Properly good 25 mins on the chronology of the New Testament and the relationships between the authors by Professor Mark Goodacre.

Key Insights

• 📜 1 Thessalonians is suggested as an excellent starting point; students can grasp early Christian concerns about death and the return of Jesus, providing a foundational context for later writings.
  
• 🏡 The “church” as a community gathering in homes, reveals the intimate and grassroots nature of early Christianity.
  
• ⚡ Mark’s Gospel, written in a brisk and urgent tone, reflects the immediacy of the events – contrasting with the later Gospels.
  
• 🤝 The tensions between Paul, Peter, and James illustrate the conflicts that shaped early Christian beliefs and practices.
  
• 🎭 The Gospels often tell stories of marginalized individuals, which may reflect both historical realities and storytelling choices, emphasizing the transformative power of Jesus’ message among those on the fringes of society.
  
• 🧠 Although a christian himself, Dr. Goodacre emphasizes that religious studies should foster critical thinking without the pressure of specific faith perspectives. This approach allows for a more analytical understanding of religious texts.

Dr. Mark Goodacre is Professor of Religious Studies at Duke University. He earned his MA, M.Phil and DPhil at the University of Oxford. His research interests include the Gospels, the Apocryphal New Testament, and the Historical Jesus.