The Historical Jesus of the Gospels

by Craig S. Keener

Book Overview

The earliest substantive sources available for historical Jesus research are in the Gospels themselves; when interpreted in their early Jewish setting, their picture of Jesus is more coherent and plausible than are the competing theories offered by many modern scholars. So argues Craig Keener in The Historical Jesus of the Gospels.

In exploring the depth and riches of the material found in the Synoptic Gospels, Keener shows how many...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802868886
• ISBN13: 9780802868886
• Release Date: April 2012
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
• Length: 869 Pages
• Weight: 2.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

solid but short

Books on the historical Jesus continue to abound, with many scholars giving their own synthesis and hypothesis of the gospel material. Certainly, much of this comes from years of teaching and researching on the life of Jesus, and many of these books no doubt represent the particular challenges and inquiries which individual scholars have encountered along the way. Although I appreciate the volume which Craig Keener has produced here, one should not expect any groundbreaking material form this work. It is a definite extension of the top-teir scholarship that the biblical studies community has come to expect from Keener, though it does not represent a new direction in historical Jesus research. And it was not intended to be such. The best summary statement is perhaps found in the book's Conclusion, "In this book, we have worked to establish especially that the basic portrayal of Jesus in the first-century Gospels, dependent on eyewitnesses, is more plausible than the alternative hypotheses of its modern detractors" (349, emphasis mine). Indeed, this is intended to be a book which introduces one to the historical research surrounding Jesus, and familiarize the reader (perhaps student) with the broad strokes of the life of Jesus. And this will also prove to be the two-edged sword which comes back to frustrate some readers. There are many times throughout the book where Keener admits that his limitations of space do not allow for him to explore various issues further. Often this means that discussions are left without resolution, coming at the cost of the text not interacting with important and legitimate discussions or points-of-view which are prominent in the overall debate on the historical Jesus. The level of frustration which this will present to the reader will certainly be a matter of familiarity with Jesus research - the casual reader or introductory reader will not notice this as much as those who have read Jesus research and keep up with various issues in the debate. It would have been a great addition to the volume if it had more direct interaction with, for example, Tom Wright's portrayal of Jesus in JVG . . . there are certainly many points at which the two intersect and diverge, and a more intentional explanation would have proven beneficial. However, this should be considered a minor quibble with the book as a whole. For those who are interested in jumping in to the historical Jesus discussion, this is certainly a worthwhile volume. One of Keener's greatest strengths as a biblical scholar is his command of the background material, both the original context and setting of the biblical text but also his familiarity with the ongoing scholarship. The first section of the book is given to an introduction of historical Jesus research, and Keener writes it well - I enjoyed reading through parts and having another perspective on the pros and cons of previous scholars given in a different light - this is a solid effort to bring one in

good

as always, I was satisfied w/ the timely receipt and satifactory condition of the product I purchased

A knockout punch to liberal arguments

Here's the oddest thing about current biblical scholarship: even as the public laps up hilarious idiocy like 'The DaVinci Code', even as PBS and Peter Jennings' infamous documentary and the History channel cough out anti-Christian documentaries, even as the newly atheist 18 year old college student insists Christianity is based on pagan mystery religions, the orthodox scholars involved in actual biblical scholarship are beating the stuff and nonsense out of the liberals. Go figure. Anyone who doubts that can pick up this book for proof. Keener is calm, polite, and thorough as he demolishes the arguments of liberal scholars. Best of all, Keener writes so clearly that anyone, even someone with no background in scholarship, could pick up this book and read it. Keener gives the background of the hunt for the historical Jesus and then sets out systematically to show how liberal theories were shown wrong. Apocryphal gospels? "Most scholars recognize that the apocryphal gospels...bear...similarities to ancient novels...In contrast to Luke's Acts, the apocryphal acts date from the heyday of the Greek romances" (p 50). Gnostic gospels are late compared to Christian gospels and aimed at "an academic elite" (p 52), not the general public. The Gnostic gospels rely on information given in Christian documents. Thomas, so beloved by the Jesus Seminar, has recently been shown by Perrin to bear "numerous characteristics of Syriac Christianity from the second half of the second century" (p 56). Keener also discusses Burridge's bombshell of a book arguing that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John follow the Greco-Roman bioi. Ancient history writers aimed at finding the truth. They "harshly criticized other historians who...promoted falsehood, especially when they were thought to exhibit self-serving agendas" (p 96). Recent studies in orality have wrecked most of Bultmann's old arguments. "Given the emphasis on memory in antiquity, many early Christians could have known sources like Mark by heart, and Matthew and Luke can be 'redacting' more freely based on memory rather than a rigid text in front of them" (p 136). Moreover, many new studies emphasize how oral cultures preserve all the important events in a story, but allow for details to change. Both archaeology and studies in Second Temple Judaism have shown the clearly Jewish nature of much that exists in Paul and the gospels. The mention of a future kingdom as well as the 'Son of Man' sayings have a very obvious meaning to Second Temple Jews. 'Son of Man' would ring sharply in the ears of those familiar with Daniel. And the title is "barely used by anyone except Jesus...If Jesus proclaimed a kingdom and implied his messiahship, one...need not exclude the eschatological sayings" (p 202). As for the title messiah, "Paul...sometimes used 'Christ' virtually as Jesus' surname" (p 257) and "for later followers of Jesus to invent such a title for him is inconceivable; it risked persecution

Historicity of Christ: The Proof

At last, a robust and comprehensive up-to-date volume that dispenses the ponderous internal and external evidence that the portrait of Jesus Christ from Gospels is an accurate and coherent picture. Keener is an outstanding scholar (see his many commentaries he has authored) who demonstrates a renowned familiarity with New Testament, extra-biblical ancient history, and recent Synoptic research. He covers the Jewish and gentile material as he establishes that the Christ of faith is the Christ of truth. Keener bestows to the reader: - An examination of recent textual research on the Synoptic Gospels - 840 pages of outstanding research - The truth behind the historical limits of many documents from the second and third centuries often maintained as more historical pictures of Jesus Christ - The evidence that the confessional knowledge of Jesus is accurate history in an ancient Jewish context and culture - Proof that the Jesus seminar advocates and other skeptics have ignored significant historical and textual evidence. This is a marvelous book that makes a compelling case for the Church's view of Jesus Christ as Lord and Redeemer. It is expensive volume but well worth the price. Letter to an Atheist Nation: Presupositional Apologetics Responds To: Letter to a Christian

All Skeptics Enter Here

All Christians, and particularly pastors and the mentors of pastors, need to have access to the information in this book. I don't have a television, but the one time I had access to one recently--the day before Easter Sunday, no less, in a hotel room--the programs about Jesus made him out as some kind of product of human imagination, a mere social construct. One so-called expert even characterized him as a rather pathetic individual, somewhat confused and perhaps even a bit twisted. My faith in Jesus didn't collapse as a result of watching those programs. But it was tested. And I can imagine how, if you were a searcher of spiritual things or a struggling Christian, you might experience doubt. My only suggestion to one who is about to abandon or dismiss Jesus is to either read this book or buy it for someone who can explain its contents. And then read or have it explained to you all over again, because there's so much to miss the first time through, and every bit of information works to build a solid case for the reliability of the Jesus of the Gospels. You'll find out that verdict isn't in on the historical Jesus. What you see on television or hear in the lecture halls of universities isn't always as objective as it's made out to be. As a result, you'll learn not to fall for the mere speculations of experts who base their conclusions on obvious forgeries or documents that long post-date the biblical gospels. Are you listening John Dominic Crossan? Bart Ehrman? (I'm not saying that the Bible is easy to understand. I'm not even saying that its critics don't have a right to their opinions of it, of Jesus, and of the teachings of Jesus. I'm just saying they're not the only voices that should be allowed to be heard.) Keener is obviously a scholar, and his no-nonsense writing style and immense catalog of references reflect that. But if you're truly serious about taking Jesus seriously, you need to gain a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual, cultural, and historical milieu in which the biblical gospels took form. It will strengthen your faith in the Gospels as well as the Jesus the Gospels depict. It will also strengthen your trust in the writers and early readers of the Gospels, who, as Keener notes, risked the wrath of Roman leaders merely by mentioning their association with the convicted and crucified Jesus, even years afterward. I only wish Keener would write a similar book for the average reader, something along the lines of his commentaries. Even better would be a video documentary to counter the highly problematic but popular media documentaries floating around out there. Before you take on Keener's book, you might try Darrel Bock's Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods. I also highly recommend Eddy and Boyd's The Jesus Legend, excluding its somewhat misleading title, though the subtitle pretty much clears things up.