DESCRIPTION
The earliest substantive sources available for historical Jesus research are in the Gospels themselves; when interpreted in their early Jewish setting, their picture of Jesus is more coherent and plausible than are the competing theories offered by many modern scholars. So argues Craig Keener in
The Historical Jesus of the Gospels.
In exploring the depth and riches of the material found in the Synoptic Gospels, Keener shows how many works on the historical Jesus emphasize just one aspect of the Jesus tradition against others, but a much wider range of material in the Jesus tradition makes sense in an ancient Jewish setting. Keener masterfully uses a broad range of evidence from the early Jesus traditions and early Judaism to reconstruct a fuller portrait of the Jesus who lived in history.
REVIEWS
James H. Charlesworth
— Princeton Theological Seminary
"Globally, and especially in the USA, keen interest is focused on seeking solid historical information about Jesus, who walked out of the hills of Nazareth and into world culture. In these pages Craig Keener throws illuminating light on the historical Jew seen behind the Gospels. Keener proves why the Evangelists' view of Jesus is preferable to most modern constructs: the Gospels, as ancient biographies, reflect eyewitness accounts of Jesus and provide the only valid sources for reconstructing the historical Jesus. Replete with endnotes, this book is exceptional for its breadth and its captivating prose. Ideal for classroom adoption."
Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J.
— Catholic University of America
"With critical acumen, Craig Keener has composed a comprehensive account of the study of the historical Jesus. It will be a boon for all readers — inquisitive laypeople, pastors, students of the Gospels, and biblical colleagues."
Gerd Theissen
— University of Heidelberg
"Historical Jesus research has developed in the last decades from a 'postminimalism' concerning the authenticity of Jesus traditions to a new 'moderate confidence' in the historicity of the Gospels. Craig Keener's book is both a milestone and a boundary stone in this development. By contextualizing the sources of Jesus research and Jesus himself, Keener succeeds in increasing the historical plausibility of the Gospels to a degree that is exceptional among critical exegetes. Therefore this book must be read and taken seriously — both by those exegetes who are reluctant to support this 'historical-critical maximalism' in Jesus research and by those reluctant to contextualize Jesus in such a way. But both will enjoy reading what Keener has written with an open and critical mind."
Anne Rice
— author of Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana
"If you've never read Craig Keener before, this is the best place to start. The Historical Jesus of the Gospels is a brilliant book of immense scope and is entirely accessible to mainstream readers such as myself. Keener's encyclopedic knowledge of first-century Mediterranean life and literature is profoundly impressive, and his writing is beautifully persuasive. In seeking to discover and explain what we can know of Jesus in his own time, Keener works with the integrity of a good investigative reporter. He is unfailingly generous to other scholars and painstakingly careful in his own well-reasoned arguments. His scholarly credentials are second to none, yet his book is a thoroughly enjoyable read."
Ulrich Luz
— University of Bern, Switzerland
"This is an outstanding book about Jesus. It does not pretend to present an entirely new perspective on Jesus, like so many others, and exactly for this reason it is reliable, sober, and reasonable. It is highly recommendable as an introduction for students and also for academically trained nontheologians."