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In Quest of Jesus: Revised and Enlarged Edition
Characterizations of Jesus “dying Savior,” “monk,” or “troublemaker,” for example. But who is Jesus? Who was Jesus―really? By surveying literary sources (including the Gospels), historical reconstructions, and aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry that have engendered continuing debate, Tatum enables readers to develop a conceptual framework for evaluating the various cultural and scholarly expressions of the Jesus story.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
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August 25, 2024
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE GOSPELS, BY A "JESUS SEMINAR" MEMBER
W. Barnes Tatum is Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Greensboro College in North Carolina; this book is a 1999 revision and expansion of the book he originally published in 1982. He has also written books such as 'Jesus: A Brief History,' 'John the Baptist and Jesus: A Report of the Jesus Seminar,' 'Jesus at the Movies: A Guide to the First Hundred Years,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to the Revised Edition, "Many books about Jesus focus their attention primarily on the Gospels that testify to his life. Other books about Jesus survey the different ways historians have reconstructed the events in his life. This volume embraces both approaches and considers, throughout, the interrelationship between literary study of the Gospels and historical research into the career of Jesus. This book is written for the general reader, although it communicates the diverse findings of professional scholarship. It is designed to be an introduction to a serious study of the Gospels and intensive research into the life of Jesus... this book is designed to function as a guide that will encourage in its readers the development and refinement of their own viewpoints, in academic and church settings or through solitary perusal." (Pg. 7-8)
He observes, "In addition to the uses of 'son of man' in ancient literature, the phrase was also used in first-century Galilean Aramaic---so it has been argued---as a substitute, or circumlocution, for the first person pronoun 'I.' This idiom was used by speakers in statements about themselves that were embarrassing or frightening in nature. The declaration 'I am going to die,' for example, could be expressed as, 'The son of man... is going to die.' It is against this complex historical and linguistic background that we must consider this name for Jesus in the Greek New Testament... The use and distribution of this name in the New Testament constitutes a remarkable literary phenomenon." (Pg. 163)
He points out, "The author of John uses the word 'sign' ... to designate those acts whereby Jesus cured the afflicted, resuscitated the dead, and controlled nature... The word itself does not necessarily suggest an act contrary to natural law... The word suggests an event that points beyond itself. In John, the 'signs' of Jesus are those actions through which he is revealed to be the Christ, the Son of God... Within the synoptic Gospels, the word 'sign' has a very negative connotation. 'Signs' are what Jesus' opponents demand of him and what Jesus refuses to perform, namely, unequivocal demonstrations that it is of God." (Pg. 208)
This book functions well as an introductory text; while it doesn't profess to stake out any particularly original area, it is fine as an overview.
W. Barnes Tatum is Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Greensboro College in North Carolina; this book is a 1999 revision and expansion of the book he originally published in 1982. He has also written books such as 'Jesus: A Brief History,' 'John the Baptist and Jesus: A Report of the Jesus Seminar,' 'Jesus at the Movies: A Guide to the First Hundred Years,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to the Revised Edition, "Many books about Jesus focus their attention primarily on the Gospels that testify to his life. Other books about Jesus survey the different ways historians have reconstructed the events in his life. This volume embraces both approaches and considers, throughout, the interrelationship between literary study of the Gospels and historical research into the career of Jesus. This book is written for the general reader, although it communicates the diverse findings of professional scholarship. It is designed to be an introduction to a serious study of the Gospels and intensive research into the life of Jesus... this book is designed to function as a guide that will encourage in its readers the development and refinement of their own viewpoints, in academic and church settings or through solitary perusal." (Pg. 7-8)
He observes, "In addition to the uses of 'son of man' in ancient literature, the phrase was also used in first-century Galilean Aramaic---so it has been argued---as a substitute, or circumlocution, for the first person pronoun 'I.' This idiom was used by speakers in statements about themselves that were embarrassing or frightening in nature. The declaration 'I am going to die,' for example, could be expressed as, 'The son of man... is going to die.' It is against this complex historical and linguistic background that we must consider this name for Jesus in the Greek New Testament... The use and distribution of this name in the New Testament constitutes a remarkable literary phenomenon." (Pg. 163)
He points out, "The author of John uses the word 'sign' ... to designate those acts whereby Jesus cured the afflicted, resuscitated the dead, and controlled nature... The word itself does not necessarily suggest an act contrary to natural law... The word suggests an event that points beyond itself. In John, the 'signs' of Jesus are those actions through which he is revealed to be the Christ, the Son of God... Within the synoptic Gospels, the word 'sign' has a very negative connotation. 'Signs' are what Jesus' opponents demand of him and what Jesus refuses to perform, namely, unequivocal demonstrations that it is of God." (Pg. 208)
This book functions well as an introductory text; while it doesn't profess to stake out any particularly original area, it is fine as an overview.
Displaying 1 of 1 review