I first read Jack Dean Kingsbury's book Matthew as Story (Augsburg/Fortress Press) many years ago and learned a great deal from his overview of Matthew's gospel. In the past few weeks I came back to re-read the book to support some work I am doing currently on Matthew. What I discovered is that while scholarship on Matthew has progressed, there still is much to learn from Kingsbury.
The book has retained its value because Kingsbury's writing is among the most lucid and informative that I have ever read. While it might seem mundane, his paragraph structure is clear and he provides a brief summary at the end of each section of the book. As a result, his insights are reinforced over and over again.
Behind the book stands an intimate knowledge of Matthew and some of the features that make it such a compelling account of Jesus' life and ministry. I recommend it to anyone interested in Matthew who wants to gain an understanding of some of the main themes and characteristics of the first gospel.
**** (out of five).