432 pages - 15 x 21 cm
The epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude are called "general" or "catholic" epistles because they were addressed to groups of 1st-century churches. The Epistle to the Hebrews, separated from the Pauline corpus, is generally added to them. In these, the early Church and biblical revelation appear in a light that complements the other books of the New Testament.
However, these writings present a certain number of difficulties: they refer to concepts that are foreign to us, their structure is enigmatic, and the train of thought is difficult to follow. More so than for other biblical books, an introduction is useful to shed light on the problems their reading poses for the Christian of today:
- Who wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews? For whom and why?
- Who are James, Peter, John, and Jude who sign these letters?
- When, on what occasion, and for what purpose did they write them?
- To whom were they addressed?
- What are the teachings and the current value of these writings?
- Can their authenticity still be defended?
These are some of the questions the author strives to answer.