The serious student of the Bible who is also an Orthodox Christian always had a particular quandary. They could try the commentary of the Church Fathers, which were soundly Orthodox, but might struggle with an awkward translation. They could turn to the over-abundance of Protestant and Catholic Biblical scholarship but those might not reflect the mind of the Orthodox Church.
Into this dilemma comes the highly anticipated SVS Press release, Taught by God: Making Sense of the Difficult Sayings of Jesus by Fr. Daniel Fanous, an Orthodox Biblical scholar and priest. Fanous tackles fifteen of the most difficult sayings of Jesus by expertly weaving together the work of modern scholarship, his own examination of biblical and historical texts, and important cultural and linguistic analyses.
Fanous first always defines both the Galilean and first century Palestinian context of who Christ is as well as the flavor of the Aramaic language that he spoke. He is not afraid to consult the best of Catholic and Protestant Biblical scholarship, and he mines the Old Testament and other Jewish texts for further context and understanding. His conclusions, however, are solidly in line with the mind of the early Church Fathers and with Orthodox theology.
For centuries the difficult sayings of Jesus have confused even accomplished theologians. The question has always been: what did Christ really mean? Taught by God is a triumph for students of the Bible who want to make sure that they are getting a solidly Orthodox interpretation.
Taught by God may be purchased at SVSPress.com or by calling 1-800-204-BOOK (2665).
About the Author
Rev. Dr. Daniel Fanous is dean and lecturer in Theology & Biblical Studies at St. Cyril’s Coptic Orthodox Theological College in Sydney, Australia. He is the author of The Person of the Christ (Regina Orthodox Press) and A Silent Patriarch (SVS Press).
