Understanding Matthew: The Early Christian Worldview of the First Gospel
Westerholm, associate professor of religious studies at Canada's McMaster University and author of several previous works, begins this unique study with a lengthy discussion of the meaning of "worldview" and its impact on biblical studies, exploring the sometimes-utopian sounding teachings of Matthew's gospel in the context of an unfair and cruel world. He then parallels Matthew's experience with that of German clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who would die a martyr as the era of Nazi terror drew to an end. Westerholm views both men as exemplars of righteousness in a world unfriendly to godly principles. How does one make sense of the seeming randomness of life? Does God really direct history? According to Westerholm, although the kind of living that Matthew calls for seems unreasonable, Christians like Bonhoeffer demonstrate that, even in the most severe of circumstances, one can live a righteous life. For both Jesus and Bonhoeffer, commitment to the godly ideal led to their deaths. "Everything in Matthew hinges on the truth of the claims that Goodness-not chaos, indifference, or evil-lies at the source of all life." Westerholm insists this Goodness must underlie one's experience if one wishes to escape a meaningless life. This book merits a wide readership among scholars and students alike, as it challenges and inspires the reader toward a deeper Christian experience.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.