Backgrounds Quote by John Shelby Spong
“I've probably read maybe by now fifteen, twenty books on Matthew. I'd say the authors I like best are an English fellow named Michael Goulder, who taught at the University of Birmingham in England, and he writes about the Jewish background in Matthew's gospel, which is part of what I was just talking about, which is just really thrilling to me.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Gospel According to John Shelby Spong, 2010
He admires scholars who explore Matthew’s Jewish roots, finding it exciting and enriching his understanding.
In simple terms: He finds studying Matthew’s Jewish background thrilling.
Key Takeaway
Explore biblical contexts deeply.
Themes
theology
history
scholarship
Matthew
Jewish roots
Mood
curious
enthusiastic
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- seminars
- study groups
- personal reading
- academic courses
Key Concepts
intertextual analysis
cultural context
academic research
Questions to Reflect On
- How does cultural context shape interpretation?
- What other perspectives could broaden insight?
A Different Perspective
Scholarly focus may overlook broader narratives.
![“Another [book on Matthew] is Amy-Jill Levine, who is a Jewish woman who teaches New Testament at the Vanderbilt School of Religion. It's a group of essays by mostly womanly scholars looking at Matthew's gospel through feminists' eyes - very exciting. It opens up all sorts of things that I've never…” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6f2/john-shelby-spong-1488_amy_another-book-on-matthew-is-amy-jill-levi_2427880.jpg)
![“Modern Christians who find Matthew's preoccupation with [Judaism] tedious and even distasteful, should realise that they live in a very different world from that of early Christians, for whom the 'Jewishness' of Jesus and his church was not just a matter of historical interest but an existential…” quote by R.T. France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5f9/r-t-france-147250_christianity_modern-christians-who-find-matthew-s-pre_2916439.jpg)
