Brendan Byrne – författare

Of all the writings of Paul none have made so signal a contribution to Christian life and identity as the Letter to the Galatians and the Letter to the Romans. While written at quite separate stages of his apostolic career and very different in tone, the two letters unite in projecting above all a common Vision of God as a God of grace. Both call for a human response of faith and love, from which will flow a Christian life lived in freedom and hope. 

This commentary brings out these positive emphases in Galatians and Romans, while also remaining sensitive to the part these letters have played in divisions between Protestants and Catholics, on the one hand, and Christian caricature of Judaism, on the other. The aim is to clarify and shed light where Paul can be obscure as well as to bring out the full riches of his powerful presentation of the Good News for the life of believers today.

With this study of the Gospel of Mark, Brendan Byrne completes his trilogy of works on the Synoptic Gospels. Mark, the Cinderella gospel, as Byrne says, languished for millennia in the shadow of Matthew ("the first gospel") and Luke. Beginning in the nineteenth century, scholars uncovered what is now generally accepted as the more likely scenario: that Mark was the pioneer, creating a new literary genre ("gospel") in which to communicate the "Good News of Jesus Christ." This Good News according to Mark is essentially a message of freedom a freedom, however, that does "not come about without cost: a cost to Jesus, a cost to the Father, and a cost to those called to associate themselves with his life and mission." Mark holds out to us both the price and the promise of freedom.

A Costly Freedom joins The Hospitality of God (on Luke) and Lifting the Burden (on Matthew) to make up a set of indispensable companions to the gospels for preachers, teachers, and those who simply want to read the gospels for understanding and a deepening of their spirituality and faith.

Brendan Byrne, SJ, is professor of New Testament at Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. A member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission (1990 ''96) and Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (2000 ''), he is the author of nine books and editor in chief of the theological journal Pacifica.

These profound and inspiring reflections on the Gospel of John will open to preachers, religious, and parish groups interested in Scripture, the treasures that the Fourth Gospel contains for the life of the world.

Brendan Byrne draws on the insights in Life Abounding, his academic commentary on the Fourth Gospel, to enrich the understanding of non-scholars in Come to the Light. Discussion questions provided at the end of each talk serve as a starting point for the reader’s personal contemplation.

This commentary adopts a literary-rhetorical approach, viewing the letter as an instrument of persuasion designed to transform readers through a celebratory presentation of the Gospel. Reflecting upon the fate of Jews and Gentiles, Paul wins his audience to a vision of a God who always acts inclusively. The God who, in the person of Israel's Messiah (Jesus), has acted faithfully to include the Gentile peoples within the community of salvation, will not fail to see to the eventual inclusion of Israel as well. In the victory of grace displayed already in the risen humanity of Jesus, the original design of the Creator for human communities and for the world begins to come true.

The interpretation of Paul's letter to Rome has accompanied and stimulated the path of Christian theology down to today. Romans touches upon virtually all main issues of Christian theology, as well as presenting a rewarding introduction to Paul. Byrne facilitates full access to Paul and his Gospel through the letter, allowing Christians today to hear his voice as intelligibly and powerfully as it has spoken to past generations.