In some ways, the Gospels are like the text of a drama. If youve read the script of a play and then seen it performed, you realize how different a text can be interpreted when it is transferred from page to stage. All of the Gospels were originally read aloud to an audience that was intimately familiar with the background, and that gave the words immediacy, meaning, and vibrancy. In todays world, we are no longer privy to that scenery. In order to fully grasp the message of the gospels, we must bring that context to our minds eyes as much as possible.
What Was the World of Jesus?: A Journey for Curious Pilgrims seeks to provide the necessary scenery so that the Gospels can again be heard in a way that is closer to the experience of that original audience hearing them read aloud. Author Carl Roemer presents it in the form of a journey or pilgrimage, leading us on an adventure into a world that is very different from our own world. On this journey, we can encounter the story behind the storya background that opens up a fresh, new experience of the Gospels and shares the words and actions of Jesus as they were experienced by early Christians.
