What Books to Start With When Beginning NT Studies

It can be quite overwhelming for new students of Biblical studies to get their feet on the ground once they enter the foray of this intense discipline. Centuries of research condensed in millions of pages of scholarship. It's all a bit much. Even I, as a seasoned student of the discipline, am routinely discovering new journals that have apparently been around for decades. How can a modern student absorb so much information? 

For the benefit of fresh students looking to start their journey and get a solid grounding in what the academic literature says about the New Testament, I have provided an overview of my bare-bones essential readings from my personal library. These are the books that will give those who are just now venturing into this world an anchor to hold onto regarding the purpose, trends, and future of New Testament studies. Though by no means an exhaustive list, it's a start.

Start with... the Bible!

The first item on the above list might come as a shocker, but is one that I find to be indispensable: The New Oxford Annotated Bible. The fundamental prerequisite to any academic study of the Bible entails that one has actually read the Bible! A comprehensive survey of the biblical texts, from their narratives to their origins, is absolutely necessary if you wish to enter this world. Yes, this does mean reading it from cover to cover. Ugh!

My Oxford Bible makes this task far less gruelling. As well as including all the biblical texts as well as the apocrypha, each chapter has introductions for each book explaining the text for those who may never have read them before. and  My version of this is the NRSV fifth edition (though any edition from this century will suffice if you can get your hands on it) which benefits from a clear modern translation and innumerable footnotes which are dotted on every page presenting issues in contemporary scholarship. Sure, you can read it all on biblehub.com, but if you're a bibliophile like me, you'll appreciate the company of a proper Bible.

I only wish to emphasise the need to have a physical Bible simply because of the plethora people who thrust themselves into this field without a sufficient understanding and appreciation of the primary literature; they can be found in both Christian and non-Christian camps. Many amateur commentators often make assertions about the New Testament without ever having sat down and read it back-to-back. It may be over 2000 pages long, but the investment is worth it.

Introducing the Introductions

The next tome on this list is one that further lays the groundwork for our study of the New Testament: An Introduction to the New Testament by the late, legendary Raymond E. Brown. One of the most prolific Catholic scholars of the last century, Brown's Introduction has been standard reference material for students since the 1990s. As the title suggests, Brown introduces the student to matters relevant to beginning the study of New Testament literature: origins, themes, interpretations, etc. This weighty book pretty much has it all.

It is important to have at least one "Introduction to the New Testament" on your shelf for reference. There is, however, a large selection of potential picks for which "Introduction" you can acquire. Other "Introductions" are Donald Guthrie's New Testament Introduction (1990) (which remains the best work from a traditionalist perspective), and Werner Kummel's Einleitung in das Neuen Testament (1973). These texts are older but are also easily obtainable. They provide valuable insights into the scholarship of the respective author's time and are often still relevant despite their longevity. Other "Introductions" I wholeheartedly recommend are those by Helmut Koester (1982) and Donald Hagner (2012).

I must stress, however, that Brown's Introduction is almost unanimously seen as the best one to date. Despite being a good three decades old, it maintains a firm grasp on the relevant issues in biblical scholarship. This is reinforced by Brown's centrist positioning between the traditionalist and critical perspectives which helps provide a clear and charitable balance: no position on either side is advanced without being subject to criticism—the hallmark of a good scholar.

Following the Trends

The next two volumes I will discuss in tandem: The Face of New Testament Studies (2004) and The State of New Testament Studies (2019) both edited by Scott McKnight with the help of Grant Osbourne and Nijay Gupta respectively. Still struggling to get a hang of the trends in New Testament scholarship? Both of these texts will alleviate the burden. Containing essays from a wide diversity of scholars, both volumes provide essential insight into historical, sociological, literary, and theological analyses of the New Testament. Reading both books side-by-side reveals how far the field has advanced in the 15 years separating them.

I should mention that, although being published by Baker (a very evangelical and typically conservative publishing group), the balance of perspectives advanced in these books is incredibly pleasing, to the point where I think that some positions advanced in both texts would be troubling to a theologically conservative audience. But this is a good thing. It shows that these books—contributed to and published by mostly traditionalist authors—are engaging with the wider debate in published literature. Never allow any biases against publishers cloud your judgement as to what books you should or shouldn't read.

Barebones Basics

The final group of texts to help a beginning student are the various publications under the T&T Clark Approaches to Biblical Studies series. The five volumes I have above are just a few in my collection on the New Testament and biblical studies in general: Steve Moyise's Introduction to Biblical Studies (2013), Moyise and Clive Marsh's Jesus and the Gospels (2015), Jan van der Watt's Introduction to the Johannine Gospel and Letters (2007), David Horrell's Introduction to the Study of Paul (2015), and Daniel Lockett's Introduction to the Catholic Epistles |(2011).

I myself was introduced to this series during a module on Paul at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. All of Horrell's work on Paul is magisterial, but his Introduction to Paul and the study of his life and letters is one the best ways to get into this subject. Prior to my study of Paul I found him to be an uninteresting oddity in New Testament studies; a man of bizarre vernacular and a clouded background. Now he is virtually the centrepiece of my academic focus. How these books have not received wider attention is beyond me: they are succinct, clear, and maximally relevant to the modern student.

These are the books that I personally recommend to beginner students. Not just to sit on your shelf and look pretty (although they are certainly good for that), but to actually be perused for their invaluable information. These books speak to more than dry academic study: a passion for knowledge and appreciation of literature that continues to wield great influence—fair or ill—in the world today. My love for the New Testament was forged in the fire of a dwindling faith but emerged from that crisis stronger than ever. I fear that without these books, that passion would have died a long time ago. You don't have to get all of them to be a biblical scholar. But these kind of books are what makes the backbone of every academic in this field.