The Synoptic Gospels: An Introduction

Rating:
Summary: A no-surprises introduction
Review: I read the first edition of this book some 20 years ago, just when I discovered Bultmann and fell in love with form criticism. At the time, Nickle's analysis impressed me to no end. But in the two decades between then and now, I've become increasingly suspicious of modern scriptural criticism (no, I'm neither a fundamentalist nor an evangelical!). So my reading of this updated edition has been a less powerful experience.

Nickle's survey of the three synoptics is better than many I've read. His text is fluid, user-friendly, and extremely organized. He gives what I still consider to be the best quick survey of the basics of form criticism available, probably because he keeps torturous teutonic jargon to a minimum.

But the book is relentlessly literary in its approach. Nickle deconstructs the three synoptics in a pretty predictable manner, making sure that he examines context, traces origins, classifies genres, and so on. But what he doesn't do, any more than most other scriptural scholars (hence my dissatisfaction with the approach) is to pretty much ignore the fact that the scriptures are meant to be read from a spiritual (as opposed to a metaphorical or similiac) perspective.

Three quick examples of the blindspots this approach breeds. In examining Matthew's Gospel, Nickle spends almost no time on the central image of the Kingdom, and utterly misses the possibility that the Kingdom is a codeword for present right relationships rather than an abstract eschatological possibility. (In this regard, he uncritically follows the 19th century conclusion that all the authors of scripture were positive the world was about to end.) In his examination of Mark, he gives the standard interpretation of the Messianic secret--Jesus' need to protect himself from the authorities--but doesn't in any way consider the possibility, suggested by Richard Rohr among others, that the messianic secret might also be a way of expressing the difficulty of recognizing the Lordship of Jesus--that most of us, including the original apostles, have a hard time getting what's going on. Finally, in his examination of Luke's gospel, Nickle concludes that Luke's concern for the poor and the abused is a "minor theme," thereby practically dismissing the not-at-all minor spiritual/social dimension to the gospel. How sad.

There's a time and a place for form criticism (as well as all the other critical methods that came out of Germany in the 19th century). But reading scripture in an exclusively textual manner is surely too limiting, and the problem with texts like Nickle's is that they give the impression that such a reading is the only game in town. Thus the heart of the Gospels--story, the spirit--runs the risk of being sidelined. Think of it this way. How weird would it be to read Tolstoy's *War and Peace* primarily to discover the different forms of literary expression it contains? After this rather tedious project is finished and neat classifications of the novel are formulated, the very important question still remains: yes, but what's the STORY?

Rating:
Summary: A no-surprises introduction
Review: I read the first edition of this book some 20 years ago, just when I discovered Bultmann and fell in love with form criticism. At the time, Nickle's analysis impressed me to no end. But in the two decades between then and now, I've become increasingly suspicious of modern scriptural criticism (no, I'm neither a fundamentalist nor an evangelical!). So my reading of this updated edition has been a less powerful experience.

Nickle's survey of the three synoptics is better than many I've read. His text is fluid, user-friendly, and extremely organized. He gives what I still consider to be the best quick survey of the basics of form criticism available, probably because he keeps torturous teutonic jargon to a minimum.

But the book is relentlessly literary in its approach. Nickle deconstructs the three synoptics in a pretty predictable manner, making sure that he examines context, traces origins, classifies genres, and so on. But what he doesn't do, any more than most other scriptural scholars (hence my dissatisfaction with the approach) is to pretty much ignore the fact that the scriptures are meant to be read from a spiritual (as opposed to a metaphorical or similiac) perspective.

Three quick examples of the blindspots this approach breeds. In examining Matthew's Gospel, Nickle spends almost no time on the central image of the Kingdom, and utterly misses the possibility that the Kingdom is a codeword for present right relationships rather than an abstract eschatological possibility. (In this regard, he uncritically follows the 19th century conclusion that all the authors of scripture were positive the world was about to end.) In his examination of Mark, he gives the standard interpretation of the Messianic secret--Jesus' need to protect himself from the authorities--but doesn't in any way consider the possibility, suggested by Richard Rohr among others, that the messianic secret might also be a way of expressing the difficulty of recognizing the Lordship of Jesus--that most of us, including the original apostles, have a hard time getting what's going on. Finally, in his examination of Luke's gospel, Nickle concludes that Luke's concern for the poor and the abused is a "minor theme," thereby practically dismissing the not-at-all minor spiritual/social dimension to the gospel. How sad.

There's a time and a place for form criticism (as well as all the other critical methods that came out of Germany in the 19th century). But reading scripture in an exclusively textual manner is surely too limiting, and the problem with texts like Nickle's is that they give the impression that such a reading is the only game in town. Thus the heart of the Gospels--story, the spirit--runs the risk of being sidelined. Think of it this way. How weird would it be to read Tolstoy's *War and Peace* primarily to discover the different forms of literary expression it contains? After this rather tedious project is finished and neat classifications of the novel are formulated, the very important question still remains: yes, but what's the STORY?

Rating:
Summary: A Fine Blend of Scholarship and Emotion
Review: True to his title, Nickle provides a great introduction to the study of the Synoptic Gospels. He discusses the issues of authorship, date, purpose, recipients, literary dependence, and distinct characteristics of each of the three. These discussions are sandwiched between an opening chapter concerning the gospel tradition and a closing chapter of other considerations related to the Synoptic Gospels.

Although Nickle is a scholarly writer, he manages to write with a style that fits an audience much wider than New Testament specialists. In fact, I became acquainted with this work through a college-level introductory course on the teachings of Jesus. This book is ideal for that kind of situation, and it would probably fit well in seminary courses also.

One of the best things about Nickle's style is the emotion that seeps through in his writing. The reader encounters in _The Synoptic Gospels_ not a dry and detached academician, but a man with great reverence for the gospel tradition who shares in the faith about which he writes. Many times while reading, I could imagine Dr. Nickle's voice raising with excitement as he shared with me the fruits of his study. Such an excitement can have a tendency to rub off on the reader.

I have withheld a perfect score of 5 stars because of some of the presuppositions that are implicit in the author's methods and conclusions. In line with modern critical scholarship, Nickle does not hold to the traditional authorship of the synoptic gospels, gives them late dates, and believes that the early Church was in the habit of creating pericopes and sayings of Jesus that became authoritative gospel material. As a conservative, I had a problem with these implicit assumptions and felt that they were not defended well. However, those matters are minor in light of the book's overall value. It is a wonderful introduction to the subject that would be useful in any minister's library.

Rating:
Summary: A Fine Blend of Scholarship and Emotion
Review: True to his title, Nickle provides a great introduction to the study of the Synoptic Gospels. He discusses the issues of authorship, date, purpose, recipients, literary dependence, and distinct characteristics of each of the three. These discussions are sandwiched between an opening chapter concerning the gospel tradition and a closing chapter of other considerations related to the Synoptic Gospels.

Although Nickle is a scholarly writer, he manages to write with a style that fits an audience much wider than New Testament specialists. In fact, I became acquainted with this work through a college-level introductory course on the teachings of Jesus. This book is ideal for that kind of situation, and it would probably fit well in seminary courses also.

One of the best things about Nickle's style is the emotion that seeps through in his writing. The reader encounters in _The Synoptic Gospels_ not a dry and detached academician, but a man with great reverence for the gospel tradition who shares in the faith about which he writes. Many times while reading, I could imagine Dr. Nickle's voice raising with excitement as he shared with me the fruits of his study. Such an excitement can have a tendency to rub off on the reader.

I have withheld a perfect score of 5 stars because of some of the presuppositions that are implicit in the author's methods and conclusions. In line with modern critical scholarship, Nickle does not hold to the traditional authorship of the synoptic gospels, gives them late dates, and believes that the early Church was in the habit of creating pericopes and sayings of Jesus that became authoritative gospel material. As a conservative, I had a problem with these implicit assumptions and felt that they were not defended well. However, those matters are minor in light of the book's overall value. It is a wonderful introduction to the subject that would be useful in any minister's library.