Jesus Books - Page 16

The Real Jesus : The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels

Luke Timothy Johnson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 57 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Well stated polemic on misuses of History on Faith 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

`The Real Jesus' by leading Biblical scholar, Luke Timothy Johnson is not another biography of the ancient religious leader, Jesus of Galilee. The subtitle, `The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels' tells the fuller story that this is a critique of many (but not all) attempts to nail down the flesh and blood founder and savior for the world's Christians.
For what it's worth, as a liberal Lutheran, I agree with all of Professor Johnson's main points, assuming he has accurately portrayed the positions of his opponents, and I have no reason to believe he has not. And, my agreement is based less on religious doctrines, than on philosophical principals which were old before the dawn of this millennium, but constantly forgotten by scholars who should know better.
Professor Johnson's primary target is a scholarly consortium of several dozen mid-level university teachers calling itself the `Jesus Seminar', plus writers with allied agendas such as John Spong, A. N. Wilson, Stephen Mitchell, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossen and Burton Mack. I say `mid-level' because one of Professor Johnson's less important points is that none of these seminar participants are from the leading Theological schools in the country such as Harvard, Yale, Union (NYC), and Chicago. And, compared to the membership of the country-wide Society of Biblical Literature, their membership is relatively small.
Johnson's argument has two general parts. The first part is the evidence that the `Jesus Seminar', author of the book `The Five Gospels, The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus', adapts several questionable assumptions and agendas before beginning their research. Another criticism of the `Jesus Seminar' is their methodology. In a nutshell, the primary technique is for each member of the Seminar to vote on each statement about or by Jesus, and offer the opinion that the statement is historically likely, unlikely, or indeterminate. Aside from being an unsound scholarly procedure, it has the effect of attracting a lot of media attention to the Seminar's deliberations. And, some pronouncements by the Seminar leaders suggest this attention is actually one of Seminar's objectives.
The second line of argument is much simpler, stronger, and entirely capable of trivializing the work of Johnson's targets. The argument is based on the Seminar premise that a study of the historical Jesus will clarify and improve our Faith. This assumption is simply wrong. The Christian faith based on the resurrection of Christ after his embodying the law, resulting in execution, and creating a new covenant with those who believe has simply nothing to do with whether Jesus argued with a Pharisee named Simon, cured three or thirty epileptics, rode on a donkey or a mule, wore a red or a white robe, and had Joseph of Galilee as his biological father. Of course, Christian statements of faith do include some statements about historical events, but whether those statements are historically true is about as relevant to Christian faith as Lincoln's log cabin childhood and Washington's tree chopping choices are to the lore of American history. On a deeper level, critiquing Jesus statements about Jewish law and using that critique as a determinant of Christian faith makes about as much sense as criticizing Shakespeare's `Henry V' for not giving an accurate transcript of the king's speech before the battle of Agincourt.
To be sure, Professor Johnson presents these arguments in far greater detail and with a much better handle on the proper use of scripture than I can. My primary intention is to line up with Professor Johnson (and many leading scholars) in discrediting this misguided enterprise.
It is important to point out that neither Professor Johnson nor I am devaluing Bible scholarship at several different levels, especially at the level of the accuracy of documents, the meaning of the words, and the historical contexts in which the documents were written. One has a far better understanding, for example, of Luke's concern with the poor of the day when one realizes that virtually everyone was poor, and the government was carried out by a patronage system which today would be equated with graft, extortion, and corruption. Even more important is to realize that Professor Johnson is one of the leading practitioners of this kind of research, having done superior works of exegesis on the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts.
I do have two minor criticisms of the book. While I agree with all Johnson's major points, I have to point out that it is a polemic specifically against a class of writers and a trend in scholarship which may be traced back to the Tubingen school of 19th century Germany. This does not mean all Bible scholarship has the same weaknesses. It does not even mean all works on a historical Jesus are equally tainted with theological misdirection. Johnson barely mentions one of the most famous works on this subject, the 1906 `Quest for the Historical Jesus' by Albert Schweitzer (Schweitzer is generally critical of the Tubingen school, especially in his works on Paul). He also makes no mention of important books by leading Biblical historian, E. P. Sanders. His work on the `historical Jesus' has none of the blemishes of those authors Johnson attacks.
As a Lutheran, I also have to chuckle a bit at Catholic Johnson's suggesting that it was Martin Luther who opened the Pandora's Box of critical Bible scholarship. I believe the open discussion of and free access to scriptures is far superior to holding them hostage to interpretation by a few. And, as stated above, Johnson is just as much a practitioner of Luther's tradition as are many other of his scholarly Catholic and Protestant colleagues.
If you find yourself entranced by the siren's song of the `Jesus Seminar' writings, plus similar writings by John Spong, A. N. Wilson, Stephen Mitchell, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossen and Burton Mack, I strongly suggest you read this book to get an important perspective on their assumptions, methods, and conclusions.

Editorial Review:

A book takes on some two hundred scholars who claim that Jesus said only 18% of what the Gospels attribute to him, arguing that the ""real Jesus"" is the one experienced in the present through faith. Reprint. LJ.

Messiah in the Old Testament, The

Jr., Walter C. Kaiser

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Fascinating study of the Messiah in the Old Testament! 4 out of 5 stars.
27 of 27 people found this review helpful.

Walter Kaiser, Jr. has given us a very rich study regarding the Messiah. His study is very specific and unique. He focuses only on passages that deal with direct prophecies/predictions of the coming Messiah. He steers clear of typology, which can sometimes be too subjective. His approach is chronological. He begins with the Pentateuch and shows us the foundation of predictions of the Messiah that God revealed in the earliest of His revelations. He proceeds to show the reader how subsequent writers of Holy Scripture built upon this foundation and developed themes of the Messiah (e.g. Prophet, Priest, King, Servant, etc.). He follows prophecies of the Messiah through different eras of Israel's history. When he gets to the prophets themselves, he groups them by the century in which they prophesied. So, the earliest parts of this book give us prophesies of the Messiah in the order that they come in our English translations of the Old Testament. The prophets, however, are not necessarily addressed in our biblical order, as their works do not appear in chronological order in our English transations.

I wish I could say this study was for everyone - I do believe it would be beneficial reading for everyone. Kaiser's study is deep, and sometimes technical. It helps to have a basic understanding of hermeneutics (biblical interpretation) before beginning this book. There are a couple of places where he discusses aspects of Hebrew grammar - the gist is attainable if the reader will press on through these brief sections. So, it is readable, but some things will be outside the grasp of the average reader. Kaiser does not overwhelm one with the technical aspects of his research, but it is sometimes present.

There is another aspect of this book that may trouble some readers. Kaiser deals with the Hebrew text. In some places his conclusions are based on personal translations that imply that the English translations are actually mistranslations. Certain groups of Christians, especially the "King James" only crowd, will have problems with this approach. Kaiser seems to tackle the subject with a belief in the inspiration of Scripture, but not with the belief in the inspiration of the translators of Scripture. I agree with him at this point, but am concerned that it may cause difficulties for young believers.

From the other reviews of this book, it is evident that some Jewish people will have problems with this study. It is unfortunate. Kaiser makes little attempt to convert anyone - it is not an overt aspect of his work. He simply examines the evidence and writes about his findings. Some of the passages he examines are obscure, some are more commonly understood as referring to the Messiah. Kaiser is not shy about quoting from the Jewish Targums, those that predate the life of Jesus, and showing where pre-Christian Jewish understandings of the Messiah were.

All in all, this is an excellent study. I came away from this book with a deeper knowledge of how thoroughly God predicted the coming Messiah to the Jewish people. I appreciate more deeply the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah - His death in my place. Kaiser does not connect all the prophecies to their corresponding fulfillments in the New Testament. When I taught a series based on Kaiser's work I traced every New Testament connection that I could find. It is almost overwhelming to see how the New Testament shows Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. Such a study will enrich one's faith!

Editorial Review:

This detailed chronological study by a noted scholar describes the unfolding Old Testament concept of Messiah.

The Unfolding Mystery Discovering Christ in the Old Testament

Edmund P. Clowney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Wonderful book! 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 26 people found this review helpful.

This was a fantastic book! It did a great job of showing how God's promise of redemption in Christ was pointed to over and over again throughout the Old Testament. I thought that it really painted a wonderful picture of the coherence of God's word and the constancy of His purpose, which cannot be thwarted. It gives a great outline of some of what Jesus might have said to the disciples while on the road to Emmaeus ("Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."--Lk 24:2) and what Philip caught a glimpse of and wanted to share with Nathaniel ("We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."--Jn 1:45). I highly recommend it.

essential reading 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful.

This is a pure joy to read. He illustrates how the Old Testament is as much about Christ as the New Testament is. To see this is to grasp a whole new sense of the relevance and excitement of the Scriptures.

This is a real classic.

My only criticism -- the chapters are long and often rambling, with little sense of an organizing principle. While every word in Clowney is golden, and his style is very lyrical and engaging, one wishes he had a better editor to organize the thoughts in chunks they would hang together. This made it difficult to adapt to an adult c.e. series, when I did that 5 years ago.

BTW -- if you liked this book's Christo-centric approach, try Charlie Drew's Ancient Love Song (2001) which is better organized. For preaching see Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Precahing (1997).

Mary and the Fathers of the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought

Luigi Gambero

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Father Luigi Gambero, internationally-known expert on early Christianity, presents a comprehensive survey of the development of Marian doctrine and devotion during the first eight centuries. Focusing on the lives and works of over thirty of the most famous Church Fathers and early Christian writers, Fr. Gambero has produced a clear and readable summary of the richness of the patristic age's theological and devotional approach to the Mother of God.

The book contains numerous citations from the works of those men who developed the defining Christological and Mariological positions that have constituted the foundational doctrinal teaching of the Church. Each chapter concludes with an extended reading from the works of the patristic authors. A number of these texts have never before been published in English.

The thought of the Fathers and early Christian writers continues to fascinate readers today. Their theological acuity and spiritual depth led them faithfully into the mysteries of Sacred Scripture. Their vast experience made them reliable and trustworthy witnesses to the faith of the people of God.

A Gentle Thunder

Max Lucado

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Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Thunderous Ovation for Lucado 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Max Lucado has written a devotional masterpiece that can attract the attention of any philosopher who is searching for the meaning of life or give insight to any clergyman who is in search of material that can supplement his or her preparation for a thought-provoking sermon.

I am generally wary of those who attempt to use individual biblical quotes to postulate their personal opinions and then formulate themes that they call daily devotions. In other words, beware of those who attempt to use scripture to "fit" their points-of-view.

Lucado, on the other hand, does the opposite. He presents a variety of stories that range from moral tales to historical accounts of triumphs and disasters, all of which parallel the fables and parables of ancient times, and while reading each chapter, one should conclude that if there is any point that Lucado is trying to get across, it is not for his own personal benefit; instead, it is this: we fail to realize that there are so many modern-day events in our world that make the works of the gospel writers just as relevant today as they were in the past and that many of these happenings brought to life are just as applicable to the so-called ordinary individual as they are to the famous figures who headline our daily news.

Incarnation: The Person and Life of Christ

Thomas F. Torrance

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Editorial Review:

The late Thomas F. Torrance has been called "the greatest Reformed theologian since Karl Barth" and "the greatest British theologian of the twentieth century" by prominent voices in the academy. His work has profoundly shaped contemporary theology in the English-speaking world.

This first of two volumes comprises Thomas Torrance's lectures delivered to students in Christian Dogmatics on Christology at New College, Edinburgh, from 1952 to 1978 and amounts to the most comprehensive presentation of Torrance's understanding of the incarnation ever published. In eight chapters these expertly edited lectures highlight Torrance's distinctive belief that the object of our theological study--Jesus Christ--actively gives himself to us in order that we may know him, as well as unpack Torrance's well-developed understanding of our union with Christ and how it impacts the Christian life. Also included are his reflections on the in-breaking of Christ's kingdom and its intense conflict with and victory over evil.

Decidedly readable and filled with some of Torrence's most influential thought, this will be an important volume for scholars, professors and students of Christian theology for decades to come.

Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

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Discover the power within you

Eric Butterworth

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

empowerment from within 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book started me on a path to spiritual truth. It built my confidence level and I made a quantum leap in my life since reading this book. My favourite chapter is the one on forgiveness. it freed me
Cheryl from Trinidad

Editorial Review:

The Inspirational Classic That Has Sold More Than 250,000 Copies!

In this 40th anniversary edition of Eric Butterworth's inspiring tour de force, the author shares the greatest discovery of all time: the ability to see the divine within us all. Jesus saw this divine dimension in every human being, and Butterworth reveals this hidden and untapped resource to be a source of limitless abundance. Exploring this "depth potential," Butterworth outlines ways in which we can release the power locked within us for better health, greater confidence, increased success, and inspired openness to let our "light shine" forth for others.

The Holy Spirit and You: A Study Guide to the Spirit-Filled Life

Dennis J. Bennett, Rita Bennett

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An excellent guide to a Spirit-filled life! 5 out of 5 stars.
25 of 26 people found this review helpful.

In this book you will find the best description of what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is about!! Includes also a biblical description of each gift of the Spirit and its application for today. In the last section you will find insights about how to walk in the Spirit. Since the very first time I read it 22 years ago, this book assisted me in my christian walking. I strongly recommend this book to every honest believer who is looking for the release of the power of the Holy Ghost in his/her life!!!

The Book That Launched a Movement 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Father Dennis Bennett wrote this book to simply give his curious readers a look inside the charismatic experience that was taking place at his Episcopal Church in southern California but little did he know that this book will literally launch a new movement within the evangelical church world. From this book has come millions of charismatics within mainline denominations such as Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Roman Catholics, and many others.

The book is written in a autobiography style with Bennett adding verses of Scripture here and there to help the reader see the teaching of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4). In short, Father Bennett wants his reader to know that this is indeed an experience with the Spirit but he wants you to see that it is based on Scripture.

While you might read this book and not agree with Father Bennett over the Spirit-Baptism, you can't help but to realize how hungry for Jesus we truly need to be and how God wants us to be on fire for Him (Romans 12:11-12; 1 Thess. 5:19).

Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews: A Jewish Life and the Emergence of Christianity

Paula Fredriksen

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Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

an excellent, if slightly flawed, scholarly work 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Paula Fredriksen succeeds where so many of her colleagues fail: recapturing the Jewishness of Jesus. She accomplishes this feat simply by placing him within his Jewish context, accompanied of course by very in-depth and rigorous research into the historical settings of Judea and Galilee, collectively known to us as Palestine. She quite correctly criticizes scholars such as Crossan who Hellenize Jesus by making him into some sort of wandering Cynic sage, although at other times she is quite dismissive of arguments contrary to her own. However, given the scope of the subject and the limited time involved, perhaps we may forgive such a tendency as perhaps inevitable. ALthough I agreed with her main thesis, she immerses herself in overly rank speculation towards the end. I personally do not feel it necessary to posit John's itenerary rather than the Synoptics to explain why Jesus' followers were not crucified. Also, although all scholars do this, I seriously question the tendency to speculate far beyond what is necessary to explain the limited facts we have. Of course, some speculation (one might even say "much") is inevitable given the subject matter and the questionable nature of many of the facts involved, but to seek to explain every bit of questionable evidence just to fully flesh out one's theory seems wholly unnecessary to me. Either way, though, if you are interested in the actual Jesus of history, then you would be hard pressed to do better than this book.

Editorial Review:

Paula Fredriksen, renowned historian and author of From Christ to Jesus, begins this inquiry into the historic Jesus with a fact that may be the only undisputed thing we know about him: his crucifixion.

Rome reserved this means of execution particularly for political insurrectionists; and the Roman charge posted at the head of the cross indicted Jesus for claiming to be King of the Jews. To reconstruct the Jesus who provoked this punishment, Fredriksen takes us into the religious worlds, Jewish and pagan, of Mediterranean antiquity, through the labyrinth of Galilean and Judean politics, and on into the ancient narratives of Paul's letters, the gospels, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Josephus' histories. The result is a profound contribution both to our understanding of the social and religious contexts within which Jesus of Nazareth moved, and to our appreciation of the mission and message that ended in the proclamation of Jesus as Messiah.