The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism

by Kurt Aland, Barbara Aland, Erroll F. Rhodes (Translator)

A definitive introduction to New Testament textual criticism, this book includes a comparison of the major editions of the New Testament, detailed description and analysis of the manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, and discussion on the value of the early versions. This second edition contains two new supplementary essays as well as revised plates, tables, and charts.

Genres: Religion, History, Theology, Reference, Christianity, New Testament, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who hardly even knows the Greek alphabet, this book is a little over my head, but it is really interesting. This is a great overview since I don't have time to do all the study I wish I could do. I learned about miniscules, the Nestle-Aland (I always wondered what it was compared to the Byzantine text!), papyrus, basic textual criticism... lots of really awesome stuff!

[Tovis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely dense to read. Packed with information in both Koine and English. I have a better understanding of Textual Criticism after reading this book. If I learned Koine, I would probably have a much better understanding of it. The book could easily be used as reference after reading. I plan to read Metzger and Ehrman's book as well.

[Vanjr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very difficult but important read due to the topic. If you read or have a decent knowledge of Greek this would be a great help. This covers the topic of textual criticism, an area that you do not learn hardly anything in most "Bible believing" churches. I highly recommend a book on this subject for any one who takes the Bible seriously.

[Colin Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gets a 5-star review for being a little more detailed than Metzger's work, but I prefer Metzger for readability. Every student of New Testament Textual Criticism ought to have both works in their library.

[Paul Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a scholar, but a blogger researching textual criticism. This book is written for people who are either experienced in TC, or are willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to learn about it. This book would not be a good choice for someone who just wants an introduction to TC. Knowing Greek would help in a number of places, but I was able to get quite a bit out of the book without knowing Greek.

[Nicholas A. Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the Twentieth Century, the Alands were perhaps the leading voice in the field of Textual Criticism. Of course they have a bias in the interpretation of the data. However, the information presented is invaluable. The book itself is very dense, and laden with Greek and terms not known by the average reader. However, the lists of manuscripts, comparison of Greek Texts, and other plain information presented was well worth the book. An updated copy of the book may be of more value given that it would have added discoveries to the lists.

I’m not certain if I will read the book through again, but I will keep it to use for resource of the information.

[Steve Irby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarantine-Book #9:
I just finished "The Text of the New Testament," by Aland and Aland.

No joke, much respect to textual critics. This was a slog. Textual criticism is like Indiana Jones totally focused on the text of scripture through the ages, no Nazis, no bull whip, no ark of the covenant, no monkey brains or Short Round. Sean Connery: nope. That whole rope bridge scene where Indy yells "Mola Ram! Prepare to meet Kali...in [hot place]" before he severs the ropes with his machete? Not even close.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a necessary though not enjoyable reference book for students of the Greek New Testament. At times, it labors at details that are hardly helpful since it cannot go deep enough to deal adequately with the matter, but it’s not meant to be read through straightforwardly (though that’s what I did). The worse part of this book is now that it is dated and must be supplemented substantially. Still, the legacy of the Alands upon the study of the Greek New Testament makes this an important read (especially for deciphering the apparatus of a critical text).

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dense and thorough introduction to Text Criticism of the New Testament. The authors cover a wide range of topics, history of the Greek Text, various ways of categorizing texts (Papyrus, Majuscules, Minuscules), the major text groupings, and outline a method of how to actually “do” text criticism. An essential read for anyone desiring to do serious text critical work.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, if dry, introduction to the subject. Not as interesting as I thought it would be, but them's the breaks I guess.