Kenneth E. Bailey
American Presbyterian theologian and New Testament scholar known for interpreting the Bible through Middle Eastern cultural contexts; taught for decades in the Middle East and authored works such as Poet and Peasant, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, and Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes
Cultural Studies in the Gospels
A study of the Gospels that reinterprets key teachings, parables, and narratives through the lens of Middle Eastern culture and language, showing how honor-shame dynamics, village customs, hospitality, and poetic structures shape meaning. Drawing on ancient sources and living traditions, it clarifies passages from birth narratives and the Sermon on the Mount to the Lord’s Prayer and the Prodigal Son, correcting common Western assumptions and revealing a more nuanced portrait of Jesus’ message, compassion, and challenge to social norms.
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