Gospel birth narratives and historiography : reopening a closed case / Caleb T. Friedeman.
| Author/creator | Friedeman, Caleb T. author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | Waco, Texas : Baylor University Press, [2025] |
| Copyright Date | ©2025 |
| Description | xv, 265 pages ; 23 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Introduction -- I. Ancient birth narratives and historiography. -- Cornelius Nepos -- Philo -- Plutarch-- Suetonius -- Ancient birth narratives and historiography : conclusions -- II. Gospel birth narratives and historiography. -- Matthew -- Luke -- Conclusion -- Appendix A: Historiographic features in ancient historians -- Appendix B: Historiographic data for Cornelius Nepos, De viris illustribus -- Appendix C: Historiographic data for Philo, On the life of Moses -- Appendix D: Historiographic data for Plutarch, Lives -- Appendix E: Historiographic data for Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars and Lives of illustrious men -- Appendix F: Historiographic data for other ancient biographers. |
| Abstract | "Scholars today tend to view the birth narratives of Jesus as substantially less reliable than the rest of the canonical Gospel accounts. A primary reason for this skepticism is intent oriented: ancient birth narratives (so the argument goes) were meant to be legendary, not historical, and so the Gospel birth narratives, too, should be understood as essentially legendary. Caleb Friedeman challenges this skepticism and argues that ancient birth narratives--including the accounts of Matthew and Luke--were intended to be historical. The overarching aim of Gospel Birth Narrative and Historiography is not so much to argue that the Gospel birth narratives are historically true as that they are meant to be historically true. Friedeman thus reframes the discussion of Gospel birth narratives and historiography and in so doing opens a previously closed horizon for historical Jesus scholarship." -- Publisher, page four of cover. |
| Abstract | "Argues on the basis of ancient biographies and text criticism that the Gospel birth narratives are intended to be historical rather than legendary and therefore merit serious historical investigation"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Abstract | "The core argument of Gospel Birth Narratives and Historiography proceeds along three lines: (1) The Gospels are ancient biographies. (2) In ancient biographies, birth narratives were not intended to be legendary but historical. (3) Therefore, the Gospel birth narratives are not intended to be legendary but historical. Part 1 examines birth material in a representative sample of ancient biographies from the works of Cornelius Nepos, Philo of Alexandria, Plutarch, and Suetonius. In each case, Friedeman demonstrates that the writer presents his birth material with historiographic intent (e.g., citing sources, noting differences between sources, evaluating the truth of sources). To show that the samples are not biased, Friedeman provides a summary chart for each author that details historiographic features in both the birth material and non-birth material of their biographies. Part 2 turns to the Gospel birth narratives to consider how the historiographic nature of birth narratives in ancient biography should shape our reading of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2." -- Publisher website. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 233-247) and indexes. |
| Issued in other form | Online version: Friedeman, Caleb T. Gospel birth narratives and historiography Waco, Texas : Baylor University Press, [2025] 9781481320627 |
| LCCN | 2024056194 |
| ISBN | 9781481320603 |
| ISBN | 1481320602 (paperback) |
| ISBN | 9781481324212 (library binding) |
| ISBN | 1481324217 (library binding) |
| ISBN | (adobe electronic book) |
| ISBN | (electronic publication) |
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