The Greatest Story Ever Retold
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Baker Academic (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2026
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Publisher's Description
From Scripture to Screen: Understanding How We All Direct Our Own Jesus StoryIn this innovative book, two respected New Testament scholars explore the ways the Jesus story has been told and retold from the earliest Gospel writings to contemporary film adaptations. John Anthony Dunne and Jeannine Brown highlight what later narratives can teach us about the hermeneutical process we employ, knowingly or unknowingly, as we read the Gospels. In this book, you will● learn how we visualize the Jesus story in particular ways as we read the Gospels, inevitably casting actors, blocking scenes, and interpreting dialogue as we imagine our own Jesus film;● journey through two thousand years of storytelling to discover how humanity has grappled with the Jesus narrative, from Gospel harmonizations to modern cinema;● discover how Jesus films illuminate the interpretive choices we make when reading Scripture, from filling narrative gaps to characterizing Judas, Pilate, and Jesus himself; and● benefit from rigorous New Testament scholarship made accessible through engaging analysis of contemporary film adaptations. The Greatest Story Ever Retold accounts for the ways humanity has been grappling with the Jesus story for two millennia, often casting it in a way that forms to our own questions and identities. The authors show that Jesus films can help us think through how and why we direct our own film in the way that we do when we read or hear the story of Jesus. This book is essential reading for students, scholars, and anyone interested in how we interpret Scripture, create meaning from biblical narratives, and participate in the ongoing retelling of Christianity's central story.
Endorsements (5)
“So much has been written about Jesus movies over the past three decades that it might seem impossible to approach these films from a fresh perspective. Yet Dunne and Brown have done exactly that—by stressing that readers of the Gospels are doing what filmmakers do: visualizing the characters, scripting the scenes, and composing the soundtracks. Dunne and Brown provide an engaging interplay between the Gospels and the Jesus movies, addressing matters of genre, characterization, and themes all while keeping the reader/viewer at the center of the hermeneutical enterprise. A wonderful addition to the library of books on Jesus in the Gospels and on the screen.”
“Dunne and Brown have produced a volume that is deeply engaged with the depiction of Jesus and the Gospels in film but is also wonderfully engaging for anyone who has read a Gospel or watched a film about one. Drawing examples from a wide range of films, the authors show with admirable clarity how Jesus films inevitably depend on and reflect a myriad of interpretive decisions. What is so unique and exciting about Dunne and Brown's approach is that they invite us to consider how every reading of the gospel is truly an act of imagination.”
“The Greatest Story Ever Retold is a valuable contribution to the study of Bible and visual culture. Unlike previous works, which tend to prioritize film over textual analysis, Dunne and Brown pay attention to the interpretation of both modern and ancient media without privileging either. Their skillful exploration of over two hundred Jesus films produces surprising insights into traditional topics, such as the synoptic problem, the Gospel genre, and narrative criticism. More importantly, the authors invite readers to recognize their own assumptions about the Jesus story and develop a deeper appreciation for the art of biblical interpretation. They present the interpretive nature of the Gospels and Jesus films not as a problem to be solved but as a reality to be acknowledged and studied. This volume is sure to help readers engage biblical literature and Jesus films more thoughtfully and with a clearer understanding of their own roles as interpreters.”
“If you're searching for an excellent way of thinking about how the stories of Jesus have been transformed in early writings, Jesus films, and our own imaginations, then this book might be what you're looking for. Dunne and Brown track the development of harmonization, invention, and characterization in portrayals of Jesus and his supporting cast, urging us to consider more deeply the creative task underpinning the original Gospels, Jesus movies, and our own mental images.”
“Dunne and Brown invite readers to share both their fascination with Jesus films and their humble recognition of interpretation's inevitability, which empowers readers to reflect on their own evaluative standards for Jesus films—and their own preexisting internal Jesus 'films.' Such humble curiosity is particularly recommended for anyone creating Jesus films/stories. An additional benefit is the authors' extended attention to the most popular Jesus films and series, particularly The Chosen, as it has received so little academic attention.”
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