Dining With Pharisees (Interfaces)

By Barbara Green and J. Patrick Mullen

Were the Pharisees unfairly portrayed in the New Testament? What would a wider reading of Luke's Gospel reveal? To begin dialoguing with these questions, J. Patrick Mullen focuses on Simon, the Pharisee of Luke 7:36-50, to study and redeem" the Pharisees of early Judaism. With two methodologies, redactional and anthropological, Mullen discusses these questions and analyzes the Pharisaic movement and first-century Judaism by placing the issues within cultural context. Other topics that arise are the fractures between the Christian and Jewish communities, the development of tradition, and the issues of comparing the various Gospels, especially Luke and Mark. To arrive at a unified reading of Luke, Mullen studies how Luke combines various sources to create a thematic focus and uniquely Lukan portrayal of Jesus. Posing and resolving questions, Dining with Pharisees will help bring readers and students to a deeper understanding of the early Jewish and Christian faith communities.

J. Patrick Mullen, PhD, is assistant professor of biblical studies, New Testament, and associate director of pastoral formation/field education at St. John's Seminary, Camarillo, California.

This book is part of the series Interfaces."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814651623
• ISBN13: 9780814651629
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Liturgical Press
• Length: 145 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent historical critical study of a passage of the Luke Gospel

In the first part of the book, the author, J. Patrick Mullen, gives us a concise introduction to modern New Testament scholarship, a knowledge which is indispensable to a good understanding of the way we arrived at the actual text (a study of the sources and the way they were integrated.) In the second part, the author analyses every aspect and detail of the text selected to show their significance in terms of the facts that are described, the author's mind frameworks and the audience to whom the final text was addressed. It is a remarkable study, especially for the newcomer to New Testament modern scholarship. Rabbi Leo M. Abrami

New outlook on Pharisees

I haven't finished this book but found it interesting. Having heard the talk on the subject, I knew what to expect and was glad to continue my education.

Good exegesis of Luke

The author does a good job of explaining the world of Luke so that this book of the Bible takes on a clearer meaning. He dissects the parable of the Dinner with the Pharisee beautifully, shedding new light upon the meaning that the Lukan Jesus wanted to convey. The book gets a little academic at times, and thus can drag, but overall it is a good exegesis.