Historical Jesus Books - Page 5

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ: The Philosophic and Practical Basis of the Religion of the Aquarian Age of the World and of the Church Universal

Levi H. Dowling

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Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The ideal way to explore the Eastern influence on the spirituality of Jesus 3 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

The Aquarian Gospel is a book that I have read around three times, because many of the nuances of this book (particularly the metaphysical riddles) require second reading. This book is a MUST READ for those who plan to watch the movie based upon this book that is presently under production by William Sees Keenan and Drew Heriot. The Aquarian Gospel primarily tries to fill in the gaps and explain the "missing years" of Jesus that have been dismissed rather casually in the Bible by simply stating "And the boy grew in wisdom and stature." How much you eventually like this book will depend upon your objective. If the objective is to read a mystery novel, The Aquarian Gospel will disappoint (you will probably enjoy The Rozabal Line much more as a fast-paced thriller covering the Jesus in India story). If the aim is to read about the "Jesus in India" theory itself, again there are better books out there such as Jesus Lived in India: His Unknown Life Before and After the Crucifixion or The Unknown Life of Jesus: The Original Text of Nicolas Notovich's 1887 Discovery If, however, the aim is to understand the influences of the Eastern traditions upon the spirituality and teachings of Jesus, then this is an ideal read. Throughout the 1960's, The Aquarian Gospel was a big hit with the hippie movement. To that extent, this book acquired a "negative" and "anti-establishment" connotation. However, with today's significantly more liberal attitude towards questioning the origins of Christianity, this book needs to be looked at in a new positive light.

The Method and Message of Jesus' Teachings

Robert H. Stein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Fabulous Book 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It motivated me to read hundreds of other scholarly Christian books--and of course all of Dr. Stein's other books. Before I read this book, Jesus' words seemed sort of dry and dull; this book helped me to appreciate the real genius of Jesus, and why so many people flocked to listen to his teaching.

Extemely good book 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is an extremely good book. I would like to recommend it to anyone that would like to know how Jesus taught, and what He taught. I read another good book that referred to this book several times, it's called Reading The Bible for all It Worth. I would recommend these 2 books to every Christian as required reading.

Good Book! 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Robert H. Stein gives the Bible student a brief overview of Jesus' use of language in the Gospels. How I wish Christians would take the time to read this book. Many have no clue as to when a statement is to be interpreted literally or when it is overstatement or hyperbole. If you are wrestling with the "hard-sayings" of Jesus... get this book. It will help you better interpret the Scriptures.

Editorial Review:

"Stein helps locate the many modes of discourse of Jesus, speculates as to why they were employed, and leads readers through the mazeways of the Gospels. A reverent and learned treatment".--The Christian Century.

Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study

Gordon D. Fee

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An exhaustive study of Pauline Christology by noted Pauline scholar, Gordon Fee. The author provides a detailed analysis of the letters of Paul (including those whose authorship is questioned) individually, exploring the Christology of each one, and then attempts a synthesis of the exegetical work into a biblical Christology of Paul.

The author's synthesis covers the following themes: Christ's roles as divine Savior and as preexistent and incarnate Savior; Jesus as the Second Adam, the Jewish Messiah, and Son of God; and as the Messiah and exalted Lord. Fee also explores the relationship between Christ and the Spirit and considers the Person and role of the Spirit in Paul's thought. Appendices cover the theme of Christ and Personified Wisdom, and Paul's use of Kurios (Lord) in citations and echoes of the Septuagint.

"Anyone who has read even a smattering of Paul's writings recognizes early on that his devotion to Christ was the foremost reality and passion of his life. What he said in one of his later letters serves as a kind of motto for his entire Christian life: 'For me to live is Christ; to die is [to] gain [Christ]' (Phil. 1:21). Christ is the beginning and goal of everything for Paul, and thus is the single great reality along the way."
--From the Introduction

The Resurrection of Jesus: John Dominic Crossan And N.T. Wright in Dialogue

Robert B. Stewart, John Dominic Crossan, N. T. Wright

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Hey, want to find out if the resurrection was real? 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 21 people found this review helpful.

This book centers on a debate between two of the most famous biblical scholars, The subject is whether the resurrection of Jesus Christ actually happened. On one side, N T Wright, is an Anglican bishop who argues that the resurrection was a true, historical event. Dominic Crossan, famous for helping to form the Jesus Seminar, believes the opposite.

And it's very, very interesting to see just how their positions hold up in a conversation between the two.

It's also a shortcut way to judge the various arguments for yourself. Both Wright's book on the resurrection and Crossan's "The Historical Jesus" are long and full of scholarly details.

In addition to the debate, there is a short history of biblical scholarship over the last two hundred years and a number of essays on the subject of the debate, some pro, some con.

For a quick and easy way to find out about the current state of biblical scholarship, this book fits the bill.

Editorial Review:

Two of today's most important and popular New Testament scholars, John Dominic Crossan and N. T. Wright, here air their very different understandings of the historical reality and theological meaning of Jesus' Resurrection. The book highlights points of agreement and disagreement between them and explores the many attendant issues.

This book brings two leading lights in Jesus studies together for a long-overdue conversation with one another and with significant scholars from other disciplines.

The contributors include:

John Dominic Crossan N. T. Wright Robert Stewart William Lane Craig Craig Evans R. Douglas Geivett Gary Habermas Ted Peters Charles Quarles Alan Segal

The Star of Bethlehem : The Legacy of the Magi

Michael R. Molnar

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Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

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Could the $50 purchase of an ancient coin by a Rutgers astronomer have unlocked the mystery of the Christmas Star? For years, scientists have looked, with little success, to astronomical records for an explanation of the magical star that guided the Magi to Christ's manger. Intrigued by the image he found on the latest addition to his coin collection, Michael Molnar thought there might be more to learn by looking, instead, at the teaching of ancient astrologers. The author argues that the Star of Bethlehem was not a star at all, but rather a regal portent centring around the planet Jupiter when eclipsed by the Moon. He bases this theory on the actual beliefs of astrologers, such as the Magi, who lived around the time of Christ. Molnar found some intriguing clues to the mystery while researching the meaning of astrological symbols he found on an ancient coin, which bore the image of Aries looking back at a star. He found that Aries was a symbol of Judea at the time, and that ancient astrologers believed that a new king would be born when the Moon passed in front of Jupiter. Molnar wondered, could the coin have been issued as a response to the Great Messianic Portent, the Star of Bethlehem? To match the story of the appearance of the Christmas Star, Molnar also knew the event had to happen when Jupiter was "in the east". Using these criteria and a computer program, he was able to chart an eclipse of Jupiter in Aries on April 17, 6 BC, a day when Jupiter was precisely "in the east", which confirmed his theory. Moreover, he found that a Roman astrologer described the conditions of that day as fitting the birth of a "divine and immortal" person.

The Historical Jesus For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality))

Catherine M., PhD Murphy

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Editorial Review:

Was Jesus of Nazareth a real person? Did all of the events described in the gospels really happen? How was the world Jesus lived in different from our own? In The Historical Jesus For Dummies, you'll discover the answers to these questions and hundreds more.

This accessible, plain-English guide to the life and times of Jesus paints a vibrant picture of his world, examining records in the New Testament and Roman history as well as recent archeological finds that shed new light on his life. You'll find informative explanations of Jesus's birth, infancy, and childhood; meet his followers and enemies; learn about his teachings and miracles, and discover how modern scholars and historians have arrived at these conclusions. This fascinating primer to the real-life Jesus explores:

• The different stories of Jesus in the gospels
• The three quests for the historical Jesus
• The miracles of Jesus
• Jewish society and the influence of Rome in Jesus's time
• The Roman practice of crucifixion
• The politics of Roman-occupied Judea
• What people though of Jesus when he was alive
• The Gnostic gospels and other non-biblical texts of the time
• The top controversies surrounding Jesus
• Portrayals of Jesus in art and film

Complete with a concise account of the spread of Christianity throughout the world, The Historical Jesus For Dummies puts you in touch with the human Jesus who walked the earth and whose teachings changed the world.

The Brother of Jesus and the Lost Teachings of Christianity

Jeffrey J. Bütz

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Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Reveals the true role of James, the brother of Jesus, in early Christianity

• Uses evidence from the canonical Gospels, apocryphal texts, and the writings of the Church Fathers to reveal the teachings of Jesus as transmitted to his chosen successor: James

• Demonstrates how the core message in the teachings of Jesus is an expansion not a repudiation of the Jewish religion

• Shows how James can serve as a bridge between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

James has been a subject of controversy since the founding of the Church. Evidence that Jesus had siblings contradicts Church dogma on the virgin birth, and James is also a symbol of Christian teachings that have been obscured. While Peter is traditionally thought of as the leader of the apostles and the "rock" on which Jesus built his church, Jeffrey Bütz shows that it was James who led the disciples after the crucifixion. It was James, not Peter, who guided them through the Church's first major theological crisis--Paul's interpretation of the teachings of Jesus.

Using the canonical Gospels, writings of the Church Fathers, and apocryphal texts, Bütz argues that James is the most overlooked figure in the history of the Church. He shows how the core teachings of Jesus are firmly rooted in Hebraic tradition; reveals the bitter battles between James and Paul for ideological supremacy in the early Church; and explains how Paul's interpretations, which became the foundation of the Church, are in many ways its betrayal. Bütz reveals a picture of Christianity and the true meaning of Christ's message that are sometimes at odds with established Christian doctrine and concludes that James can serve as a desperately needed missing link between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to heal the wounds of centuries of enmity.

The First to Follow: The Apostles of Jesus

John R. Claypool

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A New Treasure of John R Claypool! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

We owe a great debt to Ann Wilkinson Claypool! She has edited and collected the Sermons, John delivered in places from St Luke's Church in Birmingham to Chautauqua!

Ann has relied on the helpful sources of many of John's friends and family. I have already underlined a dozen of his names and quotations from Walter Brueggemann, M Gandhi, C.S. Lewis, Paul Tillich, Carlyle Marney, Sam Keen, Anthony DeMello, Simone Weil, William James!

These and other sources, I heard John deliver while in his Theology Classes at McAfee. I have noted that John favored Andrew, Peter, Thomas and John as his most prolific disciples! I saw insights from John's Sermons which revealed new facts about the disciples: "Jesus and Andrew had both grown up in the northern part of Palestine called Galilee.

Andrew was probably surprised that a fellow from his hometown turned out to be the One whom God had chosen to do the messiannic work. Andrew was one of three pairs of brothers that became part of the intimate circle of Jesus' disciples. These brothers were James and John, Andrew and Simon Peter, and Matthew and James.

In his sermons John repeats some of his wonderful stories of Anthony de Mello. One of those is about the Holy Man who passed off the diamond as large as a man's head to the villager. The man could not sleep and came early the next morning to return the diamond, "so that the Holy Man could give him the wealth that makes it possible for you to give away this diamond so easily!"

In my position as a prison Chaplain, I used this story in sermons dealing with the new hopes and aspirations of inmates who would be released into the world with this exact same desire and need! This was one example of how John's stories were passed on to men in great need and hunger for a change in their new life.

With Gratitude to Ann & John Claypool From Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood.

Editorial Review:

One of the first things that Jesus did in his ministry was to reach out to twelve individuals and draw them into a circle of close companionship with him. This series is about those twelve apostles, their relationships with Jesus and with each other, and what the dynamics of that community can teach us. By studying those whom Jesus selected and what he did for them, to them, with them, and through them, we can learn much about how we can we experience the Holy in our own day. Jesus did not wait for people to be perfect in order to call them into the circle of God s love. As we look at those that Jesus called, and consider ourselves as part of that enlarging circle, we gain not only a deeper sense of our own reality, but also a deeper sense of how Christ would like to work with us.

Jesus the Liberator: A Historical-Theological Reading of Jesus of Nazareth

Jon Sobrino, Paul Burns, Francis McDonagh

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Theology from El Salvador 5 out of 5 stars.
21 of 23 people found this review helpful.

Jon Sobrino argues for a Christology that is relevant for his cultural situation, and he begins from below with the person of Jesus of Nazareth presenting a genetic Christology from below, relying heavily on the synoptic gospels. Writing from El Salvador, Sobrino has a clear purpose in mind for his Christological work, Jesus the Liberator. He writes from the perspective of the poor, trying to uncover a Christ who speaks to those who have suffered much. The he presents God is so involved in human history to be able to suffer, along with the crucified people of history.

Heavily influenced by Jurgen Moltmann, Sobrino, furthers Moltmann's position on a crucified and suffering God, and applies the image to his own particular situation. Examining the cross and what it reveals of God is to be honest about the world, recognizing the recurrence of the cross over and over again in human history. Like Moltmann, Sobrino takes the crucifixion as a given element of revelation and works from it without attempting to explain it away. Rather, he examines it in order to see what it reveals about God.

Sobrino like other liberationists connects knowing God with action. In the fight against the forces of sin in this world, God shows that it is necessary to bear sin rather than sublimating it or denying it. In the face of suffering a person must adopt a position in relation to the suffering either through action or omission. Therefore, if God is to be known human persons must involve themselves in the suffering of the world. The wonder of the cross, on the other hand, leads away from peace in that knowledge of God includes action and leaves hearts forever restless, questioned and questioning. Sobrino writes from Latin America, and the presuppositions and cultural situation shape his goals and the direction of his theology. From Sobrino's perspective, theology needs to address questions surrounding the suffering of the poor. The poor receive priority of treatment because "liberation theology's guts are wrenched by the inhumanly poor and cruelly oppressed masses." For Sobrino, theology that does not directly face the "crucified people" in history cannot be adequate. Sobrino gives priority to the Kingdom of God in his analysis, arguing that Jesus' ministry revolved around the proclamation of the Kingdom which brings life for the poor and in which the human community recognizes the value and worth of each member. The good news of the Kingdom becomes real in "liberation from material want" in that the poor need a reality to grasp rather than mere words. Clearly, Sobrino always brings his thought back to the particular historical and cultural situation of the crucified people.

Elements of Sobrino's own history mingle with the excellent theological analysis and ground the work in the stark reality of real suffering. The book is excellent both as a Christology and as an introduction to liberation theology

On the Road With Joseph Smith: An Author's Diary

Richard Lyman Bushman

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

An author's post-publication ruminations 4 out of 5 stars.
13 of 17 people found this review helpful.

This brief memoir (140 pages including the index) is a book about a book--Bushman's Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling (Alfred A. Knopf, 2005)--and the reaction it generated from Mormons and non-Mormons of various sorts during the author's yearlong promotional tour. On the Road will obviously be of greatest interest to those acquainted with Bushman or who at least have read Rough Stone Rolling; but the volume may also appeal to those curious about contemporary non-fiction book publishing or who are interested in how contemporary Mormon intellectuals try to sort out the more awkward aspects of their faith.

Bushman confesses to having a "sensitive temperament," and he is sometimes so revealing that the reader feels on the edge of voyeurism. For instance, Bushman expresses his frustration at forgetting his cell phone charger, he regularly checks the Amazon.com rankings of his book, and he compares the quality of his own interviews with those of President George W. Bush: "He seemed unsure and forced in his answers....Sitting before a reporter who was going to be more critical, he faltered, and I do the same. I also thought it was partly because he is not entirely honest. He keeps thinking of the criticisms of his statements and is not certain he is answering satisfactorily. As I watched I was of course applying these observations to myself." (94) The volume is full of what one nineteenth-century after-dinner speaker called "carriage speeches"--the revised discourses he made to himself on the way home in his carriage.

Bushman includes curious speculation about the nature of ultimate reality (60-62), which concludes with his pronouncement that "Mormons are not the only source of light" and that "Christ radiates throughout the world, through many voices." Yet he is willing enough to play down such sentiments for the present when Mormonism is "under attack from evangelical Christians." Bushman also expresses discomfort at Joseph Smith's polyandry and yet, for unspecified reasons, he swallows Smith's angels and golden plates whole. In the end, Bushman admits that by writing Rough Stone Rolling for both Mormons and non-Mormons, he attracted educated believers but lost readers at "both ends of the spectrum"--conservative Mormons who wanted an unsullied prophet with supernatural gifts and non-Mormons who were confirmed in their previous belief that Smith was only a charlatan.