01-20-2008, 09:17 AM
Those interested in the historical Jesus might consider some of these works:
"General books on the historical Jesus
Albert Schweitzer, The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1910, reissued 1998; originally published in German, 1906), establishes the importance of Jewish eschatology for understanding Jesus and his teachings.
Rudolf Bultmann, Jesus and the Word (1934, reissued 1989; originally published in German, 1926), accepts the importance of eschatology but interprets it in existentialist categories.
C.H. Dodd, The Founder of Christianity (1970, reissued 1973), redefines eschatology as referring not to the future but to a higher order.
Geza Vermes, Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels, 2nd ed. (1983), describes Jesus as thoroughly Jewish and as a Galilean charismatic, and
The Gospel of Jesus the Jew (1981) examines the Jewish parallels to Jesus' teaching.
Ben F. Meyer, The Aims of Jesus (1979), proposed, against the then prevailing opinion, that Jesus' intentions can be discerned.
E.P. Sanders, Jesus and Judaism, 2nd ed. (1987), and
The Historical Figure of Jesus (1993, reissued 1996), place Jesus in the context of Palestinian Judaism and reject excessive historical skepticism about the life of Jesus.
John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant (1991), and
Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (1994), argue that Jesus was not a Jewish eschatological prophet but a cynic-like philosopher and that Galilee was Hellenistic and not distinctively Jewish. This is an extremely eccentric interpretation.
John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, 2 vol. (1991â94), is a very thorough account along the lines established by Schweitzer, Vermes, and Sanders.
Along with the general works, there are many studies of specific aspects of the life and teachings of Jesus.
Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke, new updated ed. (1993, reissued 1999), is an encyclopedic account of the birth narratives in the Gospels.
Morton Smith, Jesus the Magician (1978, reissued 1998), is a study of the miracles of Jesus and their parallels in Hellenistic traditions.
Raymond E. Brown, The Death of the Messiah, from Gethsemane to the Grave: A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels, 2 vol. (1994, reissued 1998), is an excellent introduction to the Passion of Jesus.
Paula Fredriksen, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity (1999), emphasizes the importance of the Crucifixion for understanding the life and teachings of Jesus."
Jesus fans might want to print out and save this bibliography.
"General books on the historical Jesus
Albert Schweitzer, The Quest of the Historical Jesus (1910, reissued 1998; originally published in German, 1906), establishes the importance of Jewish eschatology for understanding Jesus and his teachings.
Rudolf Bultmann, Jesus and the Word (1934, reissued 1989; originally published in German, 1926), accepts the importance of eschatology but interprets it in existentialist categories.
C.H. Dodd, The Founder of Christianity (1970, reissued 1973), redefines eschatology as referring not to the future but to a higher order.
Geza Vermes, Jesus the Jew: A Historian's Reading of the Gospels, 2nd ed. (1983), describes Jesus as thoroughly Jewish and as a Galilean charismatic, and
The Gospel of Jesus the Jew (1981) examines the Jewish parallels to Jesus' teaching.
Ben F. Meyer, The Aims of Jesus (1979), proposed, against the then prevailing opinion, that Jesus' intentions can be discerned.
E.P. Sanders, Jesus and Judaism, 2nd ed. (1987), and
The Historical Figure of Jesus (1993, reissued 1996), place Jesus in the context of Palestinian Judaism and reject excessive historical skepticism about the life of Jesus.
John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant (1991), and
Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (1994), argue that Jesus was not a Jewish eschatological prophet but a cynic-like philosopher and that Galilee was Hellenistic and not distinctively Jewish. This is an extremely eccentric interpretation.
John P. Meier, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, 2 vol. (1991â94), is a very thorough account along the lines established by Schweitzer, Vermes, and Sanders.
Along with the general works, there are many studies of specific aspects of the life and teachings of Jesus.
Raymond E. Brown, The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke, new updated ed. (1993, reissued 1999), is an encyclopedic account of the birth narratives in the Gospels.
Morton Smith, Jesus the Magician (1978, reissued 1998), is a study of the miracles of Jesus and their parallels in Hellenistic traditions.
Raymond E. Brown, The Death of the Messiah, from Gethsemane to the Grave: A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels, 2 vol. (1994, reissued 1998), is an excellent introduction to the Passion of Jesus.
Paula Fredriksen, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity (1999), emphasizes the importance of the Crucifixion for understanding the life and teachings of Jesus."
Jesus fans might want to print out and save this bibliography.