Kurt Aland (1915–1994)
Author of Synopsis of the Four Gospels
About the Author
Image credit: Kurt Aland
Series
Works by Kurt Aland
The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern… (1981) 549 copies
The Greek New Testament: 4th Revised Edition with Dictionary. (ISBN: 3-438-05113-3) (1994) 232 copies
A History of Christianity: From the Beginnings to the Threshold of the Reformation (History of Christianity) (1980) 38 copies
Martin Luther's 95 Theses: With the Pertinent Documents from the History of the Reformation (1967) 32 copies
Text und Textwert der griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments; Das Johannesevangelium: V; Band 1:… (1987) 12 copies
The Authorship and integrity of the New Testament : some recent studies by Kurt Aland ... [et al.] (1965) 6 copies
Text Und Textwert Der Griechischen Handschriften Des Neuen Testaments (Arbeiten Zur Neutestamentlichen Textforschung) (1987) 4 copies
Greek New Testament 4 copies
Vollständige Konkordanz zum griechischen Neuen Testament unter Zugrundelegung aller modernen kritischen Textausgaben… (1983) 3 copies
Die Alten Ubersetzungen Des Neuen Testaments, Die Kirchenvaterzitate Und Lektionare: Der Gegenwartige Stand Ihrer… (1972) 3 copies
Das Evangelium Urtext und deutsche Übertragung ; eine Auswahl aus dem Neuen Testament (2014) 3 copies
Luther Deutsch : Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart (Band 1: Die Anfänge) (1982) 3 copies
Luther Deutsch : Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart (Band 2: Der Reformator) (1981) 3 copies
Biblische Papyri, Altes Testament, Neues Testament, Varia, Apokryphen (Patristische Texte Und Studien) (1976) 3 copies
The New Testament: Greek And English, Second Edition: The UBS Greek Text and Today's English Version (1968) 2 copies
Die Korrespondenz Heinrich Melchior Mühlenbergs. aus der Anfangszeit des deutschen Luthertums in Nordamerika / Band… (2015) 2 copies
Das Matthausevangelium: Bd 2.1: Handschriftenliste Und Vergleichende Beschreibung. Bd 2.2: Resultate Der Kollation Und… (2003) 2 copies
Geist und Geschichte der Reformation : Festgabe Hanns Rückert zum 65. Geburtstag : Dargebracht von Freunden, Kollegen… (2015) 2 copies
Text und Textwert der griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments II, Band 1, Die Paulinischen Briefe. Allgemeines,… (1991) 2 copies
Text und Textwert der griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments II, Band 2, Die Paulinischen Briefe. Der 1. und… (1991) 2 copies
Luther Deutsch : Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart (Registerband) (1984) 2 copies
Vollständige Konkordanz zum griechischen Neuen Testament unter Zugrundelegung aller modernen kritischen Textausgaben… (1983) 2 copies
Text Und Textwert Der Griechischen Handchriften Des Neuen Testaments: Die Apostelgeschichte: Untersuchungen Und… (1993) 2 copies
Luther Deutsch : Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart (Band 7: Der Christ in der Welt) (1954) 2 copies
Luther Deutsch : Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart (Band 3: Der neue Glaube) (1961) 2 copies
The Problem of Anonymity and Pseudonymity in Christian Literature of the First Two Centuries 2 copies
A History of Christianity 1 copy
Studia Patristica 1 copy
Greek - Latin Bilingual New Testament - Green Leather Bound / Novum Testamentum Graece Et Latine - Nova Vulgata / 2002… (1972) 1 copy
Vollstandige Konkordanz Zum Griechischen Neuen Testament (Arbeiten Zur Neutestamentlichen Textforschung) (1978) 1 copy
Theologische Existenz heute Nr. 86, Die Säuglingstaufe im Neuen Testament und in der alten Kirche 1 copy
Materialien Zur Neutestamentlichen Handschriftenkunde I (Arbeiten zur neutestamentlichen Textforschung) (German… (1969) 1 copy
A History of Christianity; 2 Volumes Vol 1, from the Beginnings to the Threshold of the Reformation & Vol 2, from the… (1985) 1 copy
Luther Deutsch. Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart. Erzählungsband III (1957) 1 copy
The New Testament Greek and English - Greek Text: United Bible Societies, 2nd Edition / English Text: Today's English… (1981) 1 copy
Studia evangelica, Vol. I 1 copy
Neutestamentliche Entwurfe (Theologische Bucherei ; Bd. 63 : Neues Testament) (German Edition) (1979) 1 copy
Repertorium der Griechischen Christlichen papyri II, kirchenväter - papyri. im Namen der Patristischen Arbeitsstelle… (2013) 1 copy
Text und Textwert der griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments. I, Die katholischen Briefe 1 copy
Luther Deutsch : Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart (Band 10: Die Briefe) 1 copy
Luther Deutsch : Die Werke Martin Luthers in neuer Auswahl für die Gegenwart (Band 9: Tischreden) 1 copy
Associated Works
Zeitrechnung der römischen kaiserzeit, des Mittelalters und der neuzeit für die jahre 1-2000 n. Chr. (1956) — Composer, some editions — 5 copies
Novum Testamentum Graecum, Editio Critica Maior: Parallel Pericopes - Special Volume Regarding the Synoptic Gospels (2005) — Editor, some editions — 4 copies
Exempla historica, Band 25: Humanismus, Renaissance und Reformation. Heilige, Ketzer und Reformatoren (1983) — Author — 2 copies
Das Neue Testament Auf Papyrus: Die Katholischen Briefe (Arbeiten Zur Neutestamentlichen Texforschung, Band 6) (German… (1986) — Foreword — 2 copies
Net Greek English Diglot Nt 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1915-03-25
- Date of death
- 1994-04-13
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- Germany
- Birthplace
- Berlin, Germany
- Place of death
- Münster, Germany
- Places of residence
- Berlin, Germany
Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany - Education
- University of Berlin
- Occupations
- theologian
biblical scholar - Organizations
- Institute for New Testament Textual Research
Saxonian Academy
Goettingen Academy
American Bible Society
Society of Biblical Literature - Awards and honors
- Fellow British Academy
Fellow Academy of the Netherlands
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Statistics
- Works
- 95
- Also by
- 8
- Members
- 3,691
- Popularity
- #6,868
- Rating
- 4.4
- Reviews
- 13
- ISBNs
- 82
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- 6
- Favorited
- 1
This synopsis lists the text of all four gospels in parallel columns of varying width, with gaps or blank columns where an episode is not recounted in a given gospel. The Nestle-Aland 27th Edition Greek text (equivalent to the 4th Revised Edition of the Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament) is printed on each left-hand page, with the English text of the RSV printed with a similar layout on the facing page on the right. Facing Greek and RSV pages have the same page number, so all page numbers are used twice, without any distinguishing symbol to differentiate between them.
The Greek text contains the full critical apparatus from NA27, i.e., the wide range of symbols and references to footnotes that give further details on the rationale behind the textual decisions made. Similarly, the RSV text has detailed textual footnotes produced by the translators of that version. These footnotes may save some time for some researchers but are likely to be ignored by most people who just wish to read the text and compare the accounts in the four gospels.
There are lists of the signs and symbols used in the text and in the apparatus that is printed at the end of each section, as well as a list of the church “fathers”, a key to Latin terms and lists of Greek and Latin manuscripts consulted. At the end of the book, there is an index of the gospel parallels, followed by an index of New Testament passages.
However, this volume lacks an introduction explaining the rationale behind the selection of Greek passages. Parallel passages are obviously listed beside each other. However, beyond this, there is also a massive amount of repetition of passages that may in some way be related to a passage in another gospel, or that at least deal with a similar theme. For instance, after the resurrection, the account of the catch of fish in John 21 has beside it the incident in Luke 5 (which had of course been printed earlier at the appropriate place). The presence of such passages may direct the reader to other passages on similar themes. Still, it is not really justified by the criteria for producing a synopsis of parallel passages in the gospels. Because of this practice of printing similar passages beside verses from other gospels, sometimes the same passage is printed multiple times on the same page. This synopsis is clearly designed for consultation rather than to be read through sequentially from beginning to end, although that is what I have done in the first instance.
As a further example of repetition. Peter’s denial in John 18:25-27 is printed on page 305 in a tiny font, with nothing in the columns for the other three gospels. It is then printed again, in normal-sized font, on page 306, alongside the parallels from the other three gospels. However, these passages had already all been printed in full on pages 301-302.
We note that three passages that are not from the gospels are also listed as parallels: Acts 1:13b (the list of the apostles), 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 (Paul’s account of the Last Supper) and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (Paul’s account of the resurrection appearances of the Lord). In line with the policy of repeating passages where there are parallels, the verse from Acts is printed on two separate pages.
The default language for titles is Latin. A German title is added on the left-hand side of each Greek page and the RSV English title is printed on the right-hand side of each Greek page. The German and English titles are not translations of the Latin and the German titles are not a translation of the RSV English titles, so the meanings of the titles in each of the languages are often quite different. In a book in which the text is in Greek and English and the preface and the introduction to the English part are in English, the presence of Latin and German titles seems unjustified and out of place.
Print quality is just about acceptable. The font size for the main text is small but legible and generally clear, although there are a few marks on pages and every few pages there are letters that are incompletely printed but legible. On page 298 of Matthew 26:40, there is a σ printed in bold type in error.
There seems to have been a decision to print quotations from the Old Testament in the same font size as the main text but with letters widely spaced, although if this is explained, I have missed it. The distance in letter spacing is, however, sometimes so subtle that it is not clear whether it is intentional or not. The same spacing is not applied to the RSV text. What Aland presumably considers to be secondary references (those endlessly reprinted passages) are reproduced in a minute font in which it is impossible to distinguish breathings or even acute and grave accents.
I have not on this occasion read the RSV text, which I am very familiar with from decades ago. However, occasional glances at it do reveal a text that has not aged well. It was no doubt a logical choice for the first edition in 1972, but it is not helpful in 2021. It was, of course, not based on the NA27 text, having been translated in 1947. It is sometimes not close enough to the Greek text. For instance, in Luke 8:26 κατέπλευσαν, “they sailed down” is “they arrived” in the RSV (pages 123).
This is a worthwhile reference text for those who wish to compare carefully the accounts in each gospel.… (more)