{"product_id":"gospel-birth-narratives-and-historiography-reopening-a-closed-case-paperback","title":"Gospel Birth Narratives and Historiography: Reopening a Closed Case - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eCaleb T. Friedeman\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScholars today tend to view the birth narratives of Jesus as substantially less reliable than the rest of the canonical Gospel accounts. Indeed, many recent studies of the historical Jesus pass over his birth altogether or provide only scant commentary. A primary reason for this skepticism is intent oriented: ancient birth narratives (so the argument goes) were meant to be legendary, not historical, and so the Gospel birth narratives, too, should be understood as essentially legendary. Caleb Friedeman challenges this skepticism and argues that ancient birth narratives--including the accounts of Matthew and Luke--were intended to be historical.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe core argument of \u003ci\u003eGospel Birth Narratives and Historiography\u003c\/i\u003e proceeds along three lines: (1) The Gospels are ancient biographies. (2) In ancient biographies, birth narratives were not intended to be legendary but historical. (3) Therefore, the Gospel birth narratives are not intended to be legendary but historical. Part 1 examines birth material in a representative sample of ancient biographies from the works of Cornelius Nepos, Philo of Alexandria, Plutarch, and Suetonius. In each case, Friedeman demonstrates that the writer presents his birth material with historiographic intent (e.g., citing sources, noting differences between sources, evaluating the truth of sources). To show that the samples are not biased, Friedeman provides a summary chart for each author that details historiographic features in both the birth material and non-birth material of their biographies. Part 2 turns to the Gospel birth narratives to consider how the historiographic nature of birth narratives in ancient biography should shape our reading of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe overarching aim of \u003ci\u003eGospel Birth Narratives and Historiography\u003c\/i\u003e is not so much to argue that the Gospel birth narratives \u003ci\u003eare\u003c\/i\u003e historically true as that they \u003ci\u003eare meant to be\u003c\/i\u003e historically true. Friedeman thus reframes the discussion of Gospel birth narratives and historiography and in so doing opens a previously closed horizon for historical Jesus scholarship.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCaleb T. Friedeman\u003c\/b\u003e (PhD, Wheaton College) is David A. Case Chair of Biblical Studies and associate research professor of New Testament at Ohio Christian University. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Revelation of the Messiah\u003c\/i\u003e and coauthor of \u003ci\u003eThe Doctrine of Good Works Gospel \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHoliness.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 281\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.64 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 01, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42690687041632,"sku":"9781481320603","price":82.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0598\/1922\/9280\/files\/aHX3U64Wqi9781481320603.webp?v=1775785876","url":"https:\/\/bijoucc.myshopify.com\/products\/gospel-birth-narratives-and-historiography-reopening-a-closed-case-paperback","provider":"CARIBBEAN CONNECT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}