Gospel Writing

<DIV>That there are four canonical versions of the one gospel story is often seen as a problem for Christian faith: where gospels multiply so too do apparent contradictions that may seem to undermine their truth claims. In <I>Gospel Writing</I> Francis Watson argues that differences and tensions between canonical gospels represent opportunities for theological reflection not problems for apologetics.<br><br>Watson presents the formation of the fourfold gospel as the defining moment in the reception of early gospel literature -- and also of Jesus himself as the subject matter of that literature. As the canonical division sets four gospel texts alongside one another the canon also creates a new complex textual entity more than the sum of its parts. A canonical gospel can no longer be regarded as a definitive self-sufficient account of its subject matter. It must play its part within an intricate fourfold polyphony and its meaning and significance are thereby transformed.<br><br>In elaborating these claims Watson proposes nothing less than a new paradigm for gospel studies — one that engages fully with the available noncanonical material so as to illuminate the historical and theological significance of the canonical.</DIV>