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Well done!

'The Plot of Matthew's Gospel," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 2/April 1987, pp. 233-253.

In this article Matera, a Professor of New Testament at the Catholic University, shows that the Gospel of Matthew has a plot. His arguments for this conclusion are 1) a plot consists of events placed in a timely and orderly fashion, 2) the events in Jesus' life are placed in a timely and orderly way in Matthew.

Dr. Matera begins his argument by first showing the necessity of knowing a plot and second giving a definition of the term "plot." He first says that attention to the plot will give the student a better understanding of the first Gospel. Yet he is aware of the fact that the discovery of the plot will "replace a careful redactional study" (p. 234).
To define the term 'plot' Matera uses that of Aristotle, who writes, "By 'plot' I mean here the arrangement of incidents." Adapting this definition to his own, Matera says that 'plot' is the "arrangement of incidents" (p. 235). He says further that the arrangement can be made in two ways: either according to time, or according to causality.

The question then becomes "What is an incident?" Matera defines an incident as an 'event'. And event is "something that happens, something that can be summed up by a verb or a name of action" (p. 236). This definition causes a problem since it is so broad. Some events are more involved that others. The Fall of the Roman Empire is an event that surpasses in the number of incidents the drop in the barometer reading. Hence, Matera is forced to clarify what he means by event and does so with the help of S. Chatman who make the distinction between a 'kernel' and a 'satellite' (p. 237). A kernel is a major event that cannot be deleted from a plot without destroying its arrangement. A kernel in Jesus' life would be the cleansing of the temple. On the other hand, a satellite is a minor event that is able to be omitted from the arrangement of events without harming or confusing the plot.

Having defined 'plot' and 'event', Matera is ready to uncover the arrangement of events in the gospel of Matthew. First he makes a distinction concerning two kinds of arrangements. Second he identifies the kernels in Jesus' life. Third he applies both kinds of arrangements to Matthew.

A discourse may be arranged according to time or according to causality (p. 239). A plot concerns time inasmuch as it must have beginning, a middle and an end. P. Goodman states: "In the beginning anything is possible; in the middle things become probable; in the ending everything is necessary." A plot arranged according to causality has a principle that "knits together a story's chain of events" (p. 236). Events are linked to each other as cause to effect until the conclusion is achieved.
The kernels in Jesus' life are six according to Matera. They are:

The coming of the Messiah (1-4:11).
The Messiah's ministry of preaching, teaching and healing to Israel (4:12-11:1).
The crisis in the Messiah's ministry (11:2-16:12).
The Messiah's journey to Jerusalem (16:13-20:34).
The Messiah's death and resurrection 21-28:15).
The great commission (28:16-20).

Applying these kernels to the two plots according to time and causality to the Gospel of Matthew, Matera writes that the plot according to time shows that it is possible that Israel will reject Jesus as the Messiah. By the middle (11:2-16:12), it is probable that Israel will reject Jesus as the Messiah. By the end, it becomes necessary that Israel rejects Jesus as the Messiah (21:1-28:15) (p. 239).

It would be easy to think that Matthew arranged his plot according to time by starting with the birth of Jesus and ending with his death and resurrection. But the plot of Matthew is much broader in scope and covers the time "between Abraham and the parousia" (p. 241). Matera writes, "The narrator expects the readers to worship Jesus as the risen Lord and to be confident that he is present to the church until the close of the age" (p. 242).

Just as the angels assured Joseph that God is present in Jesus, we are to take confidence knowing that Jesus the Lord has risen.

My jaw drops at the Library Journal review supplied by Amazon of Frank Gado's magnificant Bergman book, but I note it appears to be a very early review. I had been a Bergman fan for years when Gado's book came out and when it did it was like lightning bolt. This is not just some pamphlet to add to your Bergman collection once you've read all the rest. This is the SEMINAL study of Bergman; no one can write about the filmaker in the future without knowing this book. It was the first to get past the religious mumbo-jumbo and the literary high mindedness to discover just what Bergman is actually saying. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, it is, above all, the most compelling psychological study of the director ever attempted. His discussion of "Persona," my own personal favorite Bergman film and admittedly a difficult nut to crack, quite simply renders useless virtually every other critique of the film that had been written previously, and that includes essays by Susan Sontag and a host of others with similarly sharp minds. These pages are filled with insight after insight. The only possible complaint I have is that Gado seems uninterested in the "filmic" quality of Bergman's work. There's little discussion of how the films look and feel via cinematography, framing, sound, lighting, editing, what have you. That's fine. If he hadn't left that for others there'd be little left for anyone to write about.

Robert H. Frank is a genius!

Msgr.Kelly's book explores the various areas of the priesthood in this book and gives honest, solid, and clear insights on matters of everyday priestly ministry. He is not afraid to tackle some tough questions and speaks from his years of experience not only as priest but as theologian. I would recommend this book to any seminarian, priest, or pastor-to-be, even if he feels he "knows it all already" or "has it all down". There is rich wisdom here for everyone!

I suppose I am prejudiced about this book. I have known the author since childhood and also many of the people she writes about in each little "patch of joy". I think it's a great little book and would recommend it to anyone. The copy I have is my second copy which I purchased in order than a friend might have an opportunity to read Patches of Joy. I suppose my first copy, in hard cover, is sitting on someone else's book shelf.

This book is fantastic! It's funny, and full of fun! A "crazy-quilt" girl comes to life, Unc Nunkie turns to stone, and Ojo, along with his friends Bungles the glass cat and Scraps the patchwork quilt girl, goes on a journey to find the ingredients to brink Nunkie back to life. On the way, they make some unusual aquaintances! Filled with great fun!

This series of books is the ultimate reference for industrial hygienists. While the sheer size of Patty's is daunting, it should be on every IH's bookshelf. If you need to know anything about the toxicology of a chemical or other workplace health hazards, chances are it's in Patty's.

Thielman's book is one of the most helpful treatments on this crucial area of biblical studies. His introduction, wherein he gives a thorough and concise treatment on the history of the debates, is alone worth the price of the book. He then takes the reader through all of the Pauline letters, examining their background, presuppositions, and arguments as it relates to Paul's both positive and negative view of the law. Thielman is a master at arguing convincingly for his position without wasting ink--and he is almost always a sure-footed guide through much rocky terrain. In my opinion, this is the best book available today on Paul's view of the law (with Tom Schreiner's _The Law and Its Fulfillment_ as a close second).

This book was my daughter's all time favorite. It is easy to read and provides an introduction to the childhood of this famous American. This book is fiction, allthough based on fact, and is fast paced, exciting reading for your 7-10 year old. We have purchased all the titles by this author!