Embracing the Human Jesus is a sincere effort to think anew about Christianity and Christian practice on the foundation of a purely human Jesus. Against the inevitable criticism that such a Jesus undermines the historic faith of the church, David Galston finds a human Jesus who inspires a new era of honesty in the practice of Christianity. The book expresses the awareness held by many scholars that the historical Jesus was an end-time prophet not well suited to the contemporary world. Galston counters that, by pointing out that whether taking the apocalyptic or non-apocalyptic view, virtually all scholars see Jesus as a participant in the Jewish wisdom tradition. On this often marginalised foundation, Galston proposes that the trajectory of the ancient wisdom of Jesus can be grasped in the contemporary world and can find life in the thinking and practices of a new church. The book combines both academic theory and basic Christian experience to offer a simple model that will help communities take the historical Jesus to church.

In the past forty years, while historical-critical studies were seeking with renewed intensity to reconstruct events behind the biblical texts, not least the life of Jesus, two branches of literary studies were finally reaching maturity. First, researchers were recognizing that many biblical texts are rewritings or transformations of older texts that still exist, thus giving a clearer sense of where the biblical texts came from; and second, studies in the ancient art of composition clarified the biblical texts' unity and purpose, that is to say, where biblical texts were headed. The work of tracing literary indebtedness and art is far from finished but it is already possible and necessary to draw a conclusion: it is that, bluntly, Jesus did not exist as a historical individual. This is not as negative as may at first appear. In a deeply personal coda, Brodie begins to develop a new vision of Jesus as an icon of God's presence in the world and in human history.

Criteria of authenticity, whose roots go back to before the pioneering work of Albert Schweitzer, have become a unifying feature of the so-called Third Quest for the Historical Jesus, finding a prominent and common place in the research of otherwise differing scholars. More recently, however, scholars from different methodological frameworks have expressed discontent with this approach to the historical Jesus. In the past five years, these expressions of discontent have reached a fever pitch. The internationally renowned authors of this book examine the nature of this new debate and present the findings in a cohesive way aimed directly at making the coalface of Historical Jesus research accessible to undergraduates and seminary students. The book's larger ramifications as a thorough end to the Third Quest will provide a pressure valve for thousands of scholars who view historical Jesus studies as outmoded and misguided. This book has the potential to guide Jesus studies beyond the Third Quest and demand to be consulted by any scholar who discards, adopts, or adapts historical criteria.

Jesus - Radical, Righteous, Relevant invites readers to think in a radically different way about Jesus by exploring where exactly He fits into Christianity, the church and their lives.

Author Stephan Joubert unlocks readers' minds with a refreshing approach that enables them to determine where they belong in God's kingdom, His church and His world.

Jesus - Radical, Righteous, Relevant guides readers to realize that Christians attach so much value to a church culture, and have adapted the gospel to such an extent, that Jesus has been pushed to the background.

Jesus - Radical, Righteous, Relevant is an open invitation to think differently about the Messiah, to follow in Jesus' footsteps and experience Him as never before.

Study the life events, teachings, and claims of Jesus for yourself. Don't rely on what others have said about Jesus. Here is the narrative of Jesus' life in a brief, chronological, and easy-to-understand presentation. Bible scholars say that we have only about 45 days from the life of Jesus as told in the Bible's four gospels. Tom Cowley has selected the 32 most representative events.

What happens after death to Jesus and to those who follow him? Jesus and the Demise of Death offers a constructive theology that seeks to answer that very question, carefully considering both Jesus' descent into hell and eventual resurrection as integral parts of a robust vision of the Christian bodily resurrection. Taking on the claims of N.T. Wright and Richard B. Hays, Matthew Levering draws strongly upon the work of Thomas Aquinas to propose a radical reconstruction of Christian eschatological theology--one that takes seriously the profound ways in which Christianity and its beatific vision have been enriched by Platonic thought and emphasizes the role of the Church community in the passage from life to death. In so doing, Levering underscores the hope in eternal life for Jesus' followers and gives readers firm and fruitful soil upon which to base conversations about the Christian's future.

Biblical historians have long held that the New Testament abounds in sayings incorrectly attributed to Jesus. In order to assemble as complete a collection of authentic sayings as possible, they have, for the most part, been intent on seeing how the sayings deemed authentic are connected to one another, and attempting to picture their specific contexts. In What Jesus Didn't Say, Gerd Ludemann flips the coin and focuses on the inauthentic words of Jesus-not only those thought to be clear inventions, but also sayings that exhibit noteworthy alterations to their original form and intent. For his selection, he uses sayings that: are attributed to Jesus after his crucifixion presuppose a pagan rather than a Jewish audience involve situations in a post-Easter community reflect the editorial influence of the author According to Ludemann, the sheer abundance of inauthentic Jesus-sayings demonstrates that, soon after his sudden and dramatic death, he became the centre of a new faith. From the very beginning, Christians imagined what answers Jesus would offer to the questions that arose among them. When the words they recalled no longer seemed adequate, they revised or invented new sayings to suit the existing situation.

Since Martin Buber in Two Types of Faith acknowledged Jesus as his "great brother," other Jewish writers have sought to ascertain a place for Jesus within the larger context of Jewish history. In the aftermath of the Shoah, specifically in the afflicted consciousness of humanity, Jew and Christian alike began to ask how this tragedy could have happened, especially among and against people of faith. In an effort to assure that such a tragedy never happens again, the focus of some fell upon Jesus, previously the obstacle to reconciliation, but now perceived as the obvious and most viable bridge to span the chasm and assuage the wound of anti-Jewish and anti-Christian sentiments. Still others chose to join and expand the academic quest for the historical Jesus, adding Jewish voices to the effort to explore more rigorously and objectively the figure of Jesus in historical writing. In this unique and illuminating volume, Father Daniel F. Moore presents the historical identity of Jesus through lens of such Jewish scholars as Schalom Ben-Chorin, David Flusser, Geza Vermes, and Jacob Neuser. A useful book for those interesting in ecumenical discourse and Jesus studies.

A very active member of the Ecole Biblique et ArchEologique Francaise de JErusalem that has done so much to introduce historical criticism into the believer's reading of the Scriptures, Etienne Nodet proposes here a beautiful history book. Certainly, in putting forward to the general public an accessible synthesis of scholarly and dense works carried out successfully in these recent years, he spares the reader the ponderousness of a critical apparatus and consigns to Appendix I the citation of his principal ancient sources. He invites the reader to a fascinating effort of the intelligence and of the heart that constitutes the profession of a historian: documentation, appraisal of documents, examining witnesses, comparisons, inductions and deductions; even textual criticism is sometimes called upon: for example, he is one of those who postulates the existence of a "Western Text" of the New Testament, and draws interesting hypotheses from its comparison with the standard text of the critical editions. In a second appendix, not found in the original French work, he presents a new translation of Josephus' War of the Jews" for hints of authentic non-Christian evidence about Jesus and John the Baptist.

Beginning with the Gospel accounts of the infancy of Jesus, the author opens up for us the main features of the life of Jesus in a reading that oscillates between the questioning of the historical reference and the penetrating understanding of their verbal expression. Finally, there is the very suggestive sketch of the figure of James, "the brother of the Lord" and the head of the early Jerusalem church.

Geza Vermes is the greatest living Jesus scholar. In this collection of occasional pieces, he explores the world and the context in which Jesus of Nazareth lived and tells the story of the exploration of first-century Palestine by twentieth-century scholars. Informed by the work of a world-class scholar, the articles in this book open to the general reader the findings of some of the major discoveries of the twentieth century such as the Dead Sea Scrolls. This collection of shorter popular pieces, many of which appeared in The Times and other newspapers, makes Vermes' research on Christian origins, the Dead Sea Scrolls and most importantly Jesus the Jew accessible to a wider readership

David Ovason explores the ancient belief that two children, both named Jesus, were born in Bethlehem to two sets of parents named Joseph and Mary. Although the gospels of Matthew and Luke give some support to the tradition of 'two Jesus children', the idea was not adopted by the established church. It lingered on, however, particularly in the literature of esoteric sects such as Gnosticism, and later in fifteenth-century Italian art. Ovason pays close attention to the ancient literature discovered at Qumran near the Dead Sea, and at Chenoboskion in Egypt. Hebrew, Aramaic, Coptic and Greek texts from those sites confirm the belief in the existence of two messiahs. Ovason also explores many fascinating and apocryphal texts that contain references to the two children, which were later expunged or glossed over by church apologists. The author goes on to speculate about why the tradition then became so popular again in early fifteenth-century Italian art, and studies traces of the two children theme in the work of Ambrogio Borgognone, Defendente Ferrari, Raphael and Leonardo de Vinci. This is fascinating reading for anyone interested in church history and theology, and esoteric traditions.

From this prize-winning and best-selling author comes a magisterial new project: a dual biography, weaving together the preeminent figures of Judeo-Christian civilization and overturning the conventional view of Moses and Jesus as humble men of faith. Rooting the biographies of Moses and Jesus in their historical contexts, Rosenberg reads their narratives as cultural rather than religious endeavors. He charges that both Moses and Jesus were  educated" men, steeped in the literature and scholarship of their day. There were no old or new testaments for them, but rather a long history of writing and writers. When professors quote Moses in university courses, or pastors quote Jesus in sermons, they routinely neglect to inform us that Jesus himself is quoting the Hebrew Bible, often in the manner that Moses once quoted Egyptian medical texts. The remarkable ability of both men to recall and transform a wide range of sources is overlooked. Where did they get these profound educations? Part biography, part critical analysis, An Educated Man further challenges us to envision what defines  an educated man or woman" today and how an understanding of our religious history is crucial to it.

The miracles of Jesus fulfil multiple functions, not least as part of Christ's ministry. They are a demonstration of God's power and Jesus' love for people of all castes and gender. Here, William Barclay unveils all the intention and significance of these amazing acts. Ideal for Bible study individually or in groups. With an insightful and inspiring introduction from poet, Kenneth Steven.

"The Torah doesn't speak of Jesus at all!" "This verse has absolutely nothing to do with your Jesus. It's not even a messianic prophecy." "As for the real messianic prophecies, Jesus fulfilled none of them." Using the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic texts, and the New Testament, Michael Brown provides thorough answers to nearly forty objections regarding Jesus as the Messiah. This third installment of Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus looks specifically at questions raised about messianic prophecies in Isaiah, Daniel, Psalms, Haggai, and Zechariah. It's an invaluable resource for seekers and for anyone wanting to point students of the Torah to Jesus. "Michael Brown has established himself as the foremost messianic apologist in the world. This volume deals with that most vital and controversial area of messianic prophecy objections: Is Jesus really the promised Messiah? All three volumes exhibit Dr. Brown's unique contributions to Jewish missions: biblical accuracy, Jewish sensitivity, and personal compassion." Dr. Barry R. Leventhal, academic dean and professor, Southern Evangelical Seminary "Brown's answers to objections are carefully thought out, honest, and well researched. His work provides a useful model on how to do apologetics for all who are interested in articulating and defending the Christian faith." Craig Keener, professor of New Testament, Eastern Seminary "Michael Brown's thinking is incisive and to the point. His ability to explain so that anyone can understand is amazing." Moishe Rosen, founder, Jews for Jesus

This title offers a comprehensive and contemporary exploration of the role of Jesus in both Islam and Christianity and issues of dialogue in Christian-Muslim relations. "Images of Jesus Christ in Islam 2nd Edition" provides a general introduction to the question of Jesus Christ in Islam and a dialogical discussion of this issues' importance for Christian-Muslim relations. Its originality lies in its comprehensive presentation of relevant sources and research and its discussion of Islamic images of Christ in the wider context of Muslim-Christian relations. Oddbjorn Leirvik provides a comprehensive introduction to a breadth of Muslim traditions through an examination of interpretations of Jesus throughout history, whilst also examining historic tensions between Islam and Christianity. This book's distinctive contribution lies in its dialogical perspective in the perennial area of interest of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations.

The debunking of the popular myth of St. Paul as the founder of Christianity produced by a respected New Testament authority Challenging the argument put forth by many skeptics of the Catholic Church that Jesus was a great moral teacher whose message was corrupted by St. Paul, this book helps to untangle what scholars know about Jesus and Paul from the overactive imaginations of nonbelievers. Over recent years some critics of Christianity have claimed that while Jesus was a gifted teacher and a man of unparalleled kindness, St. Paul was the true founder of Christianity, which he based on a delusional mistake--the idea that Jesus was God. This theory has found its way into academia, churches, newspapers, and, most recently, novels. Here, respected New Testament scholar David Wenham looks at the historical evidence for such claims. Comparing the life and message of Jesus with the writings of St. Paul, he offers a thoughtful exploration of their relationship, concluding that far from imagining Christianity, Paul was the messenger of an inherited faith.

Do you sometimes feel like an untouchable ? Have you ever been ashamed to say, You don t know what I ve done, how unethical I ve been, how many bad decisions I ve made, how many times I ve shaken my fist at God ? If so, you re not alone. Thankfully, author Gary M. Burge has a message for you, and others like you: Jesus wants to encounter you, just as you are. When Burge re-examined Jesus biblical encounters with people being careful to view them in their unique historical context he emerged with fresh, powerful insights about how Jesus interacted with people then, and still does today One of the more surprising features of Jesus ministry was his willingness to have personal encounters with people, he writes. In fact, what is unique about the gospels are the unexpected stories that detailed Jesus regular interruptions. These interruptions came in the form of people from all walks of life young, old, rich, poor, sick, healthy, riddled with sin, or saddled by self-righteousness. No situation or condition will impede Jesus approach, Burge writes. All are welcome. Encounters With Jesus is a book that will be read, re-read, and recommended to friends and family alike because its message is sorely needed today: Jesus took time for people who thought they were invisible...this is a relief to those of us who are imperfect. "

The book addresses the many challenges posed by the Shroud. If, for example, it really was the work of a 14th century forger, how did such a person, with the limited scientific knowledge of his time, produce an artifact that can still not be replicated or even explained by 21st century sceince? If the Shroud is evidence of an event that could be called supernatural - the resurrection of a dead man - what does this imply for scientists studying it? If the Shroud is evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, what are the implications of this for those who do not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God or that he was anything but a rural Jewish teacher? What are the challenges facing researchers and theologians today both in preserving the Shroud and in carrying out further scientific research? The book is in three main parts - a complete review of the history of the Shroud - both known and speculated; a study of crucifixion as a method of execution and its relationship to the image and markings on the Shroud; and a review of the scientific studies carried out on the Shroud over the past century, together with the various hypotheses that have been advanced as to how the image was formed. The book concludes with some suggestions as to how conflicting demands for preservation of the Shroud and for further scientific studies can be reconciled and carried forward. Is the Shroud the genuine burial cloth of Jesus Christ? This question is left to the reader to answer.

While many people have problems with the church - including most churchgoers - the person of Jesus is an indispensable force in the achievement of any authentic spirituality. The conflict between faith and experience is eased in the rediscovery of the essential unity and simplicity at the heart of Jesus' teachings. Embarking on this journey of rediscovery, this book takes as its starting point a question that Jesus himself asked his disciples, 'Who do you say I am?' For the many Christians who have never taken this question seriously, Laurence Freeman explores this question in the light of some of the big issues of religious understanding:the historical reality of Jesus, the experiential reading of the Scriptures, personal conversion,the inner journey.

The Transfiguration, one of the most mysterious miracles of Christ, has been mostly misunderstood for two millennia."Andreas Andreopoulos approaches the Transfiguration explaining its significance in the continuing experience of the church and in the personal journey of each Christian. He sees the Transfiguration as `a timeless story,' as `an event that keeps on happening.' He writes in a way that is vivid yet profound and often unexpected. Reading his text, I have come to look at Christ's Transfiguration, and our own, with new eyes and a fresh understanding." -From the Foreword by Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia "For many Western Christians the Transfiguration is a barely remembered incident in the gospels, its feast, 6 August, is a non-event! Here, a master of Eastern theology and a specialist in iconography explores this gospel-event as a revelation of the mystery of Christ and simultaneously a revelation of our own human identity. What makes this book special is that it plumbs the riches of Eastern Christianity from within, but expresses that wealth in a way that Western Christians can appreciate." -Thomas O'Loughlin, Professor of Historical Theology, University of Nottingham "A radiant book about the lovely radiance of Christ on the mountain: and how it symbolizes the Lord's abiding presence, at once eucharistic and mysterious, in his Church across time. Highly recommended for spiritual reading." -Fr. John McGuckin, Columbia University; author of The Prayer Book of the Early Christians

In recent years many books have been published in the area of Christology (who is Jesus in himself?) and soteriology (what did he do as Saviour?). A number of notable, ecumenical documents on Christian ministry have also appeared. But in all this literature there is surprisingly little reflection on the priesthood of Christ, from which derives all ministry, whether the priesthood of all the faithful or ministerial priesthood. This present work aims to fill that gap by examining, in the light of the Scriptures and the Christian tradition, what it means to call Christ our priest.
Beginning with a study of the biblical material, the book then moves to the witness to Christ's priesthood coming from the fathers of the Church, Thomas Aquinas, Luther and Calvin, the Council of Trent, the seventeenth-century 'French School', John Henry Newman, Tom Torrance and the Second Vatican Council. The two concluding chapters describe and define in twelve theses the key characteristics of Christ's priesthood and what sharing in that priesthood, through baptism and ordination, involves.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

Did Jesus marry and have children with Mary Magdalene? If so, what happened to his family? Are descendants of Jesus still alive today? This extraordinary account of the potential family line that the author believes was born from Jesus Christ encompasses some of the most romantic, colourful and sacred territory of the past 2,000 years. From royal and suppressed archives, Gardner presents proof of the heritage of Jesus in the West and new findings on the long awaited discovery of the Holy Grail. Featuring all the charm and adventure of Arthurian romance, coupled with enthralling Rosicrucian and Templar disclosures, this work has a cutting edge of intrigue and exposure of conspiracy in the vein of Michael Baigent's international bestseller The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (Arrow). Bringing together revelatory insights into the descendant heirs of Jesus and his brother James, Gardner: Proves that there is an authentic line of succession from the sons of Jesus and James * Documents a hidden legacy of the Messiah and unveils hitherto guarded secrets about Mary Magdalene (was married to Jesus) and Joseph of Arimathea (was Jesus's brother). * Traces the sacred lineage through centuries of persecution and Inquisition, revealing a systematic suppression of authentic records and a strategic manipulation of the New Testament Gospels * The author was granted privileged access to royal and religious archives and repositories across Europe