Matthew

"A refreshing feature of this kind of commentary is that comment is disciplined and shaped in relation to what is significant for Christian faith. In a relatively small book, there is substantial discussion of a whole host of issues that are of profound importance to Christians. . . . The commentary is the work of one capable of acute observation and profound thought. At his best Hauerwas shows some real sensitivity to Matthew's story-telling technique. . . . There is certainly much to challenge and inspire Christian readers." -- John Nolland , Review of Biblical Literature "[Hauerwas] continually draws Matthean motifs together with similar features in the rest of the Bible and shows where subsequent generations found the basis for their doctrinal reasoning. . . . This commentary serves readers admirably by connecting the points that lie between the first and twenty-first centuries and by reminding readers that Matthew's Gospel has played a deep, broad role in centuries of theological reflection." -- A. K. M. Adam , Christian Century "In this work, all of Hauerwas's strengths--his Christocentrism, his theological passion, his rigorous and demanding love for the gathered church--are amplified through the words of the evangelist to serve as a resource for preaching and teaching in the church. I for one am much more likely to turn here than to any more typically modern commentary for help in preaching." -- Jason Byassee , Books & Culture "Hauerwas attends to the Gospel chapter by chapter, teasing out theological themes while resisting the temptation to create a systematic Christology. He draws on theologians like Barth, Augustine, Origen, and especially Bonhoeffer, whom he quotes and paraphrases often, as well as New Testament scholars and eclectic writers like Wendell Berry. Insightful and provocative, Hauerwas adds a valuable theological perspective to the Gospel of Matthew." -- Publishers Weekly "The value of the commentary is its bringing Matthew into unity with the rest of the biblical witness to the Gospel as that witness has been expounded by the church. The soundness of the commentary lies in Hauerwas's own theology having been honed by the church. . . . This Brazos series can play an important role in reminding one of the community's indispensable role in understanding the Bible, and Hauerwas's contribution to the series is a formidable one indeed!" -- Gene L. Davenport , Catholic Biblical Quarterly