This work documents the efforts of modern Jewish scholars to engage the historical Jesus and assesses their contribution to both critical scholarship and ecumenical endeavors.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. This is a useful book for those interesting in ecumenical discourse and Jesus studies.This series focuses on early Jewish and Christian texts and their formative contexts; it also includes sourcebooks that help clarify the ancient world. Five aspects distinguish this series. First, the series reflects the need to situate, and to seek to understand, these ancient texts within their originating social and historical contexts. Second, the series assumes that it is now often difficult to distinguish between Jewish and Christian documents, since all early "Christians" were Jews. Jesus and his earliest followers were devout Jews who shared many ideas with the well-known Jewish groups, especially the Pharisees, the Essenes, and the various apocalyptic groups.Third, the series recognizes that there were (and still are) many ways of understanding authoritative literature or scripture. Therefore, we must not impose a static notion of "canon" on the early period of our culture and in turn denigrate some texts with labels such as "non-canonical," since such terms are anachronistic designations that were only later imposed on the early documents. Fourth, the series emphasizes the need to include all relevant sources and documents, including non-literary data, and that all important methodologies - from archaeology and sociology to rhetoric and theology - should be employed to clarify the origin and meaning of the documents. Fifth, scientific research is at the foundation of these publications which are directed to scholars and those interested in Jewish and Christian origins.

Whether or not Jesus rose bodily from the dead remains perhaps the most critical and contentious issue in Christianity. Until now, argument has centred upon the veracity of explicit New Testament accounts of the events following Jesus's crucifixion, often ending in deadlock. In Richard Swinburne's approach, though, ascertaining the probable truth of the Resurrection requires a much broader approach to the nature of God and to the life and teaching of Jesus. The Resurrection can only have occurred if God intervened in history to raise to life a man dead for 36 hours. It is therefore crucial not only to weigh the evidence of natural theology for the existence of a God who has some reason so to intervene, but also to discover whether the life and teaching of Jesus show him to be uniquely the kind of person whom God would have raised Swinburne argues that God has reason to interfere in history by becoming incarnate, and that it is highly improbable that we would find the evidence we do for the life and teaching of Jesus, as well as the evidence from witnesses to his empty tomb and later appearances, if Jesus was not God incarnate and did not rise from the dead.

It is widely recognized by New Testament scholars that many of the sayings and actions attributed to Jesus in the gospels cannot be factually traced to him. The gospels, written many decades after the death of Jesus, are composites of hearsay, legends, and theological interpolations, reflecting the hopes and beliefs of the early Christian community more than the actual teachings of the Galilean prophet.
Despite these difficulties, Gerd Ludemann shows in this fascinating analysis of early Christian documents that the tools of historical research can succeed in reaching at least a close approximation of some of the original words and deeds of Jesus. Unique in its comprehensiveness, Jesus After 2000 Years covers the canonical gospels, as well as the more recently discovered Gospel of Thomas and apocryphal Jesus traditions. Ludemann concludes with a short life of Jesus in which he pieces together in narrative form what can be known about Jesus based on the historical evidence. Also included is an index of all authentic sayings and actions of Jesus. For all those with an interest in Christian origins, this volume is an invaluable resource.

Was the resurrection of Jesus a fact of history or a figment of imagination? Was it an event that entailed a raised and transformed body and an empty tomb? Or was it a subjective, visionary experience--a collective delusion? In the view of many, the truth of Christianity hangs on the answer to this question. Jesus' Resurrection: Fact or Figment? is a lively and provocative debate between Christian philosopher and apologist William Lane Craig and New Testament scholar and atheist Gerd LUdemann. This published version of a debate originally set at Boston College is edited by Paul Copan and Ronald K. Tacelli, who invite the responses of four additional scholars. Robert Gundry, a New Testament scholar, and Stephen Davis, a philosopher, argue in support of a historical and actual resurrection. Michael Goulder and Roy Hoover, both New Testament scholars, offer their support for Gerd LUdemann's view that the "resurrection" was based on the guilt-induced visionary experience of the disciples. The book concludes with a final response from LUdemann and Craig.

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.

This volume presents a comparative study of the Messiah in the Pauline letters with the Enochic Son of Man traditions in the "Parables of Enoch". This volume discusses conceptual elements of messianic traditions that are identified in the "Parables of Enoch" and the "Letters of Paul" by examining the nature and functions of the divine figure and of the messiah figure. Comparative analysis presented here demonstrates that the "Parables of Enoch" and the "Letters of Paul" share specific conceptual elements of messianic traditions. The combination of shared elements is so striking as to preclude the possibility that the "Parables of Enoch" and the "Letters of Paul" constituted independent, parallel developments. It cannot be claimed, however, that Paul was familiar with the text of the Parables of Enoch; there are no direct quotes of the Parables anywhere in Paul's Letters. Waddell does however show that Paul was familiar with the conceptual elements of the Enochic messiah, and that Paul developed his concept of the Kyrios out of the Son of Man traditions in the Book of the "Parables of Enoch". Waddell specifically argues Pauline christology was at the very least heavily influenced by Enochic Son of Man traditions. This series focuses on early Jewish and Christian texts and their formative contexts; it also includes sourcebooks that help clarify the ancient world. Five aspects distinguish this series. First, the series reflects the need to situate, and to seek to understand, these ancient texts within their originating social and historical contexts. Second, the series assumes that it is now often difficult to distinguish between Jewish and Christian documents, since all early "Christians" were Jews. Jesus and his earliest followers were devout Jews who shared many ideas with the well-known Jewish groups, especially the Pharisees, the Essenes, and the various apocalyptic groups. Third, the series recognizes that there were (and still are) many ways of understanding authoritative literature or scripture. Therefore, we must not impose a static notion of "canon" on the early period of our culture and in turn denigrate some texts with labels such as "non-canonical," since such terms are anachronistic designations that were only later imposed on the early documents. Fourth, the series emphasizes the need to include all relevant sources and documents, including non-literary data, and that all important methodologies - from archaeology and sociology to rhetoric and theology - should be employed to clarify the origin and meaning of the documents. Fifth, scientific research is at the foundation of these publications which are directed to scholars and those interested in Jewish and Christian origins.

Through engagement with the historical debate Incarnation and Inspiration offers a systematic exposition of the person of Jesus that brings together dissonant aspects of the tradition. It serves as an introduction to the theology to John Owen, the most able of the Puritan theologians and provides a way of understanding the theological dynamic underlying the Christology of the Fathers and the Definition of Chalcedon. Through its emphasis on coherence it seeks to illuminate the inner rationality of God's triune being and his mission among us through the Son and Spirit.Incarnation and inspiration are concepts which can be used to characterize two quite different ways of thinking about Christ. Although the history of doctrine suggests they are mutually exclusive, John Owen's theology effectively integrates them in one coherent Christology. The underlying structure of his exposition is that of incarnation, whereby the Son willingly assumed human nature into personal subsistence with himself. But his distinctive idea was that the divine Son acted on his own human nature indirectly and by means of the Holy Spirit.

You've never seen the Gospel of Luke quite like this!

You may have read the gospel of Luke. But you might have missed a few things. Maybe more than a few. Like:

• The way Luke viewed God, and how his view might change your view
• Why Luke's book matters more today than ever
• The people who angered Jesus the most, why they angered him, and how that applies to us
• The Lord's Prayer and Communion from a new perspective
• The radical ways Jesus loved outsiders, outcasts, and those on the fringe of society

In Dear Theophilus: A 40 Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, you'll discover new insights from passages you thought were familiar, find fresh truths as you come to a deeper understanding of Luke's gospel, and get a revitalized perspective on your faith and your life.

First published in 1910, "The Christ Myth" drew violent criticism from theologians, the press, and the public. Eminent German philosopher Arthur Drews (1865-1935) reacts to the 'romantic cult of Jesus', which, he says is undermining intellectual truthfulness. He exposes the Jesus of the gospels as a mythical character, arguing that no basis exists for seeking a historical figure behind the Christ myth. Through a comparative study of ancient religions, Drews shows that Christianity is a syncretism of various pagan and Jewish beliefs, and that a strong pre-Christian cult of Jesus as son of God and messiah existed. This is a valuable sourcebook for students of religion, and all those interested in examining the origins of Christianity.

Sosa Siliezar investigates the presence and significance of creation imagery in the Gospel of John. He argues that John has intentionally included only a limited (albeit significant) number of instances of creation imagery and that he has positioned them carefully to highlight their significance. Sosa Siliezar contends that the instances of creation imagery used in varying contexts function collectively in a threefold way that is consonant with John's overall argument. First, John uses them to portray Jesus in close relationship with his Father, existing apart from and prior to the created order. Second, John uses creation imagery to assert the primal and universal significance of Jesus and the message about him, and to privilege him over other important figures in the story of Israel. Third, John uses creation imagery to link past reality with present and future reality, portraying Jesus as the agent of creation whom the reader should regard as the primal agent of revelation and salvation. The book concludes by underscoring how these findings inform our understanding of John's Christology and Johannine dualism.

Since Albert Schweitzer's monumental work, nearly a century ago, psychology has been banned from Historical Jesus research. But both disciplines have advanced and it is time to review the contribution that psychology can make. Bas Van Os examines the problems which surround both the historical and the psychological study of Jesus, such as the fact that we can only work with the surviving traditions that some of his early followers left us. Following this, Van Os proposes a theoretical framework that combines sound psychological theories and critical biblical scholarship to explain how Jesus' life and religious experience impacted the beliefs of his friends and family after his death.

In this classic work, renowned rationalist and scholar of religion Ernest Renan is the first biographer of Jesus to present him as entirely human. Renan describes Jesus as a popular religious leader and self-proclaimed Messiah who increasingly advocated the overthrow of Roman rule and the establishment of a theocracy. To support his apocalyptic vision, Renan's Jesus was not above using trickery and deception, as in the raising of Lazarus. The impression left by Jesus on his disciples was so profound that they began to proclaim his Resurrection and presence among them shortly after his death. Even conceding Christ's historicity, it is still seriously debated by modern biblical scholars whether a reliable life of Jesus can be gleaned from the gospels. For this very reason, the questions raised by Renan a century ago about the facts surrounding Jesus' life and the authorship of the gospels are still far from settled. The Life of Jesus has provoked both controversy and praise since its publication in 1863.

A genre-breaking work readily encouraging and lending itself to comparison and contrast with the Holy Bible, the Holy Qur'an, and the Holy Tanakh as well as with the principal philosophical Taoist texts, namely the Tao Te Ching and The Chuang-Tzu....Essentially a contemplative work, written as it is to be interpreted both exoterically and esoterically is an attempt to restore to the bright - the light, the memory, and the power of insight, dream, and intuition....A necessary caveat respectfully to the reader: neither the Jesus of the Gospels nor the Isa (Arabic for Jesus) of the Qur'an exists here within no more....Rather what exists here within is a Jesus of Richard's own inspiration, and, who to his own heart is eminently credible, enjoyable, and profound....The work traverses the lands we in modern times would refer to as the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria....See Preface for more.

How can one reconcile the political nature of Jesus with his disinclination to power? Moore's argument comes in three stages. Part one answers the question 'Was Jesus Political?' by examining Jesus' words and actions that have political import. Part two addresses the issue 'How was Jesus Political?' It concentrates on Mark 10:32-45 as a real articulation of Jesus' political praxis that is consistent throughout Jesus' ministry and teaching. Part three, 'Why did Jesus not openly announce his political role?' examines Jesus' treatment of the Jewish kings of the past, particularly why Jesus, 'meek and mild,' could claim to surpass them in honor. It is argued that Jesus' disinclination to associate himself with other rulers is not a rejection of a political role. Rather, he lived so consistently with his political praxis of self-abnegation that these other rulers were not appropriate models for Jesus to follow. Furthermore, the very claim to such titles was antithetical to his political praxis which relinquished all aggrandizement to God, who alone could exalt, abase, judge, and rule.

The Turin Shroud is the most important and studied relic in the world. Many papers on it have recently appeared in important scientific journals. Scientific studies on the relic until today fail to provide conclusive answers about the identity of the enveloped man and the dynamics regarding the image formation impressed therein. This book not only addresses these issues in a scientific and objective manner but also leads the reader through new search paths. It summarizes the results in a simple manner for the reader to comprehend easily. Many books on the theme have been already published, but none of them contains such a quantity of scientific news and reports. The most important of them is the following: the result of the 1988 radiocarbon dating is statistically wrong and other three new dating methods demonstrate that the Shroud has an age compatible with the epoch in which Jesus Christ lived in Palestine. A numismatic analysis performed on Byzantine gold coins confirms this result. This book is, therefore, very important with respect to the Turin Shroud. It is unique in its genre and a very useful tool for those who want to study the subject deeply.

This book offers an ideal introduction to the Gospels and explains why it is that scholars and lay people have such different understandings of the person of Jesus. The first half of the book looks at the main sources for the life of Jesus, principally the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but also the so-called apocryphal Gospels. The second half of the book begins with an examination of the criteria employed by scholars to determine the earliest and most reliable forms of the tradition. The third edition interacts with developments in modern scholarship, particularly the advance of memory studies. With study questions at the end of each chapter, updated reading lists, and a new chapter bringing scholarship up to date the third edition of this classic text will provide a perfect companion for students coming to grips with academic study of Jesus and the Gospels.

This volume will unpack the seven allegations proposed by Scot McKnight in his article 'Calling Jesus Mamzer' in the inaugural volume of The Journal for the Historical Jesus (Volume 1.1 2003: 73-103). Each essay will explore the historicity of each accusation and what they tell us about Jesus. McKnight and Modica propose that by examining these specific allegations, one can begin to comprehend a neglected dimension of historical Jesus studies, namely, that Jesus can be understood by what his opponents (critics) say of him. They contend that such an approach offers, as Malina and Neyrey have previously examined in Calling Jesus Names, a 'Christology from the side'. There will be an introductory and concluding essay from the editors.

This volume, on the cult of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) in Byzantium, focuses on textual and historical aspects of the subject, thus complementing previous work which has centred more on the cult of images of the Mother of God. The papers presented here, by an international team of scholars, consider the development and transformation of the cult from approximately the fourth through the twelfth centuries. The volume opens with discussion of the origins of the cult, and its Near Eastern manifestations, including the archaeological site of the Kathisma church in Palestine, which represents the earliest Marian shrine in the Holy Land, and Syriac poetic treatment of the Virgin. The principal focus, however, is on the 8th and 9th centuries in Byzantium, as a critical period when Christian attitudes toward the Virgin and her veneration were transformed. The book re-examines the relationship between icons, relics and the Virgin, asking whether increasing devotion to these holy objects or figures was related in any way. Some contributions consider the location of relics and later, icons, in Constantinople and other centres of Marian devotion; others explore gender issues, such as the significance of the Virgin's feminine qualities, and whether women and men identified with her equally as a holy figure. The aim of this volume is to build on recent work on the cult of the Virgin Mary in Byzantium and to explore areas that have not yet been studied. The rationale is critical and historical, using literary, artistic, and archaeological sources to evaluate her role in the development of the Byzantine understanding of the ways in which God interacts with creation by means of icons, relics, and the Theotokos.

The introduction to this new guide sets out the sources (Graeco-Roman, Jewish and Christian), noting the problems connected with them, paying particular attention to the nature of the gospels, and the Synoptic versus the Johannine tradition. A substantial section will discuss scholarship on Jesus from the nineteenth century to the explosion of works in the present day, introducing and explaining the three different quests for the historical Jesus. Subsequent chapters will analyse key themes in historical Jesus research: Jesus Galilean origins; the scope of his ministry and models of holy men, particularly that of prophet; Jesus teaching and healing; his trial and crucifixion; the highly contentious question of his resurrection; and finally an exploration of the links between the Jesus movement and the early church. Throughout, the (often opposing) positions of a variety of key scholars will be explained and discussed (eg. Sanders, Crossan, Dunn, Wright, Brown).

Is there credible evidence that Jesus--the carpenter from the ancient town of Nazareth--really is the Son of God? In this video Bible study (DVD/digital video sold separately), based on the New York Times bestselling book The Case for Christ, participants journey with Lee Strobel on a quest for the truth about Jesus. Skeptics dismiss the Jesus of the Gospels by claiming there is no evidence that he was God's Son. But does their claim hold weight? And, if not, what evidence is there, especially outside the Bible? Lee Strobel--a former legal journalist and one-time atheist--presents the findings of his own search for truth. This study guide is ideal for: Believers who want to learn more about the hard evidence behind their faith. Christians who find themselves becoming uncertain or doubtful. Anyone investigating, curious, or even skeptical about Christianity. Sift through historical evidence and passages from a range of theologians, thinkers, philosophers, and laypeople on the topic of Jesus as you weigh compelling expert testimony that rejects easy answers. With discussion prompts, Bible passages, and personal reflection cues facilitated by contributor Garry Poole, Strobel invites you and your group to investigate the truth about Jesus Christ as he leads up to the facts that guided him from atheism to faith in Christ. By the end of this six-session study, groups may very well see Jesus in a new way--and even, like Strobel, find their life transformed. Sessions include: The Investigation of a Lifetime Eyewitness Evidence Evidence Outside the Bible Analyzing Jesus Evidence for the Resurrection Reaching Your Verdict Designed for use with The Case for Christ Video Study 9780310698517 (sold separately).

Why was Jesus, who said 'I judge no one', put to death for a political crime? Of course, this is a historical question-but it is not only historical. Jesus's life became a philosophical theme in the first centuries of our era, when 'pagan' and Christian philosophers clashed over the meaning of his sayings and the significance of his death. Modern philosophers, too, such as Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche, have tried to retrace the arc of Jesus's life and death. I Judge No One is a philosophical reading of the four memoirs, or 'gospels', that were fashioned by early Christ-believers and collected in the New Testament. It offers original ways of seeing a deeply enigmatic figure who calls himself the Son of Man. David Lloyd Dusenbury suggests that Jesus offered his contemporaries a scandalous double claim. First, that human judgements are pervasive and deceptive; and second, that even divine laws can only be fulfilled in the human experience of love. Though his life led inexorably to a grim political death, what Jesus's sayings revealed-and still reveal-is that our highest desires lie beyond the political.

The historical study of the Jesus stories and the transmission of these stories through time has been of seminal importance to historians of religion. Critical historical examination allows scholars an escape from the confines of dogma, belief, and the theological interpretation. In recent years, historical Jesus studies have also opened up an important discussion concerning antiSemitism and early Christianity and the political and ideological filtering of the Jesus story of early Christianity through the Roman empire and beyond.
This comprehensive collection will bring together the vast array of historical research into the reality of the man, the teachings, and the acts and events ascribed to him that have served as the foundational story of one of the world's central religions.
The collection includes a substantial new introduction by the editor in the first volume and a full index in the last.

Who Is Jesus? A Historical Person An Extraordinary Person God One of Us Alive A Historical Person Maybe you have never really thought about who Jesus is, or whether his claims have any implications for your life. After all, we're talking about a man who was born in the first century into an obscure Jewish carpenter's family. The basic facts of his life--where and when he lived, how he died--are all pretty well agreed upon. But what about the significance of his life and death? Was he a prophet? A teacher? Was he the Son of God, or just an unusually gifted man? And for that matter, who did he think he was? For all the questions, though, everyone seems to agree on one thing: Jesus was an extraordinary person. An Extraordinary Person Without a doubt, in his day there was something about Jesus that caught people's attention. Over and over Jesus said things that left his contemporaries amazed at his wisdom, and even confronted them in ways that left them fumbling around for a way to make sense of it all. (Matthew 22:22). "Many who heard him were astonished, saying, 'What is the wisdom given to him?' . . . and 'How are such mighty works done by his hands?'" (Mark 6:2) Then there were the miracles. Hundreds and hundreds of people saw with their own eyes Jesus do things that no human being should be able to do. He healed people from sickness; he made water instantly turn into fine-tasting wine; he told lame people to walk again, and they did; he stood on the prow of a boat and told the ocean to be quiet--and it did; he stood in front of the tomb of a man who had been dead for four days and called to him to come back to life--and the man heard him, stood up, and walked out of the tomb (Matthew 8:24-27; 9:6-7; John 2:1-11; 11:38-44). With every one of his miracles and in every one of his sermons Jesus was making and backing up claims about himself that no human being had ever made before--claims that he was God. God On a number of occasions Jesus took a name for himself exclusively used for God, the present tense "I am" (John 8:48-58), which brought to mind the ancient and famous name of Israel's almighty God (Exodus 3:14). Prophecies that Jesus claimed to fulfill also pointed to his deity. The people of Israel were looking forward to a king occupying the centuries-vacant throne. One prophet described this King as "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end" (Isaiah 9:6-7). The people of that day would have seen that this promised King didn't sound like just another man who would sit on the throne for a time and then die. They would have heard their God promising that he himself would come and be their King. Jesus also asserted his identity as, "the Son of God." It wasn't just a royal title; it was also a claim that Jesus was equal to God in status and character and honor. John explains: "This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because . . . he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God" (John 5:18). One of Us Christians call the reality that God became human the incarnation. The Bible tells us that Jesus got hungry, he got thirsty, he got tired, and he even got sleepy. He did things with a deeply human tenderness, compassion, and love (Matthew 15:32; Mark 6:34, John 11:33-36). He not only was human; he showed us what God intended humanity to be all along. Jesus was identifying with us, becoming one with us so that he could represent us in life and death. When Adam, the first man, sinned, he did so as the representative of all who would come after him (Genesis 3:1-15). "One trespass led to condemnation for all men" (Romans 5:18). Jesus would let God's sentence of death--his righteous wrath against sinners--fall on him. So, Jesus allowed one of his own disciples to betray him to the Roman authorities who sentenced him to be crucified. In Jesus's death on the cross, all the sin of God's people was placed on him. Jesus died for them. He died in their place. There's only one thing that would lead the Son of God to do this: he deeply loves us. "For God so loved the world," one biblical writer said, "that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). But Jesus did not remain dead. When some disciples entered Jesus's tomb two days later, "they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, 'Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here'" (Mark 16:5-6). Alive Through Jesus's resurrection from the dead, something breathtakingly extraordinary happened. Everything he ever claimed for himself was vindicated. (1 Corinthians 15:14-19). Only the resurrection had the power to turn his own followers--cowardly, skeptical men--into martyrs and eyewitnesses who were willing to stake everything on him for the sake of telling the world, "This man Jesus was crucified, but now he is alive!" The resurrection is the hinge on which all Christianity turns. It's the foundation on which everything else rests, the capstone that holds everything else about Christianity together. Who Do You Say He Is? Maybe you're not ready to believe his claims. What is holding you back? Once you identify those things, don't just walk away from them. Examine them. Pursue them. Find answers to your questions. Don't put this off. This is the most important question you'll ever consider! Maybe you're ready to say, "I really do think Jesus is the Son of God. I know I'm a sinner and a rebel against God. I know I deserve death for that rebellion, and I know Jesus can save me." If so, then you simply turn away from sin and trust Jesus, and rely on him to save you. And then you tell the world! This is who Jesus is. He is the One who saves people just like me, and just like you!

One of the characteristic pursuits of the current phase of historical Jesus research, the so-called Third Quest, has been the serious attempt to locate Jesus within first-century CE Judaism, to seek a Jesus who could be found plausible within his Jewish context. Comparatively less emphasis has been laid on the question as to whether or how the contextually plausible picture of Jesus also suits and accounts for thehistory of the reception of Jesus in early Christianity. By integrating the Jewish context, the teaching of Jesus and Christian reception history into one explanation, the continuum perspective seeks to reveal a Jesus who would both be fitting within his Jewish context and would also help to explain and understand early Christian stances. Thus, according to this perspective, a historically plausible picture of Jesus is one that can be placed in the Judaism-Christianity continuum.

Scholarly literature on Jesus has often attempted to relate his miracles to their Jewish context, but that context has not been surveyed in its own right. The present study supplies that lack by examining both the ideas on miracle in Second Temple literature (including Josephus, Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha) and the evidence for contemporary Jewish miracle workers. The penultimate chapter explores insights from cultural anthropology to round out the picture obtained from the literary evidence, and the study concludes that Jesus is distinctive as a miracle-worker in his Jewish context while nevertheless fitting into it.