How to Read the Gospels: An Introduction

This accessible introduction to the Gospels examines the distinctive messages offered by the texts, giving students a better understanding of methods and interpretations. It explores a close reading of each Gospel and encourages students to approach texts from their own perspectives, from postcolonialism to environmentalism. Discussion questions help students focus their reflections on the gospel narrative, its theology, and methods of reading it. How to Read the Gospels is an ideal textbook for undergraduate and seminary classrooms. The book aims to reach seminary and graduate students who study the Gospels critically and comprehensively. It provides user-friendly summaries such as the basics of each Gospel—authorship, history, important parables, etc. —the Jesus of each Gospel, andnotable interpretation and translation issues. Without reading the entire story, readers often focus ononly specific passages. This book aims to foster close reading of each entire text, sensitizing students to historical and literary issues that commonly arise—and helping them better understand various ways to interpret these formative stories. What makes this book unique is that it also engagesvarious readings of the Gospels from traditional to deconstruction approaches, including womanist interpretation, disability interpretation, ecological interpretation, and many more. For example, how can readers understand the story of Jesus’ surprising conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4 through the lens of feminism? Or disability studies? By providing alternative ways to think about these stories, various methods of approaching texts that may be new to the student, the book opens up how such passages can be interpreted and appreciated.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments PART I: A Historical, Literary Introduction 1. Introduction What Is a Gospel? How to Read the Gospels As the Story of Jesus As the Story of the Evangelists Reflecting on the Significance of Jesus As the Story of Jesus and Evangelists for Contemporary Readers Transmission of the Story of Jesus The Synoptic Problem Two-Source Hypothesis What Is Q? Redaction Criticism 2. The Gospel of Mark Mark’s Gospel at a Glance Outline The Markan Jesus Distinctive Theological Themes Parables in Mark Notable Interpretation Issues A Close Reading of Mark 1:1-13, Prologue 1:14-8:26, Public Ministry 8:27-10:52, Jesus on the Way to Jerusalem 11:1-13:37, Ministry in Jerusalem 14:1-15:47, Passion Narrative: Last Supper, Trials, Crucifixion 16:1-8, The Resurrection of Jesus Questions for Reflection Further Reading 3. The Gospel of Matthew Matthew’s Gospel at a Glance Outline The Matthean Jesus Distinctive Theological Themes Parables in Matthew Notable Interpretation Issues A Close Reading of Matthew 1:1-2:23, Infancy Narrative 3:1-4:25, Ministry of Jesus 5:1-7:29, First Discourse: Sermon on the Mount 8:1-9:38, Jesus Heals Many People 10:1-10:42, Second Discourse: Missionary Instructions 11:1-12:50, Jesus’s Ministry Continues While Opposition Arises 13:1-53, Third Discourse: Collections of Parables 13:54-17:27, Jesus Continues with His Mission and Foretells His Death and Resurrection 18:1-35, Fourth Discourse: Community Instructions 19:1-20:34, Jesus Continues to Teach on the Way to Jerusalem 21:1-23:39, Jesus Enters Jerusalem and Confronts Leaders 24:1-25:46, Fifth Discourse: Sermon on Eschatology 26:1-27:66, Passion Narrative 28:1-20, The Resurrection of Jesus Questions for Reflection Further Reading 4. The Gospel of Luke Luke's Gospel at a Glance Outline The Lukan Jesus Distinctive Theological Themes Parables in Luke Notable Interpretation Issues A Close Reading of Luke 1:1-4, Preface 1:5-2:52, Birth and Childhood of Jesus 3:1-4:13, Preparation for the Ministry of Jesus 4:14-9:50, Jesus’s Ministry in Galilee 9:51-19:27, On the Way to Jerusalem 19:28-21:38, Jesus’s Teaching in Jerusalem 22:1-23:56, The Suffering and Death of Jesus 24:1-53, The Resurrection of Jesus Questions for Reflection Further Reading 5. The Gospel of John John’s Gospel at a Glance Outline The Johannine Jesus Distinctive Theological Themes “I Am” Sayings of Jesus Notable Interpretation Issues A Close Reading of John 1:1-18, Prologue 1:19-5:47, Jesus’s Ministry 6:1-12:50, Jesus’s Ministry Grows and Faces Opposition 13:1-17:26, Farewell Discourses 18:1-20:31, Suffering and Glory 21:1-25, Addendum Questions for Reflection Further Reading PART II: Reading the Gospels from Various Perspectives 6. Overview of Interpretive Approaches to the Gospels Author-Centered, Historical Approach Historical-Critical Method Social Science Criticism Text-Centered, Literary Approach Textual Criticism Narrative Criticism Reader-Centered, Comprehensive Approach Reader-Response Criticism Feminist Criticism Womanist Interpretation Ekklesia-Centered, Theological Interpretation Jewish Interpretation Inter(con)textual Interpretation Queer Criticism Postcolonial Criticism Deconstruction Interpretation Minoritized Criticism Disability Studies Ecological Criticism 7. The Gospel of Mark from Various Perspectives Author-Centered, Historical Approach Historical-Critical Method Social Science Criticism Text-Centered, Literary Approach Textual Criticism Narrative Criticism Reader-Centered, Comprehensive Approach Reader-Response Criticism Feminist Criticism Womanist Interpretation Ekklesia-Centered, Theological Interpretation Jewish Interpretation Inter(con)textual Interpretation Queer Criticism Postcolonial Criticism Deconstruction Interpretation Minoritized Criticism Disability Studies Ecological Criticism 8. The Gospel of Matthew from Various Perspectives Author-Centered, Historical Approach Historical-Critical Method Social Science Criticism Text-Centered, Literary Approach Textual Criticism Narrative Criticism Reader-Centered, Comprehensive Approach Reader-Response Criticism Feminist Criticism Womanist Interpretation Ekklesia-Centered, Theological Interpretation Jewish Interpretation Inter(con)textual Interpretation Queer Criticism Postcolonial Criticism Deconstruction Interpretation Minoritized Criticism Disability Studies Ecological Criticism 9. The Gospel of Luke from Various Perspectives Author-Centered, Historical Approach Historical-Critical Method Social Science Criticism Text-Centered, Literary Approach Textual Criticism Narrative Criticism Reader-Centered, Comprehensive Approach Reader-Response Criticism Feminist Criticism Womanist Interpretation Ekklesia-Centered, Theological Interpretation Jewish Interpretation Inter(con)textual Interpretation Queer Criticism Postcolonial Criticism Deconstruction Interpretation Minoritized Criticism Disability Studies Ecological Criticism 10. The Gospel of John from Various Perspectives Author-Centered, Historical Approach Historical-Critical Method Social Science Criticism Text-Centered, Literary Approach Textual Criticism Narrative Criticism Reader-Centered, Comprehensive Approach Reader-Response Criticism Feminist Criticism Womanist Interpretation Ekklesia-Centered, Theological Interpretation Jewish Interpretation Inter(con)textual Interpretation Queer Criticism Postcolonial Criticism Deconstruction Interpretation Minoritized Criticism Disability Studies Ecological Criticism 11. Conclusion The Importance of Various Readings of the Gospels Criteria for Solid Interpretation Reader’s Critical, Imaginative Role Bibliography Index About the Author

About the Author :
Yung Suk Kim (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University. He has written seventeen books in the area of biblical interpretation, Pauline studies, and the Gospels, including Monotheism, Biblical Traditions, and Race Relations (2022), How to Read Paul (2021), and Resurrecting Jesus (2015). He co-authored Toward Decentering the New Testament (2018) with Mitzi Smith. He also edited Paul's Gospel, Empire, Race, and Ethnicity (2023), among other volumes. He serves as a member of the Bible Translation and Utilization Committee (BTU) to assist in the Bible publishing activities of the National Council of Churches.

Review :
Dr. Yung Suk Kim’s brilliant and meticulous textbook How to Read the Gospels offers a refreshing approach to reading the gospels that exceeds most introductions. I appreciate that he encourages readers to read the gospels closely for themselves. Readers are also encouraged to read multiple interpretative approaches to the gospels in conjunction with learning how to read them contextually and critically, even though the various methods are situated in the second half of the book. Kim’s book rises above the many textbooks on the gospels that either ignore or provide shallow and marginalizing introductions to queer, disability, postcolonial, feminist, womanist, ecological, ekklesia, and minoritized criticisms. This contribution to biblical studies is revolutionary. Professor Yung Suk Kim’s book is well organized and clearly presents his goals and objectives. I appreciate his innovative approach by which he examines the distinctive features of each Gospel from the standpoint of several interpretive methods, which especially gives voice to perspectives not customarily included in traditional works of similar genre. In addition, providing summaries and questions at the end of each chapter facilitates the book’s use as a textbook. I would describe this book as an introduction both to traditional literary and contemporary inclusive, current cutting-edge, marginalized methodologies, and approaches to Gospel interpretation. I welcome a text like this that seeks to provide readers with a broad range of interpretive perspectives (that includes, ecological, post-colonial, minoritized, literary-historical, and other approaches). It is this very feature of Kim’s book that is commendable and attractive and the basis upon which to highly recommend it to others. Dr. Yung Suk Kim's How to Read the Gospels offers informative, in-depth, and inclusive guidance on each Gospel. Dr. Kim invites the reader to engage with and interpret the Gospels through close, careful, and critical reading. This well-organized and well-balanced book will enrich any discussion on the Gospels, whether in seminary or parish. Yung Suk Kim has gifted us with a much-needed resource for studying the Gospels. Thanks to his exceptionally lucid writing style, this book presents the complex textual and historical issues around the Gospels, as well as their diverse interpretations, in an easy-to-follow way. Students and teachers of the New Testament will find this book useful and insightful. With How to Read the Gospels, Yung Suk Kim has once again written a comprehensive and accessible primer for the study of the New Testament. The introduction to each gospel, diverse array of interpretive methodologies presented, and insightful bibliographical references will make this an essential resource for any class engaging the gospels. In the age where academic biblical studies was catapulted into a vortex of diverse methods, readers, contexts and concerns, Yung Suk Kim’s How to Read the Gospels: An Introduction, is a rare-jewel, for it is research-intensive, reader-friendly and thorough-going in its faithfulness to the ancient context and content of the gospels, while exposing the student reader to various ways of interpreting the Gospels. Not only does it show case diverse ways of reading the Gospels, but it also makes the work of biblical teachers much easier without sacrificing quality. I highly recommend this book for all beginning readers of the Gospels and their teachers.