147 - The Words of Jesus in Our Gospels: A Catholic Response to Fundamentalism

The Words of Jesus in Our Gospels:
A Catholic Response to Fundamentalism
By Stanley B. Marrow
New York, Paulist Press, 1979. 152 pp. $4.95.

Marrow addresses that growing number of Christians who want to search the Scriptures to find life but are confused about how to proceed. Choosing examples from the four Gospels to show the possibility of affirming the authority of the Bible without sacrificing historical and literary criticism, he attempts to provide an alternative to fundamentalism.

Beginning with concrete examples from textual and form criticism, Marrow expands his observations to the achievements of redaction criticism. He paints the evangelists as creative authors influenced by their backgrounds, community needs, and personal goals. Marrow achieves his goal of providing insight and stimulation for his non-specialist audience to study the Gospels as aids in their quest for life.

James M. Reese
St. John's University
New York, N.Y.