Camden Theological Library

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The Resurrection of the Messiah

A narrative commentary on the resurrection accounts in the four Gospels

Taking inspiration from a different interpretative tradition, the classic work of Raymond Brown on the birth and death of the Messiah, Francis Moloney has provided a comprehensive narrative reading of the resurrection stories of all four Gospels, in close association with their passion narratives, to which they are the stunning response. The book traces how the four evangelists’ different telling of the resurrection stories has “narrated” the action of God for Jesus, and the action of God and Jesus for all Christians in and through the early Church’s belief and experience of the resurrection of Jesus. The final chapter discusses what we can recover about the events of Easter day and, more importantly, what these events meant then, and continue to mean today.

The Resurrection of the Messiah is a narrative critical study of the resurrection stories in the Gospels. The four main chapters set the resurrection in the context of each Gospel, and particularly in relation to the passion narrative. The concluding chapter discusses relevant issues of history, theology, and interpretation in understanding the resurrection accounts.

This is a beautifully written and very lucid book. It examines the critical issues (such as the ending of Mark’s Gospel) in a readable way for the non-specialist and explores the theological emphasis of each evangelist. It has something to offer everyone: the scholar, the theological student, the pastor, the interested lay person.