The four canonical gospels arose in unique circumstances in different parts of the Roman Empire. This book studies the gospels as formative documents that reveal how these four communities refracted the life of Jesus to express their unique community life in their historical contexts. Reading Mark, Matthew, Luke and Acts, and John as distinct communities with particular systems of formation, this book explores the differences between the gospels, while providing four windows on the development of primitive Christianity.

Richard Valantasis is Professor of Asceticism and Christian Practice and the Director of the Anglican Studies Program at Candler School of Theology / Emory University. Among his numerous publications are The Gospel of Thomas, The New Q: Translation and Commentary, Third-Century Spiritual Guides, Centuries of Holiness, and The Beliefnet Guide to Gnosticism. He is also the editor of Religions of Late Antiquity in Practice and co-editor of Asceticism.
An artist as well as a teacher and scholar, Deborah J. Haynes is Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
James D. Smith III is Associate Professor of Church History at Bethel Seminary San Diego and Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego. He also serves on the pastoral staff of College Avenue Baptist Church.
After many years on staff at several scholarly and educational publishers, Janet F. Carlson is currently an independent editor and writer. She has been a friend and admirer of Margaret R. Miles for twenty-five years.

Introduction
Chapter 1: Portal to the Gospel of Mark
Chapter 2: The Gospel of Mark
Chapter 3: Portal to the Gospel of Matthew
Chapter 4: The Gospel of Matthew
Chapter 5: Portal to the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 6: The Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 7: Portal to the Gospel of John
Chapter 8: The Gospel of John
Chapter 9: A Theological Conclusion