors, and -- an unexpected bonus -- offers in two relevant chapters useful, concise introductions to canon formation and translation theory."
Michael J. Kruger
-- Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte
"Because of the complexity of the field of textual criticism, most introductions are either too detailed or too basic. This exceptional volume by Stanley Porter and Andrew Pitts provides a welcome balance between these two extremes, introducing students to all the critical issues without overloading them with unnecessary detail. It also covers topics that most introductions overlook, such as the development of the New Testament canon and modern English translations. For anyone looking for a balanced, thorough, and yet readable introduction to textual criticism, this is it."
J. K. Elliott
-- University of Leeds
"Newcomers to the Greek New Testament will find this guide a useful introduction explaining how the establishing of the text is undertaken. It also gives insight into the treasures awaiting a perceptive user concerning textual variants found in the manuscript tradition."
Craig A. Evans
-- Acadia Divinity College
"This is no ordinary introduction to textual criticism. In addition to offering explanations of the criteria and the critical apparatus, Porter and Pitts explain in very practical ways what the discipline tries to do and the thinking that lies behind it. As a bonus readers are treated to up-to-date discussion of the formation of the canon of Scripture, the nature of the materials used in the production of ancient books, and a history of the English Bible and the theories of translation on which translations are based. The book is rich with examples and insights."
David Alan Black
-- Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
"Fundamentals of New Testament Textual Criticism is an excellent treatise on a vitally important subject. Stanley Porter and Andrew Pitts were seeking to produce a textbook that falls midway between Bruce Metzger's Text of the New Testament and my own New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide, and they have succeeded brilliantly. . . . Their careful research deepens our understanding of the role of textual criticism in exegesis, and I am confident that this book of theirs will be widely used both inside and outside of the classroom."
Eckhard Schnabel
-- Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
"Porter and Pitts have admirably achieved what they set out to do -- provide a succinct introduction to the manuscript tradition of the Greek New Testament for first- and second-year students of Koine Greek. . . . This book is ideal both for students in classrooms and for general readers who seek reliable information about the origins and the text of the New Testament."
Thomas J. Kraus
-- University of Zurich
"In this book Stanley E. Porter and Andrew W. Pitts take interested students by the hand and introduce them to the essentials of New Testament textual criticism. . . . They provide welcome, concise assessments of external and internal evidence for judging textual variants. . . . A very useful tool for instructing students in New Testament textual criticism."
