Elder, Nicholas A. Gospel Media: Reading, Writing, and Circulating Jesus Tradition. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2024.

Abstract

Nicholas A. Elder’s book, structured in three parts comprising eight chapters plus introduction and conclusion, argues that the canonical Gospels emerged from the intricate, multifaceted media ecology of the first-century Greco-Roman world. His central thesis counters previous New Testament scholarship, which often framed Gospel production and circulation within rigid binaries like orality versus textuality, dictation versus direct composition, public versus private reading, or codices versus scrolls. Elder contends that the Gospels’ reception, composition, and dissemination were instead characterised by diverse and varied media practices prevalent at the time. He finds evidence supporting this complex media system as the actual context for how the Gospels were read, written, and circulated, challenging oversimplified models.