The Beginning of the Gospel. Volume 1

“The Beginning of the Gospel” is a new work by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk (Alfeev) and the first in a series of six books under the general title “Jesus Christ. Life and Teaching.”

The entire series is biographical in nature, since its central theme is the human story of Jesus Christ. One of the book’s main tasks is to recreate a living image of Jesus based on the available sources and to present His teaching as it is reflected in the Gospels. Special attention in the first book of the series is given to the features of His character and worldview—especially the characteristics of His manner of communicating with people.

“The Beginning of the Gospel” opens with an introductory section devoted to the main directions of contemporary research in the field of the New Testament. A critical assessment is offered of searches for “the historical Jesus” outside church tradition, and another method for studying the Gospels is proposed, after which it is applied step by step in the sections of the book devoted to the opening chapters of the four Gospels. Difficult questions of biblical scholarship—including the so-called “contradictions” in the Gospels—are not ignored, but, on the contrary, are examined consistently and carefully.

The series “Jesus Christ. Life and Teaching” will be continued by the following books: “The Sermon on the Mount,” “The Miracles of Jesus,” “The Parables of Jesus,” “The Lamb of God. Jesus in the Gospel of John,” and “Death and Resurrection.” The monumental six-volume work is intended to answer the key questions about Jesus Christ: “What did Jesus bring to people, and why does He matter for a modern person? Two thousand years have passed since He lived and taught—why are His image and preaching still relevant? What can Jesus give us who live in the 21st century, with all its complexities, challenges, problems, and tragedies?”