Matthew as Story: Second Edition

by Jack Dean Kingsbury

Book Overview

This work uses literary (narrative) criticism to explore the world of the evangelist Matthew. The focus is on the plot of the gospel story, with discussions of the storylines, Jesus' speeches and journey, the disciples' experiences, and the contemporary community. The book is a completely revised and enlarged version of the first edition. Two chapters have been added: one discussing the speeches of Jesus and one tracing the storline of the religious...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800620992
• ISBN13: 9780800620998
• Release Date: August 1988
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A pioneering study

This book by Jack Dean Kingsbury, who is widely recognized as a pioneer in the literary-critical interpretation of Matthew's Gospel, is a revised and enlarged edition of a study that first appeared in 1986. Building on the work of literary theorist Seymour Chatman and others, Kingsbury interprets the First Gospel in terms of plot, characters, and settings. Along with the story of the narrative, or "what" the story tells us, Kingsbury analyzes the discourse of the narrative, or "how" the story is told: The subject matter includes, among other things, what narrative critics call the "implied author," the "narrator," the "evaluative point of view," and the "implied reader." The concept of "implied reader" is important to Kingsbury's analysis of the Gospel, and his explanation of the term is interesting: "[I]t refers to an imaginary person who is to be envisaged, in perusing Matthew's story, as responding to the text at every point with whatever emotion, understanding, or knowledge the text ideally calls for. Or to put it differently, the implied reader is that imaginary person in whom the intention of the text is to be thought of as always reaching its fulfillment." What should be ultimately significant to real readers therefore is that the text, understood as Kingsbury would have us understand it, prods us to read from the vantage point of the implied reader (to the extent that such is possible), so that the intention of the text may "reach its fulfillment" in us. Approached that way, Matthew's Gospel has power to transform the reader. According to Kingsbury, Matthew's story, like all good stories, has a beginning (the presentation of Jesus to the reader), a middle (the teaching, preaching, healing mission of Jesus to Israel and Israel's repudiation of Jesus), and an ending (the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem, his suffering, death and resurrection). In terms of salvation history, it encompasses two epochs: the time of prophesy (OT), and the time of fulfillment, which is the time of Jesus (earthly and exalted). Kingsbury traces the story lines of Jesus, who is the main character (protagonist); of the religious leaders treated collectively as the antagonist; and of the disciples of Jesus. The central motif is that of escalating conflict: between Jesus and the religious leaders (and to a lesser extent, the public), and between Jesus and the disciples. The resolution of the conflict in both cases is related to the crucifixion of Jesus. From the point of view of the religious leaders, a false messiah meets with his deserved end and Israel is "purged of evil." But from the point of view considered as normative throughout Matthew's story - the "evaluative point of view" of God with which Jesus (as well as the "narrator") is in complete accord - the resolution of the conflict occurs as Jesus is resurrected (vindicated) and the leaders stand condemned. The conflict between Jesus and his disciples is of a different nature. Although through Jesus the dis

Treats the Gospel of Matthew in its own right

Jack Dean Kingsbury is a Lutheran (ELCA) and serves as professor of Biblical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. "Matthew as Story" is a narrative-critical analysis of the Biblical Gospel of Matthew; that is to say that Kingsbury treats this Gospel as one would treat any peace of narrative literature with plot, characters, setting, rising action, climax, etc. The first (and longest) chapter is an introduction to literary criticism, lays out most of Kingsbury's suppositions (e.g. how Matthew is structured), and introduces literary terms even as he applies them to Matthew's Gospel. Most helpful in this chapter is his brief introductions to the "characters" (Jesus, the religious leaders, the disciples, etc.), the setting, the themes/motifs, and the overall message of Matthew. Chapters Two through Four cover the four basic divisions of the Gospel of Matthew: 1:1-4:16 (the reader's introduction to Jesus, the prophesied Son of David/Abraham), 4:17-16:20 (Jesus' teaching, preaching, and healing ministry to the Jews, his escalating conflict with the religious leaders, and his instruction of the disciples), and 16:21-28:20 (His journey to Jerusalem where he is killed and resurrected, his final commission to the disciples). The following chapters deal with aspects of Matthew's Gospel topically: The use of the term "Son of Man" (Chapter 5), Jesus' speeches (Chapter 6), a thorough analysis of Jesus' enemies (Chapter 7) and disciples (Chapter 8), and finally Kingsbury's theory about who Matthew was and to whom he wrote (Chapter 9). While the prose can be difficult at times, the author does his reader a great service by frequently using concluding paragraphs and summaries (his "Concluding Remarks" section at the end of the book even sums up the entirety of this work). This reader found this book extremely helpful in my understanding of the Gospel of Matthew. Kingsbury treats Matthew in its own right (as opposed to finding connections with Mark, Luke, and John) and thus brings out many themes that tend to get overlooked. His analysis of the personality and motivation of Jesus, the disciples, and the other characters make them more vivid; his outline of Matthew is convincing; and his presentation of the "narrator/author" brings out the reason why Matthew wrote his Gospel (as opposed to John, Mark, and Luke). Kingsbury's analyses make me more equipped to read Matthew, teach it, and preach on it. There were some aspects of this book that were not helpful. These include Kingsbury's treatment of Jesus' Trinitarian identity, his treatment of Jesus' major speeches, and finally, the whole of Chapter 9. As it relates to Jesus' identity within Matthew's Gospel, Kingsbury is not incorrect in what he writes, but rather fault lies in the fact that he did not write enough about Jesus' identity. He shows that Matthew viewed Jesus' birth as prophesied and his relationship with God the Father as a loving-Father-and-perfectly-obedient-so

Good theological background on the Book of Matthew

Kingsbury does an excellent job at examing the background and aspect of the Gospel bearing Matthew's name. He takes a look at almost every conceivable topic that can come up with a Gospel study. The only problem that comes out of his book is that it is set at a very difficult reading level and probably only theologians and pastors will understand much of it. But for those people that can understand the material the material is amazing.