What, if anything, does Jesus of Nazareth have to do with philosophy? This question motivates this collection of new essays from leading theologians, philosophers, and biblical scholars. Part I portrays Jesus in his first-century intellectual and historical context, attending to intellectual influences and contributions and contemporaneous similar patterns of thought. Part II examines how Jesus influenced two of the most prominent medieval philosophers. It considers the seeming conceptual shift from Hebraic categories of thought to distinctively Greco-Roman ones in later Christian philosophers. Part III considers the significance of Jesus for some prominent contemporary philosophical topics, including epistemology and the meaning of life. The focus is not so much on how Christianity figures in such topics as on how Jesus makes distinctive contributions to such topics.

Very little is known or recorded about Jesus in his formative years. In the Gospel stories, we witness Jesus' birth and then see him as a young boy of 12 questioning the Rabbis in the Temple in Jerusalem. Following this, he does not reappear until age 30, when he emerges as the potent and stirring rebel baptized by John at the River Jordan. From his unceremonious birth in Bethlehem to his ultimate betrayal in Jerusalem, "Jesus" is a riveting and soul-stirring account of the most remarkable story of all time.

Through groundbreaking analysis of early Christian texts, Candida Moss reveals that the words, actions, and deaths of martyrs are modeled on those of Christ. Moss traces this imitation through the literature of the Jesus movement and early church, then examines interpretations of the martyr's death and afterlife. Arguing against the dominant theory that the martyr's death was seen as a sacrifice, Moss finds that beyond death martyrs continue to be assimilated to Christ as intercessors, judges, enthroned monarchs, and banqueters. Though characterization of the martyr as "another Christ" ultimately conflicted with theological commitments to Christ's uniqueness, Moss shows that, for a brief period, the martyr's imitation was viewed as sharing in the status of the exalted Christ.

'Dying to Live' is a radical exploration of the life of Jesus through the memories of Peter the Apostle and his translator Mark. It is a journey, not a destination. It is a continuing quest not in search of integrity but to preserve it. This book offers glimpses of a deeper relevant spirituality for today. The starting point is that the 'Gospel' of Mark was written as an interpretive biography, not as sacred text. To over-spiritualise the reading of Mark is to miss the real Jesus contained within its pages. To follow Jesus is not so much concerned with 'right belief' as it is about how one lives. Jesus accepted people as they were and especially offered the outsider and the rejected dignity and a sense of personal worth. Churches have rightly encouraged charitable giving, especially to the poor and the outcast, but its creeds and doctrines have misrepresented the transformational life and teaching of Jesus, masking the hard cost of discipleship required to address the underlying root causes of violence, hunger and poverty in a world of plenty.

The Carolingian 'Renaissance' of the late eighth and ninth centuries, in what is now France, western Germany and northern Italy, transformed medieval European culture. At the same time it engendered a need to ensure that clergy, monks and laity embraced orthodox Christian doctrine. This book offers a fresh perspective on the period by examining transformations in a major current of thought as revealed through literature and artistic imagery: the doctrine of the Passion and the crucified Christ. The evidence of a range of literary sources is surveyed - liturgical texts, poetry, hagiography, letters, homilies, exegetical and moral tractates - but special attention is given to writings from the discussions and debates concerning artistic images, Adoptionism, predestination and the Eucharist.

The first extended study of relics of the Holy Blood: portions of the blood of Christ's passion preserved supposedly from the time of the Crucifixion and displayed as objects of wonder and veneration in the churches of medieval Europe. Inspired by the discovery of new evidence relating to the relic deposited by King Henry III at Westminster in 1247, the study proceeds from the particular political and spiritual motives that inspired this gift to a wider consideration of blood relics, their distribution across western Europe, their place in Christian devotion, and the controversies to which they gave rise among theologians. In the process the author advances a new thesis on the role of the sacred in Plantagenet court life as well as exploring various intriguing byways of medieval religion.

The figure of Jesus many people have today is perfectly unreal half man half god unsmiling apparently in love with death. Can we do better than this sad caricature? Reclaiming Jesus digs through the evidence and comes up with a few surprises and reveals a Jesus most of us haven't met before. We notice his mischievous style with people and his love of the comic and the contradictory. We see him as a youth in the desert struggling to contain his tumult of ideas. We wonder about an unspoken grief in early years. Later in the book discover how he turns traditional ideas inside out seeing human nature within a wholly new reality. We examine what others made of him and trace the story forward to where we are today. Finally we wonder what this extraordinary teaching about a source of strength within us can tell us as our species faces up to the daunting challenges of our own time

Next to the Bible itself, "The Imitation of Christ" is the most-published - and most deeply cherished - book in any language. For nearly 600 years, these thoughtful meditations on Jesus' life and teachings offer practical guidance on the central task of the Christian life: learning day by day to live like Jesus. This modern translation is direct and concise, yet retains a deep devotional flavor.

This German language title presents a new interpretation of Luke's theology and ethics. The author demonstrates how Luke develops his theological agenda by contrasting the teaching of Jesus with that of John the Baptist. Boehlemann shows that the confrontation with the followers of John the Baptist runs through the whole of Luke's Gospel and through The Acts of the Apostles. By taking up and modifying the themes of John's preaching, Luke develops his own theology of liberation which distinguishes him from John's followers and with which he seeks to win them for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. John and his followers preached with threats of judgement while Jesus is depicted as a forgiving pastoral leader - the good shepherd. This new interpretation of the Lukan works reveals a narrative theology of great systematic consistency.

This book provides an exciting reinterpretation of the sayings and actions of Jesus. Setting him firmly in the context of first-century Judaism, it asks how important the city of Jerusalem and the theological traditions centred on it were to Jesus. At this time, Zion had become 'the symbol of the life, beliefs and hopes of all Jews'. Those Jews who expected the coming of a messianic Davidic king assumed that it would be from Zion that he would reign. Dr Tan examines how Jesus viewed the significance of Jerusalem in relation to his own vocation, and asks why he went there in what proved to be the last weeks of his life. Skillfully integrating what Jesus is recorded to have said with what he is recorded to have done, the author argues that, as a prophet, Jesus was attracted inevitably to the city of Zion. His message concerned the establishment of God's sovereignty on earth, and this in itself impelled him to go to the city to bring it under the divine rule. Jesus' actions in Jerusalem can also be interpreted as part of a common theme of the restoration of God's people for the fulfillment of their promised destiny. An understanding of the importance to Jesus of the Zion traditions, therefore, not only helps us to understand the unifying aim behind his ministry, but can also provide us with the key to the riddle of who Jesus thought he was.

The activities of Jesus before the start of his ministry at the age of thirty have been the subject of much speculation. Did he travel beyond the bounds of Palestine in his search for wisdom knowledge? Where did he acquire the great learning which amazed those who heard him preaching and enabled him to cross swords in debate with Scribes and Pharisees? A number of legends suggest that Jesus travelled to the British Isles with Joseph of Arimathea, who worked in the tin trade. With these legends as his starting point, Gordon Strachan uncovers a fascinating network of connections between the Celtic world and Mediterranean culture and philosophy. Taking the biblical image of Wisdom as the 'master craftsman', Strachan explores the deep layers of Mystery knowledge shared between the Judaic-Hellenic world and the northern Druids -- from the secret geometry of masons and builders, which Jesus would have encountered in his work as a craftsman in Palestine, to the Gematria or number coding of the Old and New Testaments. This book is the basis of the film documentary 'And Did Those Feet' which screened at the BFI in London in 2010.

One of the least well-researched aspects of the teaching of Jesus found in the gospels is the use of proverbs, or aphorisms. Whilst the parables of Jesus have drawn great interest and study, this other kind of saying has been relatively neglected, although it is equally if not more prominent in the gospel-tradition. The present study is an attempt to show how these proverbial or aphoristic sayings played an important role in the early formulation of the sayings of Jesus by the church. Small collections of aphoristic sayings can be detected in the sayings tradition known as 'Q'. These collections reveal markedly similar structures and concepts, which lead one to suspect that they have been compiled by a unique group which had a particular interest in 'wisdom'. These findings are then tested by analysing other aphoristic sayings outside the collections and by relating the results to other studies which have approached the question of 'wisdom' in the Jesus-tradition from other angles.

This study reconstructs the historical Pontius Pilate and looks at the way in which he is used as a literary character in the works of six first century authors: Philo, Josephus and the four evangelists. The first chapter provides an introduction to the history and formation of the imperial Roman province of Judaea. The following two chapters examine the references to Pilate in Philo and Josephus, looking at each author's biases before going on to assess the historicity of their accounts. The next four chapters look at the portrayal of Pilate in each gospel, asking how a first century reader would have interpreted his actions. Each chapter asks what this portrayal shows about the author's attitude towards the Roman state, and what kind of community found this useful. The conclusion distinguishes between the 'historical Pilate' and the different 'Pilate of interpretation' preserved in our first century literary sources.

Since the advent of the cinema, Jesus has frequently appeared in our movie houses and on our television screens. Indeed, it may well be that more people worldwide know about Jesus and his life story from the movies than from any other medium. Indeed, Jesus' story has been adapted dozens of times throughout the history of commercial cinema, from the 1912 silent From the Manger to the Cross to Mel Gibson's 2004 The Passion of the Christ. No doubt there are more to come.
Drawing on a broad range of movies, biblical scholar Adele Reinhartz traces the way in which Jesus of Nazareth has become Jesus of Hollywood. She argues that Jesus films both reflect and influence cultural perceptions of Jesus and the other figures in his story. She focuses on the cinematic interpretation of Jesus' relationships with the key people in his life: his family, his friends, and his foes. She examines how these films address theological issues, such as Jesus' identity as both human and divine, political issues, such as the role of the individual in society and the possibility of freedom under political oppression, social issues, such as gender roles and hierarchies, and personal issues, such as the nature of friendship and human sexuality.
Reinhartz's study of Jesus' celluloid incarnations shows how Jesus movies reshape the past in the image of the present. Despite society's profound interest in Jesus as a religious and historical figure, Jesus movies are fascinating not as history but as mirrors of the concerns, anxieties, and values of our own era. As the story of Jesus continues to capture the imagination of filmmakers and moviegoers, he remains as significant a cultural figure today as he was 2000 years ago.

The Shroud of Turin is the most important and studied relic in the world. The many scientific studies on the relic until today have failed to provide conclusive answers about the identity of the enveloped man and the dynamics regarding the image impressed therein. This book not only addresses these issues in a scientific and objective manner but also leads the reader through new search paths. In the second edition, besides including some of the most recent findings on the Shroud, the authors follow the many tips and comments received from readers. The Shroud's dating by means of alternative methods has not been free from controversies, some of which have even implied the non-authenticity of the Shroud's samples tested. So the authors duly expand Chapter 7 to include the proof of the origin of the samples used in the recent scientific research and also address the provenance and the path of the original sample. Furthermore, a new section contains a personal interview with the authors that is the result of the interesting and praiseworthy work of a Bavarian high school student. Although there are many books on the subject, none contains such a formidable quantity of scientific news and reports. Unique in its genre, this book is a powerful tool for those who want to study the Turin Shroud deeply.

• What if Thousands of years before Christianity Pagans had also worshipped a Son of God?
• What if this Pagan saviour was also born of a virgin on the 25th of December before three Shepherds, turned water into wine, died and resurrected at Easter, and offered his body and blood as a Holy Communion?
• What if these Pagan myths had been rewritten as the gospel of Jesus Christ?
• What if there were absolutely no evidence for the existence of an historical Jesus?
• What if the earliest Christians knew that the Jesus story was a myth?
• What if the truth has been kept from us by the greatest cover-up in history?

Drawing on the cutting edge of modern scholarship, this astonishing book will change everything you ever thought you ever thought you knew about Christianity.

'Book of the Year'
FIONA PITT-KEIGHLEY, 'Daily Telegraph'

This is the first attempt to investigate the background to the gift of the Holy Blood to Westminster by King Henry III in 1247. Recently the archives of Westminster Abbey have yielded important new material relating to this extraordinary event, including a letter from the patriarch of Jerusalem that describes the relic in detail. This study offers both a commentary on this newly-discovered letter, and an overview of the extraordinary history of the relics of Christ's blood, their origin, distribution, and place in popular devotion.

This Companion's starting point is the realization that Jesus of Nazareth cannot be studied purely as a subject of ancient history, or as "a man like any other man". History, literature, theology and the dynamic of a living, worldwide religious reality appropriately impinge on the study of Jesus. This book therefore incorporates the most up-to-date historical work on Jesus with the "larger issues" of critical method--the story of Christian faith and study, as well as Jesus in a global church and in the encounter with Judaism and Islam.

This study reconstructs the life of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor responsible for the execution of Jesus. The first section provides the historical and archaeological background. The following chapters look at six first-century authors: Philo, Josephus and the four gospel writers. Each chapter asks how Pilate is being used as a literary character in each work, why each author describes Pilate in a different way, and what this tells us about the relationship between each author and the Roman state.

It is often observed that no historical figure has had a greater impact on the world than Jesus Christ. Why is that? And what difference does his impact make to the world today? It is also often said that Jesus was a 'revolutionary', and numerous books have appeared in recent years claiming just that - from the wild and sensational to the serious and respectable. This book, written by influential authors reflecting a diversity of expertise and points of view, considers the claims that continue to be made about Jesus, whether by believers or nonbelievers.

This 1997 book presents in readable, non-technical language the findings of scholarship on one important aspect of 'who Jesus was' - the many reports in the New Testament and other early Christian writings that Jesus performed healings. The book paints a picture of the sick and sickness in Jesus' world and the means available to deal with sickness. It shows how Jesus as healer fits - and doesn't fit - into that world. We see him as one of the many healers of his day, but set apart as a 'wounded healer' who in his own death achieves the ultimate 'healing', victory over death. In addressing the question 'did Jesus really heal?' the author provides readers with resources from biblical scholarship, medicine, sociology and anthropology to help arrive at their own answers to the question. The suggestions for further reading as well as the questions for discussion make this book ideal both for personal reading and for group study.

This book provides an exciting reinterpretation of the sayings and actions of Jesus. Setting him firmly in the context of first-century Judaism, it asks how important the city of Jerusalem and the theological traditions centred on it were to Jesus. At this time, Zion had become 'the symbol of the life, beliefs and hopes of all Jews'. Those Jews who expected the coming of a messianic Davidic king assumed that it would be from Zion that he would reign. Dr Tan examines how Jesus viewed the significance of Jerusalem in relation to his own vocation, and asks why he went there in what proved to be the last weeks of his life. Skillfully integrating what Jesus is recorded to have said with what he is recorded to have done, the author argues that, as a prophet, Jesus was attracted inevitably to the city of Zion. His message concerned the establishment of God's sovereignty on earth, and this in itself impelled him to go to the city to bring it under the divine rule. Jesus' actions in Jerusalem can also be interpreted as part of a common theme of the restoration of God's people for the fulfillment of their promised destiny. An understanding of the importance to Jesus of the Zion traditions, therefore, not only helps us to understand the unifying aim behind his ministry, but can also provide us with the key to the riddle of who Jesus thought he was.

What do Christians mean when they call Jesus "son of God"? In this study of the phrase "son of God" as applied to Jesus of Nazareth, Christopher Bryan examines the testimony of various New Testament witnesses who used this expression to speak of him, and asks where they got it, what they meant by it, and how it might have been understood. In Bryan's view, any attempt to address these questions stands self-condemned if it does not point to both the words and works of Jesus himself in the memory of early Christians, and the Torah of Israel as then understood, centering on Israel's Scriptures. Of course Paul and his fellow believers did not proclaim Jesus in a vacuum. They proclaimed Jesus in the Roman Empire during the decades following the death of Augustus. With regard to the meaning of the phrase "son of God," what becomes clear, Bryan argues, is that whereas "Lord" (another expression frequently used in the New Testament for Jesus of Nazareth) reflects believers' sense of Jesus' relationship to them, "son of God" reflects their sense of his relationship to God. It is a title that reflects their consciousness of Jesus' holiness-that is, his "set-apartness," his consecration, and even his divinity. Readers of Son of God will gain a well-rounded understanding of classic and recent research in Christology and the New Testament, as well as an in-depth, historically situated view of the evidence that paints a clearer picture of what New Testament witnesses meant when they called Jesus "son of God."

In Saint Saul, Donald Harman Akenson offers a lively and provocative account of what we can learn about Jesus by reading the letters of Paul. As the only direct evidence of Jesus we have that were composed before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE forever altered the outlook of the Christian and Jewish faiths, Akenson claims that these letters are the most reliable source of information. He dismisses the traditional method of searching for facts about Jesus by looking for parallels among the four gospels because they were handed down to us as a unit by a later generation. Akenson painstakingly recreates the world of Christ, a time rich with ideas, prophets, factions, priests, savants, and god-drunk fanatics. As an eminent historian, Akenson approaches his subject with a fresh eye and a scholarly rigor that is all too rare in this hotly disputed field.