Bethlehem to Patmos: The New Testament Story by Paul W Barnett and published by Paternoster.
The historian, Paul Barnett, examines the New Testament story and beyond in this revision of his best-selling work, Bethlehem to Patmos. Through this fascinating journey he shows that the New Testament is historically reliable on the life of Jesus and the early experiences of the nascent first-century church. I am thrilled that Paul Barnett's time-honoured orientation to the New Testament will continue to find an audience with this new edition.
In an age in which religion is frequently evaluated by the sound-bytes of its most eccentric representatives, it is essential to find a reliable guide to the actual documents that underlie the Christian faith. Barnett's familiarity with the documents, sane historical judgement, and engaging storytelling make him just such a guide. The work moves swiftly from the events that opened the New Testament era to those that brought it to a close. Along the way, Barnett shows how these events relate to scholarly understanding of the era, what was at stake in interpreting and committing these events to writing, and why these events continue to have significance. The book is immensely useful as a solid orientation for students of the New Testament, and I commend it gladly. Matthew R. Malcolm, Head of New Testament, Trinity Theological College, Western Australia
