Francis J. Moloney

Francis Moloney’s new book takes its inspiration from the critically acclaimed publications of the renowned biblical scholar Raymond E. Brown—The Birth of the Messiah and The Death of the Messiah. In The Resurrection of the Messiah, Moloney provides a narrative reading of the resurrection stories in Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. His focus is almost entirely upon the text itself. Guided by current scholarship, he uncovers the perennial significance of the four resurrection narratives, accepted and read as “Sacred Scripture” in the Christian tradition. Without disregarding the historical background that must be understood for an appreciation of the story, a narrative commentary attempts to trace the intended impact of that story upon its readers. This reading and interpretative process uncovers the literary structure of a passage, and then follows the unfolding of the narrative itself, allowing it to speak for itself. The thrust of the book is to uncover the unique theological and pastoral message communicated by means of the narratives. Moloney concludes that “we rejoice in what Jesus has done for us in and through the resurrection. This is especially true in our current era, when Christian institutions and practice are under threat from many sides, and also from the way Christianity is lived by many of us. The stories of the resurrection of the Messiah assure us that Jesus’ promises come true, that our fears, doubts, failures, and sin are overcome, as we are sent out again and again on mission, accompanied by the never-failing presence of Jesus in the gift of his Spirit.” †

One of Australia's greatest scripture theologians, Francis J Moloney SDB, again brings the world of the gospels to life in this addition to the Friendly Guide series of books. He introduces us to the Gospel of Mark in a style that is not only friendly, but which provides a foundation for any further study of Mark and the relevance of this gospel as we live our own modern lives. Moloney explains that while the Gospel of Mark is the shortest, it is in some ways the most challenging of the four Gospels. From what we have already seen in tracing the relationship between Jesus and the disciples in the Gospel, it is clear that there are at least two parts to the Gospel. The first is set in Galilee, and it closes with Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus' prohibiting the disciples to say anything about this. The rest of the story has Jesus and the disciples either 'on the way' to Jerusalem, or in Jerusalem. The second half of the story tells the surprising message that Jesus can only be the Messiah and the Son of God as the suffering and dying Son of Man who will be raised by God. It is predicted and then acted out in the account of Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Francis J Moloney SDB is an internationally renowned scripture scholar and former leader of the Australian province for the Society of Don Bosco.

No other book of the New Testament has attracted as much attention from commentators as the Fourth Gospel. It has stirred minds, hearts, and imaginations from Christianity's earliest days. In The Gospel of John, Francis Moloney unfolds the identifiable point of view" of this unique Gospel narrative and offers readers, heirs to its rich and widely varied interpretative traditions, relevance for their lives today. The Gospel of John's significance for Christianity has been obvious from the time of Irenaeus. It was also fundamental in the emergence of Christian theology, especially in the trinitarian and christological debates that produced the great ecumenical Councils, from Nicaea to Chalcedon. What sets this commentary on the Fourth Gospel apart from others is Moloney's particular attention to the narrative design of the Gospel story. He traces the impact the Johannine form of the Jesus story has made on readers and explicates the way in which the author has told the story of Jesus. Through this he demonstrates how the Gospel story articulates a coherent theology, christology, and ecclesiology."

Moloney offers a close reading of the crucial middle section of the Gospel of John, taking the reader on a journey as Jesus' ministry unfolds. Among events dealt with are Jesus' walk on the Sea of Galilee, the description of the Good Shepherd, and the resurrection of Lazarus. The present volume represents the continuation of Moloney's ongoing narrative commentary on the Gospel, a sequel to his earlier 'Belief in the Word', which focused on chapters 1-4.

The earliest and briefest of the four Gospels has traditionally been ascribed to a disciple named Mark In some ages it been overshadowed by its lengthier neighbors in the New Testament, but its pages hold rich rewards for those who ask the right questions. Who was "Mark," and what were his purposes--historical, theological, or otherwise? How does he shape his story of Jesus, and what interpretation of the origins of Christianity does that shaping reveal? More particularly, what is his understanding of his central character, Jesus of Nazareth? And finally, what abiding value does his story hold for those who read this "good news" as a key part of the charter of the Christian church in its life today? Seminarians, other graduate students and advanced undergraduates, pastors, and other readers seeking an introduction to the Gospel of Mark through the lens of sensitive literary, historical, and theological scholarship need look no further. In Mark: Storyteller, Interpreter, Evangelist, Francis J. Moloney offers the fruits of top-level biblical scholarship in a broadly accessible format. Students and professors alike will appreciate and profit from his fresh and lucid presentation of the message of one of the Christian faith's earliest and most enigmatic proponents and the inventor of its most revered literary genre.

When Raymond E. Brown died in 1998, less than a year after the publication of his masterpiece, An Introduction to the New Testament, he left behind a nearly completed revision of his acclaimed two-volume commentary on the Gospel of John. The manuscript, skillfully edited by Francis J. Moloney, displays the rare combination of meticulous scholarship and clear, engaging writing that made Father Brown’s books consistently outsell other works of biblical scholarship. An Introduction to the Gospel of John represents the culmination of Brown’s long and intense examination of part of the New Testament. One of the most important aspects of this new book, particularly to the scholarly community, is how it differs from the original commentary in several important ways. It presents, for example, a new perspective on the historical development of the Gospels, and shows how Brown decided to open his work to literary readings of the text, rather than relying primarily on the historical, which informed the original volumes. In addition, there is an entire section devoted to Christology, absent in the original, as well as a magisterial new section on the representation of Jews in the Gospel of John.

Moloney's literary-historical commentary offers a close reading of the final section of the Gospel of John, taking the reader on a journey through Jesus' final night and his ministry's climax in passion, death, and resurrection. Concluding his unique trilogy, Moloney shows how the reader is led on a journey of faith by the Gospel writer, culminating in belief in Jesus the Christ and having life in his name, despite his absence.

Moloney offers a close reading of the crucial middle section of the Gospel of John, taking the reader on a journey as Jesus' ministry unfolds. Among the events dealt with are the cure of a cripple on the sabbath, Jesus' walk on the sea of Galilee, and the description of the good shepherd.

Until now, no commentary on John's Gospel has been available that integrates their findings for students and scholars. Moloney meets this need with a pioneering commentary that focuses on the text itself and its impact on the reader. "This innovative book applies the insights of narrative criticism to the talent of commentary writing. . . ".--R. Alan Culpepper, Baylor University.