Product Description

Beginning with Jesus' birth, Ken Bailey leads us on a kaleidoscopic study of Jesus in the four Gospels. Bailey examines the life and ministry of Jesus with attention to the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, Jesus' relationship to women and especially Jesus' parables.Throughout the author employs his trademark expertise as a master of Middle Eastern culture to lead us into a deeper understanding of the person and significance of Jesus, lifting away the obscuring layers of modern Western interpretation to reveal Jesus in the light of his actual historical and cultural setting.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19298 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

About the Author
KENNETH E. BAILEY is an author and lecturer in Middle Eastern New Testament studies. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he also serves as Canon Theologian of the Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church, USA. He holds graduate degrees in Arabic language and literature, and in systematic theology; his Th.D. is in New Testament. He spent forty years living and teaching New Testament in Egypt, Lebanon, Jerusalem and Cyprus, still holding the title of research professor (emeritus) of Middle Eastern New Testament studies at the Ecumenical Institute (Tantur), Jerusalem. Bailey has written many books in English and in Arabic, including The Cross and the Prodigal, Poet & Peasant, Through Peasant Eyes, Jacob & the Prodigal and Finding the Lost: Cultural Keys to Luke 15.

Customer Reviews

The distillation of a lifetime's scholarship
I was introduced to Kenneth Bailey's work during my first Theology degree. Colin Chapman showed us his ground-breaking reinterpretations of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1-7 (Jesus wasn't born in an inn, the Greek doesn't say that, and it doesn't fit with the Middle Eastern culture of hospitality) and the Parable of the Friend at Midnight in Luke 11 (it isn't about the persistence of the one knocking but about the desire to avoid shame on the part of the one woken up). Not long afterwards, I bought Bailey's Poet And Peasant/Through Peasant Eyes, which expound the Lucan parables, and it is my first point of reference for those passages.

Now, it is a privilege to have this tome. It gathers together his exposition of a number of texts and themes, all illuminated by the knowledge of the Middle East gained from decades living and practising scholarship there. You will find the 'no room at the inn' question treated thoroughly here. You will learn so much more too, all written in a way that feeds both mind and spirit.

My enthusiastic use of this in a Bible Study I lead as a minister has led to members of my congregation treating themselves to copies of it. Bailey writes sufficiently lucidly in this work for it to be appreciated by intelligent non-specialists.

Occasionally he slips from his high standards. The odd Beatitude doesn't get the in depth treatment I'd love to see ('Blessèd are the peacemakers', for example). But overall this is a rich and satisfying gourmet meal that would be a bargain at three times the price.

Just keep 'em coming Ken!
I'll admit it. I'm a bit of Bailey devotee. I thoroughly benefitted from 'Poet & Peasant' and also 'Through Peasant Eyes'. I've eagerly been waiting for this latest volume for around six months, and I have to say that it was definitely worth the wait.
Anyone who wants to understand Jesus from the context of the Gospel narratives will enjoy this one. It is accessible (I would say) to most readers. Bailey uses plain english, and manages to avoid too much technical jargon. His chapters follow a logical structure, and always include a summary of key points at the end. The book is well-written, and a challenge to one's preconceptions - as you read it, he manages to achieve the impossible: the Gospel narratives re-emerge, fresh and alive in their original context. Far from the biblical accounts of Christ's life and ministry being late concoctions (a la Hitchens), what is swiftly evident is how much they depend upon the immediate cultural context. Anyone studying the New Testament should buy this one. Heck - buy two and give one as a present!

A Rich Treasure
Bailey, having lived and worked in the Middle East for the last 40 years, as well as being able to read and translate Arab Christian texts and commentaries, offers a rich treasure for those looking to understand the cultural background to Jesus' parables and life.

I have found it useful for reading and preaching, as Bailey gives fresh insight as to what the listeners of the Jesus' parables would hear and understand.

Great chapters on Jesus' birth, women, parables, and more. Excellent!