Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, Volume 1

by James D.G. Dunn

James Dunn is regarded worldwide as one of today's foremost biblical scholars. Having written groundbreaking studies of the New Testament and a standard work on Paul's theology, Dunn here turns his pen to the rise of Christianity itself. Jesus Remembered is the first installment in what will be a monumental three-volume history of the first 120 years of the faith.

Focusing on Jesus, this first volume has several distinct features. It garners the lessons to be learned from the "quest for the historical Jesus" and meets the hermeneutical challenges to a historical and theological assessment of the Jesus tradition. It provides a fresh perspective both on the impact made by Jesus and on the traditions about Jesus as oral tradition -- hence the title "Jesus Remembered." And it offers a fresh analysis of the details of that tradition, emphasizing its characteristic (rather than dissimilar) features. Noteworthy too are Dunn's treatments of the source question (particularly Q and the noncanonical Gospels) and of Jesus the Jew in his Galilean context.

In his detailed analysis of the Baptist tradition, the kingdom motif, the call to and character of discipleship, what Jesus' audiences thought of him, what he thought of himself, why he was crucified, and how and why belief in Jesus' resurrection began, Dunn engages wholeheartedly in the contemporary debate, providing many important insights and offering a thoroughly convincing account of how Jesus was remembered from the first, and why.

Written with peerless scholarly acumen yet accessible to a wide range of readers, Dunn's Jesus Remembered, together with its successor volumes, will be a sine qua non for all students of Christianity's beginnings.

Genres: Christianity, Religion, Theology, History, Biblical Studies, Church History, New Testament

1019 pages, Hardcover

First published July 29, 2003

About the author

James D. G. ("Jimmy") Dunn (born 1939) was for many years the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology at the University of Durham. Since his retirement he has been made Emeritus Lightfoot Professor. He is a leading British New Testament scholar, broadly in the Protestant tradition. Dunn is especially associated with the New Perspective on Paul, along with N. T. (Tom) Wright and E. P. Sanders. He is credited with coining this phrase during his 1982 Manson Memorial Lecture.

Dunn has an MA and BD from the University of Glasgow and a PhD and DD from the University of Cambridge. For 2002, Dunn was the President of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, the leading international body for New Testament study. Only three other British scholars had been made President in the preceding 25 years.

In 2005 a festschrift was published dedicated to Dunn, comprising articles by 27 New Testament scholars, examining early Christian communities and their beliefs about the Holy Spirit. (edited by Graham N. Stanton, Bruce W. Longenecker & Stephen Barton (2004). The Holy Spirit and Christian origins: essays in honor of James D. G. Dunn. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. ISBN 0-8028-2822-1.)

Dunn has taken up E. P. Sanders' project of redefining Palestinian Judaism in order to correct the Christian view of Judaism as a religion of works-righteousness. One of the most important differences to Sanders is that Dunn perceives a fundamental coherence and consistency to Paul's thought. He furthermore criticizes Sanders' understanding of the term "justification", arguing that Sanders' understanding suffers from an "individualizing exegesis".

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the most significant book to be written on Jesus since Dean Fredric Farrar's "Life of Christ" (1874) or Alfred Edersheim's "Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" (1884). Dunn's basic thesis is that there was a strong oral tradition concerning Christ which predates the written Gospels. Most modern critical scholars have identified a tradition, called "Q" as a common link between the Synoptic Gospels, with Q assumed to be an early manuscript. Dunn however, regards Q as an oral tradition, and not a manuscript. Dunn's thesis better explains the differences between the synoptics.

Dunn does not seek to unearth the real Jesus, which he regards as an impossibility, but rather seeks to find the Jesus that the early disciples remembered.

Dunn affirms the accuracy of the gospel accounts. He also argues that Jesus had a clear idea that his mission was to establish the Kingdom. He also affirms Jesus use of the term "Son of Man", but is not convinced that Jesus used this as a Messianic title. Dunn falls short of affirming that Jesus regarded Himself as divine.

Dunn affirms Jesus "special" birth, but falls short of affirming the virgin birth. He affirms the Resurrection to a degree, but fails to affirm the miracles.

This book is a must read for any serious theologian or pastor. Dunn tackles liberal critical scholars and their skepticism regarding the accuracy of the New Testament in a very coherent and robust manner. Thus, the first half of the book is a pleasure to read. The second half, however, may be more frustrating for conservative evangelical pastor as Dunn falls short of endorsing or affirming some key doctrines. Dunn, it seems is writing more as historian than theologian; his thesis relies on his understanding of human behaviour and how people preserve memories to explain the formation of the Gospels, and thus the account of Jesus that is available to us. However, Dunn never seeks to explore how we use this information to form any belief; in other words, Dunn seeks to write a factual account and has little time for faith.

[Joseph Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work provides a good summary of Jesus research to the time of its writing, and the first half of the work provides an interesting discussion on the relationship between faith and scholarship. Overall, however, I found bits disappointing. For one, Dunn states that he is not after the historical Jesus, but after the remembered or Historic Jesus. The Jesus that his disciples and followers remembered is the important Jesus, as that is the Jesus that inspired faith. However, Dunn at times seeks to move beyond his premise and argue for the historical or ahistorical Jesus, which is beyond what he has stated his premise is, so in my mind it muddies the water a bit. Second, Dunn is a little too much of a quester for me. He denies too much of the Gospels as historically reliable. For instance, his interaction with John does not take into account much of the recent scholarship on the historicity of John that is currently available, such as Craig Keener and Craig Blomberg's recent works. One really strong portion of the book is Dunn's conversation concerning the oral basis of the Gospels. This provides excellent insights into how the Gospel tradition possibly developed. I believe that his discussion on orality is worth getting the work, if someone is really interested in exploring how the Gospel tradition developed.

[James Chappell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Erudite. And above all, bristling with intellectual honesty. Dunn's magnum opus takes apart so-called "quests" for the Historical Jesus and shows that the gospels, as memories of the Jesus the writers remembered, retain strands of truth that hold the Christian Faith together both historically and theologically.

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a scholarly work, and this needs to be taken into account, just as we would adjust our expectations when reading a devotional work. This is the first volume, in the Author's three volume work looking at "Christianity in the Making". Thus, he correctly starts with Jesus - for what are we as Christians without Jesus.

Whilst much has been written about the Historical Jesus or at least the search for him, and how he differs (often very dramatically) from the Jesus of the Gospels, or the Jesus of the Christian Faith, the Author argue that from a strictly scholarly point of view we face great difficulties in coming to grips with the Historical Jesus. Rather, we are on firmer ground, when we examine the Jesus that was remembered - how those first Christians remembered Jesus actions and words not only give us insight into the making of Christianity, but surely give us the only historically reliable view of Jesus himself.

I especially liked the way the Author handled Oral Tradition amongst the first Christians. Some authors seem to treat this aspect with disregard or even disrespect, but this book helps to elevate it as an essential part of the formation of Christian Worship. I believe I have a much better understanding of this area thanks to this book, and thus am grateful to the Author for that.

Even though the Author points out weaknesses with Q and with the Gospel of Thomas (as well as other Apocryphal Gospels), he does seem to rely on them a bit too much in his arguments for my liking. I realise this is most likely for the benefit of other Scholars who put a lot of weight on them.

One of the reasons for choosing to read this book, was to get another perspective following reading Tom Wright's "Jesus and the victory of God" - and I am a big fan of that work. The Author does address Wright's work (as well as other authors writing in this area), and does so in a respectful manner, raising valid criticisms. However, whilst Wright separates his examination of the Resurrection into a separate volume, the current Author allocates only a chapter. Whilst it is indeed a worthwhile chapter, I would've appreciate more.

I don't always agree with the Author's conclusions, and this book didn't have the same effect on me as Wright's work did. I would recommend it to those who have read and enjoyed Wright's work.

[Lu Tsun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dunn, James D. G. Jesus Remembered. Christianity in the Making 1. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2003

In Jesus Remembered James Dunn the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at the University of Durham calls for a new quest of the historical Jesus as remembered by the earliest Christian community in the Jesus tradition of the Gospels but now scrutinized by reason in light of our increasing knowledge of the first-century Judaisms (plural).

Dunn underplays the significance of individual eyewitness in the trident of the Jesus remembered, but emphasizes on the corporate memory which is said to give identity to the group ‘which thus remembers’ (173 n.1).

Dunn concludes that Jesus had made no attempt to lay claim to any title as the Messiah or the Son of God; what Jesus was interested in was not about his status as the proclaimer of the kingdom of God but the message of the eschatological kingdom itself (762).

Dunn’s analysis of the first-century Judaism being pluralistic is great to read, but his dependence on the oral tradition and collectivistic memory theory invite challenges to his epistemological framework in the study of history.

[Matthew Burden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first installment of the magnum opus of one of the greatest NT scholars of our generation--well worth reading just for that. Gives a good assessment of current Jesus scholarship from a position that is sympathetic both with the tradition of critical scholarship and of faithful Christian belief. Dunn posits that our sources don't quite let us get all the way back to the "historical Jesus" in any sort of fullness; we can only go so far as the picture of Jesus remembered by his followers. That seems eminently reasonable to me, seeing as our sources are exactly that: remembrances of Jesus, interpreted through the early Christian community's various ways of viewing him. Dunn also places a great deal of stress on the part that oral tradition played in the process--again, a reasonable assumption and well-argued, but I'm not sure that that insight is quite as important as he makes it out to be. Overall, it's the most balanced and thorough treatment of "the quest for the historical Jesus" that I've yet seen.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discussion on history of the historical Jesus quest, methods, sources, and profile of the historical Jesus from a British moderate.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A FAMED NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLAR LOOKS IN DETAIL AT JESUS' LIFE

James D. G. Dunn (born 1939) is a British New Testament scholar who was Professor of Theology at the University of Durham prior to his retirement; he is also a minister of the Church of Scotland. He has written many other books, such as 'The Evidence for Jesus,' 'Jesus and the Spirit,' 'New Perspective on Jesus: What the Quest for the Historical Jesus Missed,' etc.

He wrote in the Preface to this 2003 book, "It has long been a hope and intention of mine to provide a comprehensive overview of the beginnings of Christianity... My primary concern has been rather to draw attention to the principal (mainly textual) data which have to be taken into account when considering whether a tradition can be traced back to Jesus, or... to the initial impact made by Jesus' teaching and activity." (Pg. xiii, xvi)

He states early in the book, "There are three great questions for students of Christianity's beginnings: (1) What was it about Jesus which explains both the impact he made on his disciples and why he was crucified? (2) How and why did it come about that the movement which took off from Jesus did not after his death remain within first-century Judaism ... (3) Was the Christianity which emerged ... as a predominantly Gentle religion essentially the same as its first-century version or significantly different in character and kind?" (Pg. 3)

He admits, "John's Gospel is determined much more by John's own theological than by historical concerns. Consequently it cannot be regarded as a good source for the life of Jesus." (Pg. 40) He adds, "the character of John's Gospel as a theological, rather than a historical document, became more and more axiomatic for NT scholarship. Like the miracles of Jesus, though not quite so decisively, the Fourth Gospel had been effectively knocked out of the quest." (Pg. 41)

He summarizes, "I wish to press the case: (a) that individual traditions and groups of traditions were almost certainly formulated and circulated in oral mode, (b) that most of them were given the shape which has endured into the Synoptic Gospels during that oral phase, and (c) that the Evangelists... would probably had known many of these oral traditions independently of their knowledge of written collections... I believe (d) that in the stabilities and diversities of the tradition we can trace the continuities and variations in the performances/retellings of the tradition... I do not pretend I can offer proof positive of my thesis. But in dealing with Synoptic traditions, who can realistically offer proof positive of any thesis?" (Pg. 336)

He comments about the birth stories: "the heavy typologizing ... (Herod as Pharoah, Jesus as Israel in Egypt) leaves it very uncertain whether we can discern any historical events underlying the present story... the whole Egyptian episode, including Joseph and Mary's return to settle in Nazareth, does seem somewhat contrived. More disturbing ... has been the probability that Luke got his facts wrong in the reason he gives for Jesus being born in Bethlehem of Judea.

"The census under Quirinius took place in 6 CE... That census would not have applied to Galilee, which was Antipas's territory. We know nothing of a universal census throughout the Roman Empire, then or earlier. And the idea of a census requiring individuals to move to the native town of long dead ancestors is hard to credit. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that Luke was mistaken in dating the census so early... Most disturbing for Christian pilgrim is the outcome that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem has to be left in question. Was the story to that effect contrived simply because of the Micah prophecy..." (Pg. 344)

In his chapter, "How Did Jesus See His Own role?" he concludes, "In one sense our findings thus far are disappointing. We have to conclude as likely that Jesus made no attempt to lay claim to any title as such; also that he rejected at least one which others tried to fit him to." (Pg. 761) He concludes, "(1) The only realistic objective for any 'quest of the historical Jesus' is Jesus remembered. (2) The Jesus tradition of the gospels confirms THAT there was a concern within earliest Christianity to remember Jesus. (3) The Jesus tradition shows us HOW Jesus was remembered... (4) This suggests ... that that essential shape was first put into words by and among those involved as eyewitnesses of what Jesus said and did." (Pg. 882)

This is a challenging, essentially "orthodox" life of Jesus that should be studied by anyone interested in the "historical Jesus."

[Matthew Shedd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detailed book, but written very redundantly.

[Kelly F]

Great book for those who like in depth scholarly studies of Christianity.