SIMON PETER

The author offers a reconstruction of the Gospel narratives as focused upon the disciple, Peter. The Gospel according to Mark is taken as the chief source, and the tradition that Mark served as Peter's amanuensis is accepted as reliable. The account of the calling of Peter as given in the Gospel according to John, however, is cited as constituting Peter's ""first call,"" without an attempt to reconcile the Johanine story with that given in the Synoptics. The author accepts the text, ""Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,"" as an authentic saying of Jesus, whom he credits with having the definite purpose of creating a church. On the whole, the book, while well-informed about most New Testament scholarship, tends to be traditionalist in point of view, and runs into the difficulties of all endeavors to trace a definite chronology of events in the Gospel narratives. The author is Fellow of the Queen's College, Oxford. Readable and at times suggestive of new insights.