Living Footnotes in the Gospel of Luke - by Luuk Van de Weghe

Book Synopsis

Did Luke interview eyewitnesses to write his Gospel? Living Footnotes in the Gospel of Luke provides a careful, thorough examination of Luke's claims (Luke 1:1-4), demonstrating that he not only claims to use living sources but also did so. It builds a corroborative evidence case towards this end, not merely by accumulating unrelated strands of evidence, but by showing the interconnectedness of independent lines of subtle clues in Luke's text. These historically rich, unintentional features weave together to generate a robust impression upon the reader: Luke not only relied on living informants but in fact sifted his sources in preference of eyewitness testimony.

Review Quotes

"Luuk van de Weghe has written an important volume. As readers progress through it, they may get the initial impression that this work is a mosaic of various evidences of which several, although interesting, are of no great significance. However, as they read on, they will see that all of these evidences add up to a cumulative case that is quite compelling. Much in this work is original and contributes to the case for the third evangelist's use of eyewitnesses in the research and composition of his Life of Jesus."
--Michael R. Licona, professor of New Testament studies, Houston Christian University

"Luuk van de Weghe takes seriously Luke on his own terms as an ancient historian, giving focused attention to his claim that eyewitnesses functioned as primary sources for Luke-Acts. Through rigorous research and argumentation, van de Weghe has tipped the scales in favor of the conclusion that Luke did consult eyewitnesses. Among other gems, he demonstrates that the best explanation for the striking agreements between Luke and John's Gospels is that Luke relied on the Beloved Disciple as an eyewitness source."
--John J. Peters, author of Luke among the Ancient Historians

"Luuk van de Weghe's Living Footnotes in the Gospel of Luke is a welcome addition to the literature on the Third Evangelist's connections to eyewitness testimony. Van de Weghe brings fresh material and a fresh perspective to an important topic. The field of New Testament studies needs this sort of serious engagement with a reportage model of the Gospels."
--Lydia McGrew, author of Testimonies to the Truth

About the Author

Luuk van de Weghe is the author of The Historical Tell: Patterns of Eyewitness Testimony in the Gospel of Luke and Acts (2023) and For People Like Us: God's Search for the Lost of Luke 15 (2023). His research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals in the field of biblical studies, including New Testament Studies, Tyndale Bulletin, and Bulletin for Biblical Research.