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Title: The Historical Figure of Jesus by E. P. Sanders ISBN: 0-14-014499-4 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 January, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.71 (14 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Authentic scholarship!
Comment: What, if anything, can be known with certainty about the life and work of a first-century itinerant preacher named Jesus of Nazareth? Since the 19th century, scholars have attempted to answer that question; and out of their studies, Jesus has emerged variously as a Cynic philosopher (Crossan), a ``marginal Jew'' (Maier), an apocalyptic preacher (Schweitzer), a teacher (Robbins) and a magician (Smith). Sanders (Jesus and Judaism) portrays Jesus as a miracle worker and eschatological prophet whose deeds point to a coming Kingdom of God where good will reign over evil. Sanders's book is a masterful historical reconstruction of the political, social and theological context of the life of the enigmatic Nazarene. The first half of the book provides a detached examination of late Judaism and the Hellenic world into which Jesus came, as well as an exploration of the authenticity of the gospel accounts of Jesus's life. Following such introductory matters, Sanders recounts the gospel narratives in an attempt to separate myth from history and to determine how much we can actually ``know about the historical figure of Jesus.'' The result is a thorough, accessible and conservative study that should have a wider appeal than other recent work on the historical Jesus.
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting portrait of a difficult subject.
Comment: Whether you are a believer or not, Jesus must be considered one of the most important persons who ever lived. However, our historical record of Jesus is sparse -- it is generally agreed that the gospels were not written for many decades after Jesus's death, and thus the authors probably did not have direct knowledge of Jesus, but were relying on a lost source known as "Q." Sanders does a good job of providing a background for what Palestine was like during Jesus's lifetime, and while he must engage in some speculation about his life, he does so in a judicious way and his assumptions seem reasonable. He also is respectful of Christianity and does not engage in the kind of attacks unsupported by the historical record that anti-Christians can do. This book is a remarkable of work of scholarship.
Rating: 5
Summary: Well Written, Very Insightful
Comment: I like how the Publishers Review writer deemed this book as a "conservative" study of Jesus. That is definitely not, in my opinion, an insult. New Jesus books are a dime a dozen, and they are usually worth that price on a scholarly level. To sell books, they often deem themselves "radical", offering wild new interpretations, such as Jesus the rebel, or Jesus the husband and father. A conservative study is a correct one, for several simple reasons.
The biggest reason, as Sanders points out early on in his wonderful book, is that we have precious little of the life of Jesus. This is amazing and frustrating at the same time, as it would be hard to name anyone even approaching the influence Jesus of Nazareth has had on the course of human events. The only real scholarly reference to a man named Jesus comes from Josephus, who offers a very bare description. The gospels have many problems, including their time distance from the actual events, the mystery concerning their authorship, and the editorial position they take concerning Jesus and his message. No records exist or have been found. So what to do? Sanders, with admittedly little to work with, gives the reader the best interpretation he can muster.
Before approaching the gospels themselves, Sanders provides a fascinating description of ancient Israel, with its many complexities. Sanders does a good job explaining the social structure, the role of the leadership, and the position of Rome concerning the province of Judea. Many other aspects of the world Jesus grew up in are explored. This provides a good basis for the few bits of actual knowledge we have concerning Jesus. Slowly but surely, Sanders goes through the clues and themes of the New Testament, tearing them apart line by line and trying to find out what has some basis in reality and what we can draw from it historically. Again, even after the exercise, Sanders has to admit we have little, but he does have some really intriguing insights and historical points. Through this careful study, the reader can get a better picture of Jesus, and will have a better understanding of what he was attempting to do. Frankly, ideas and theories, based in fact, are all we are going to have until some new discoveries, such as the James ossuary, are made. Still, this limitation should not deter scholars from delivering well thought out works such as this one. First rate history.
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Title: Jesus and Judaism by E.P. Sanders ISBN: 0800620615 Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers Pub. Date: 01 February, 1987 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: Paul: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) by E. P. Sanders ISBN: 0192854518 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant by John Dominic Crossan ISBN: 0060616296 Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 February, 1993 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity by Paula Fredriksen ISBN: 0679767460 Publisher: Vintage Books USA Pub. Date: 05 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium by Bart D. Ehrman ISBN: 019512474X Publisher: Oxford University Press List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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