So-Called Historical Jesus and the Historic-Biblical Christ

by Martin Kahler

Book by Kahler, Martin

Genres: Theology

153 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1964

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a breath of fresh air. You could substitute many of the names of Kähler’s late-nineteenth-century contemporaries for those of modern scholars like Bart Ehrman, Dominic Crossan, etc. and the book would read as though it were written for today.

Amidst the stifling views of both biblical inerrantists and historical critics (largely of the Jesus Seminar) on each extreme, Kähler offers a way forward that recognizes and appreciates the Word of God contained in the biblical texts and their overall kerygmatic and Christocentric purpose (rather than viewing them as texts designed for modern (and anachronistic) historical biographical accounts).

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kähler’s book, first published in German in 1896, is a remarkably incisive and enduring work. With clarity, theological depth, and unusual precision, Kähler exposes the limits of modern quests for the “historical Jesus” while powerfully re-centering attention on the living Christ proclaimed in Scripture and received in faith. It is brief, sharp, and profoundly important—one of the most compelling theological critiques of reductionist historical criticism ever written.