Mark Allan Powell – författare

PREACHINGPowell provides a startling study of how differently the pastor and the congregation interpret Scripture, how this difference affects what the congregation hears in the sermon, and how to bridge this gap with equally startling practical steps.This remarkably fascinating book reveals how significant social location—such as age, gender, nationality, race, and education—is when interpreting the Bible. Illustrated with two studies, Mark Allan Powell demonstrates how this plays out most dramatically in the gulf, often quite wide, between the preacher and the congregation.Every preacher who reads this book will appreciate as never before the significance of social differences in the reception of his or her sermon, will see the unmistakable need to bridge this gap, and will receive clear instruction on how to do just that.

This inaugural Interpretation Bible Commentary volume on Matthew by Mark Allan Powell brings theological and pastoral sensitivity to the text, exploring how the Gospel of Matthew might be understood today by readers who receive it as its intended audience. It leads us to understand how the church can embody God’s abiding presence in the world, to explore how biblical ethics can remain relevant for ever-changing situations, to consider healthy interfaith dialogue between Jews and Christians, and to move progressively toward values of compassion, mercy, justice, and love. Powell’s exegesis emphasizes the Gospel’s sustained critique of coercive power and its support for children, immigrants, and other vulnerable or marginalized populations. It also makes an honest assessment of the text’s legacy, exposing unfortunate ways that it has been used throughout history (e.g., to justify Crusades and colonialism, or to sanction sexism, racism, and anti-Semitism). The volume also offers summaries of 17 prominent themes developed throughout Matthew, with cross-references to discussions of individual passages, and provides several excursuses that illuminate special topics such as worship, the Sermon on the Mount, the presence and absence of Jesus, stewardship, and Jewish responsibility for the death of Jesus.

Emphasizing sound critical exegesis with strong theological sensibilities, the new Interpretation Bible Commentary series features innovative interpretive approaches that help readers engage the biblical text as a source for participating in the larger social world. These new volumes, written by an array of new and diverse authors, are designed to meet the needs of clergy, teachers, and students by inviting readers into the lively work of careful biblical interpretation for the purpose of faithful exposition. Through its engagement with Scripture, the Interpretation Bible Commentary series illumines our relationship with God, one another, and creation so that readers are propelled with new understanding and energy for fulfilling God’s claims on us in our rapidly changing contexts.