Wish List

Well, I've been thinking about my own wish list at the moment. And here's what I've come up with:

The Original Story: God, Israel, and the World: John Barton and Julia Bowden

Basically I want this book because I'm always on the look out for solid introductions to the Hebrew scriptures. I feel my knowledge of this corpus is woefully lacking and thus I do try and read some good books that aren't too technical but written by scholars who can be trusted to be reliable guides in this field. In this case, I think Barton and Bowden have done us a great service.

Studying the Historical Jesus: C. A. Evans & Bruce Chilton

A must have for every serious historical Jesus scholar. And since that's what I want to be one day, this is a must have, must read, must know very well book that outlines and details the contemporary state of scholarship on the historical Jesus. Issues ranging from methods to archaeology to the resurrection are covered by fine scholars who have made significant contributions in the field.

The Gospel of Matthew: John Nolland

If the precis is right, Nolland will argue for much of material in this gospel as relating back to, and having its origins in, the words and ministry of Jesus. Nolland has shown himself to be a fine exegete in his three volume commentary on Luke and so I'm very interested to see what he'll do with Matthew. Even though I'm sceptical of new arguments and material for an early dating [although very interested] this should prove a valuable book on the gospel that is desperately needed.

Four Gospels and the One Jesus: Martin Hengel

Written by possibly the greatest new testament scholar alive providing us with powerful arguments about the gospels, their respective authors and how they were assembled and written this is a must read for any serious student of the gospels.

Jesus and the Kingdom of God: Beasley-Murray

A fine survey, even though it is slightly dated, of the kingdom of God material and the scholarship that surrounds and intrudes upon this topic. Beasley-Murray has done his homework well and this book will provide a necessary reading for my thesis on the kingdom.

Jesus and His Death and The Historical Jesus in Recent Research which I mentioned below, would also be nice, once they're published! McKnight is definitely one of my favourite scholars. A New Vision for Israel is one of the most helpful books on the historical Jesus that I've read. Even though I think the categories that the book exlore are based on T.W. Manson's books, the content is well worth it. Especially the chapters on conversion!

Notably all these books have to do with my thesis - so that's why I want to read them! But I think I'll have to wait until the end of this year before looking at getting these. New Zealand is a better place to buy and even order books! Now if only there was a benefactor in NZ that could sponsor me some books. I wonder who's that kind? Come on Eddie! :)