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The Original Jesus : The Life and Vision of a Revolutionary
In The Original Jesus biblical historian Tom Wright focuses on key stages in the life of Jesus, and key elements of his teaching, revealing a vivid reconstruction of what Jesus himself was aiming to achieve, and how the movement he began can best be understood in relation to the turbulent politics and fervent aspirations of his day. Tom Wright also looks at the way we interpret the different Gospels.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
4 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Tom Wright
119 books237 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He also publishes under N.T. Wright.
He also publishes under N.T. Wright.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 28, 2024
Goed boek wat je kennis laat maken met het christendom en waar het echt voor staat. Het neemt je mee in het geloof en hoe mensen het beleven om te laten zien hoe waar(devol) het is.
Toch bevat het boek wel wat minpunten. De layout is niet mooi ingericht na mijn mening met blokjes tekst die apart staan. Soms staat in de aparte blokjes precies wat in de hoofdtekst staat, terwijl het later in het boek het ook nieuwe informatie werd. Daarnaast vond ik het hoofdstuk "het lezen van de evangeliën" verwarrend. De toon was gezet voor het vertellen over de basis van het geloof, terwijl in dit hoofdstuk werd ingegaan op de betrouwbaarheid van de evangeliën. Er werd verteld waarom de dode zeerollen wel of niet meegenomen zouden worden en waarom.
Al met al vond ik het boek toch leerzaam en inspirerend.
Toch bevat het boek wel wat minpunten. De layout is niet mooi ingericht na mijn mening met blokjes tekst die apart staan. Soms staat in de aparte blokjes precies wat in de hoofdtekst staat, terwijl het later in het boek het ook nieuwe informatie werd. Daarnaast vond ik het hoofdstuk "het lezen van de evangeliën" verwarrend. De toon was gezet voor het vertellen over de basis van het geloof, terwijl in dit hoofdstuk werd ingegaan op de betrouwbaarheid van de evangeliën. Er werd verteld waarom de dode zeerollen wel of niet meegenomen zouden worden en waarom.
Al met al vond ik het boek toch leerzaam en inspirerend.
August 24, 2024
WRIGHT SUMMARIZES HIS VIEWS FOR TWO TELEVISION PROGRAMS
Nicholas Thomas Wright (born 1948) is an Anglican bishop (Bishop of Durham from 2003-2010), and is currently Research Professor at St Mary's College in Scotland. He has written many other books such as 'The New Testament and the People of God Vol. 1', 'Jesus and the Victory of God Vol. 2,' 'The Resurrection of the Son of God Vol. 3,' 'Who Was Jesus?,' 'The Challenge of Jesus,' 'The Contemporary Quest for Jesus, etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1996 book, "When the BBC invited me to film a sequence of programs about Jesus... it was a wonderful challenge. I was in the middle of writing a serious scholarly book on Jesus, and had to change gear for a week and speak as simply and directly as I could, in non-technical language... I have expanded the text a little. The first half of the book is a slightly fuller version of what appeared on television. The second half was added so that people who were intrigued by the first half could see how they might follow the issues up and begin to find out more for themselves." (Pg. 6-7)
He states, "we know for certain that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. That is one of the most secure facts in the history of the world." (Pg. 18) He says, "Some of his hearers did follow him; and, from those who did, he called twelve in particular... Remember who normally hid out in those hills [i.e., the revolutionary Zealots]. So when Jesus took his twelve disciples up there and gave them their marching orders, it would have looked a lot more like the founding of a revolutionary movement. But this was a revolution with a difference. Jesus' people were to be the real light of the world." (Pg. 53)
Of the gospel accounts of Jesus' last days, he admits, "None of them represents the whole scene that you get by trying (it's difficult) to put them all together. Take the accounts one by one at each stage of the story and you'll see what I mean." (Pg. 92) He argues, "My point is not that the discrepancies prove all the accounts to be fictitious... Indeed, the very discrepancies read, if anything, much more like eye-witness reports of the same confused, swift and frightening events than like an attempt, long afterwards, to construct a piece of fiction out of theological motivations... even if you were to manage to produce a harmonized account in which every detail of every Gospel somehow fitted together, you would have succeeded in proving, not that any of them had given you a full and accurate transcript of everything that took place, but that none of them had done so. The accounts do not permit a simplistic realism... any more than a simplistic cynicism." (Pg. 99)
He asserts, "A good many scholars on both sides of the Atlantic, have been very sceptical, in turn, of the 'Jesus Seminar' and its decisions. Those decisions, in fact, seem to have as much to do with the Seminar's hatred of certain types of Christianity, not least fundamentalism... In what follows I shall propose a quite different way of understanding the Gospels to that which the 'Jesus Seminar' suggest, one which in my view... has a far better claim to be seriously historical and scholarly." (Pg. 102-103)
He points out, "The confidence with which some scholars pronounce that, for instance, Matthew and Luke were written in the eighties or nineties, and John some time between 90 and 110, is breathtaking. We know next to nothing about what Christianity was like in those decades. We certainly don't know enough to be able to date or place documents there." (Pg. 127)
This book is probably the best "overview" of Wright's views, and may whet a reader's appetite to read his major works.
Nicholas Thomas Wright (born 1948) is an Anglican bishop (Bishop of Durham from 2003-2010), and is currently Research Professor at St Mary's College in Scotland. He has written many other books such as 'The New Testament and the People of God Vol. 1', 'Jesus and the Victory of God Vol. 2,' 'The Resurrection of the Son of God Vol. 3,' 'Who Was Jesus?,' 'The Challenge of Jesus,' 'The Contemporary Quest for Jesus, etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1996 book, "When the BBC invited me to film a sequence of programs about Jesus... it was a wonderful challenge. I was in the middle of writing a serious scholarly book on Jesus, and had to change gear for a week and speak as simply and directly as I could, in non-technical language... I have expanded the text a little. The first half of the book is a slightly fuller version of what appeared on television. The second half was added so that people who were intrigued by the first half could see how they might follow the issues up and begin to find out more for themselves." (Pg. 6-7)
He states, "we know for certain that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. That is one of the most secure facts in the history of the world." (Pg. 18) He says, "Some of his hearers did follow him; and, from those who did, he called twelve in particular... Remember who normally hid out in those hills [i.e., the revolutionary Zealots]. So when Jesus took his twelve disciples up there and gave them their marching orders, it would have looked a lot more like the founding of a revolutionary movement. But this was a revolution with a difference. Jesus' people were to be the real light of the world." (Pg. 53)
Of the gospel accounts of Jesus' last days, he admits, "None of them represents the whole scene that you get by trying (it's difficult) to put them all together. Take the accounts one by one at each stage of the story and you'll see what I mean." (Pg. 92) He argues, "My point is not that the discrepancies prove all the accounts to be fictitious... Indeed, the very discrepancies read, if anything, much more like eye-witness reports of the same confused, swift and frightening events than like an attempt, long afterwards, to construct a piece of fiction out of theological motivations... even if you were to manage to produce a harmonized account in which every detail of every Gospel somehow fitted together, you would have succeeded in proving, not that any of them had given you a full and accurate transcript of everything that took place, but that none of them had done so. The accounts do not permit a simplistic realism... any more than a simplistic cynicism." (Pg. 99)
He asserts, "A good many scholars on both sides of the Atlantic, have been very sceptical, in turn, of the 'Jesus Seminar' and its decisions. Those decisions, in fact, seem to have as much to do with the Seminar's hatred of certain types of Christianity, not least fundamentalism... In what follows I shall propose a quite different way of understanding the Gospels to that which the 'Jesus Seminar' suggest, one which in my view... has a far better claim to be seriously historical and scholarly." (Pg. 102-103)
He points out, "The confidence with which some scholars pronounce that, for instance, Matthew and Luke were written in the eighties or nineties, and John some time between 90 and 110, is breathtaking. We know next to nothing about what Christianity was like in those decades. We certainly don't know enough to be able to date or place documents there." (Pg. 127)
This book is probably the best "overview" of Wright's views, and may whet a reader's appetite to read his major works.
March 17, 2017
This book took complicated concepts and made them simple, which is exactly what N.T. Wright tends to do. A great, concise take on who Jesus was and what he did. Great book for everyone from non-believers, scholars, and seminary students alike.
April 14, 2020
Does a nice job of setting Jesus in historical context. Also, his side-by-side comparison of all four gospels telling "Easter weekend" story was especially enlightening, and, coincidentally, seasonally on-cue.
December 31, 2021
This book introduces the reader to modern scholarships take on who wrote the Gospels, when they did so and for what reason. For this alone the book is worth a thorough study. I found that the book gave me unique insights. Most interesting was how it placed Jesus into the context of his time.
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March 25, 2025A historical analysis on Jesus and the four evangelists.
Perhaps most engaging were the explorations of scenes such as the sermon on the mount or the denial of Peter. Fascinating enough to persuade me to finally begin reading the gospels and with utmost attention.
(No rating)
Perhaps most engaging were the explorations of scenes such as the sermon on the mount or the denial of Peter. Fascinating enough to persuade me to finally begin reading the gospels and with utmost attention.
(No rating)
October 9, 2017
Wonderful and thoughtful.
November 9, 2018
Excellent book, easy to understand and very comprehensive at the same time.
December 20, 2020
Has some interesting things to consider.
January 3, 2023
Have read the french translation "Jésus : retour aux sources"
Éditions Excelsi, 1998, ISBN 2-911260-63-5
C'est plutôt un survol.
Éditions Excelsi, 1998, ISBN 2-911260-63-5
C'est plutôt un survol.
March 19, 2024
easy to read, yet, leaving you with lots of thoughts to ponder
January 12, 2013
Great read. Easy to grasp, clear writing, and still informative. Wright gives attention to Jesus' Jewish background more than your typical Christian writer does & it's a refreshing look at otherwise old, familiar terrain. Several classic religious paintings embellish the book as well & that's just another plus. Recommend for all: the curious, new believers & the more mature. I'm going to want to look up more books by this author.
April 8, 2016
The Original Jesus is my first exposure to the theologian N. T. Wright. Apparently it is written as a companion piece to a TV series, so it's lacking depth. I agree with the inside cover describing Wright's style of writing as lively and non-technical. This is a good introduction to the key stages in the life of Jesus and to key elements of his teaching. Reading this gave me fresh insights. With color illustrations (photographs and reproductions of famous paintings) throughout.
February 9, 2014
A wonderful primer for those desiring to learn about Jesus of Nazareth and the beginnings of Christianity. Informative, entertaining and intellectual without the dryness that sometimes accompanies works of historical theology. The author brings Jesus and his ministry to life, explaining the man and his times, the meaning behind them both. Highly recommended.
June 10, 2014
Boeiend boek van Tom Wright over hoe de evangeliën in hun tijd te plaatsen en hoe ze te interpreteren.
Na het lezen van 'gewoon Jezus' is dit echter geen aanvulling. Eerder was het een opstapje voor dat boek geweest.
Na het lezen van 'gewoon Jezus' is dit echter geen aanvulling. Eerder was het een opstapje voor dat boek geweest.
December 19, 2012
This is a short very accessible book on N. T. Wright's historical Jesus research. It's nothing new for those acquainted with Jesus and the Victory of God or The Challenge of Jesus.
October 20, 2015
Excellent introduction to understanding Jesus, both historically and what it means to follow Jesus today.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews