There are countless paths to follow when seeking spiritual guidance, but thousands of years of religion and theology cannot replace the premier example that Jesus himself set. In A Portrait of Jesus, bestselling writer Joseph Girzone recaptures the truth of Jesus that is presented in the Gospels and gives a compelling vision of the person Jesus' contemporaries must have known. In his most powerful work yet, Girzone seeks to personify Christ in the minds of readers by asking some simple questions: "What did people see in Jesus as he walked down the street? How did he approach others and what would these people take away from meeting him? What do his actions tell us about how we can live our lives today?" It is Girzone's empowering and loving understanding of the heart of Christianity that will make A Portrait of Jesus a groundbreaking classic in the tradition of his bestselling books, Joshua and Never Alone.


From the Hardcover edition.

Characterizations of Jesus abound: 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."

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.

Jesus Christ came to the world as the universal energy of God. For twenty-eight years he lived a normal life, experiencing emotions, observing the suffering of people, and even having a married life with children. He was sent to Earth to inform humanity of the one God-but was crucified. Here find in-depth commentary on the life of Christ through the channeled messages of Jesus, the Saints, disciples, and others of that volatile time. Find out how the gospels were selected and how and why the words of Jesus were altered by the church. Learn about soul families and those with his ancestry who are walking the Earth today. Hear warnings that reflect current and dangerous trends, including our political systems, religious beliefs, and interactions with each other. Jesus taught love, and through these messages, we find that his words are still vital to our personal and collective lives in the world today.

Beverly Roberts Gaventa A fresh, distinctive, Protestant treatment of Mary's life and legacy.

Within the environment of the Judaism of his day, Jesus practiced a unique understanding of purity grounded in his eschatological vision of how God was acting to gather his people. But Jesus practice was not only a matter of getting people to see God in the same way as he did. He also acted directly to put his own view of purity into effect, declaring clean what earlier had been considered unclean. This was already a concern in the ministry of John the baptizer, and it is apparent now that Jesus too was moved by the prospect of the purification of all Israel. The politics of Herod Antipas within Imperial Rome had made John s program appear seditious, and Jesus needed to be aware of this. In addition, John had conceived of God as preparing a pure people by means of immersion, but Jesus saw the people of his Galilee already pure and ready for the disclosure of a kingdom they could already celebrate. This is what caused Jesus to stop baptizing people as he had once done as John s disciple and to begin a dedicated ministry of healing based on his awareness of the Spirit within him, an awareness that emerges as a major concern of this book. A final portion of the book studies how baptism within the earliest church emerged as a celebration of the Spirit of God. "An innovative perception of how a rite of purity might be understood when set over against its manifold historical contexts: religious, sociological, historical, political, and anthropological." Scot McKnight, North Park University Bruce Chilton, New Testament and Judaic scholar, is Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.

Jesus was a street preacher who taught through story and aphorism. Antedating the Gospels, these 105 sayings were recorded by his followers during and shortly after his lifetime. Through the immediacy of direct quotation, Davenport and Urrutia's bold translation shakes our preconceptions, reintroducing us to the living teacher whose powerful words ring anew.

Originally published in 1984, this extraordinary work has until now been available only in an expensive library edition. The present edition has been completely updated and redesigned, and includes an extended new introduction by Marcus Borg that relates the book's central arguments to subsequent Jesus scholarship. A foreword by N.T. Wright characterizes the book as one of the foundational works in the ""third quest"" for the historical Jesus. In the book, Marcus Borg argues that conflict between a politics of holiness and a politics of compassion, and their implications for Israel, resides at the center of Jesus' activity and teaching. He emphasizes several features that have since become central to Jesus scholarship: the importance of Jesus' inclusive meal practice, a non-apocalyptic paradigm for understanding Jesus, and Jesus as a social prophet and boundary-breaker. Marcus J. Borg is Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University. He is the author of nine books, including Jesus in Contemporary Scholarship, also published by Trinity Press.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

The greatest challenge to ecumenical dialogue has come not from discussions on justification by faith or papal primacy or even infallibility, but from discussions related to the Virgin Mary. This remarkable assertion is the reason behind noted theologian and ecumenist George Tavard's historical and ecumenical investigation of the image of Mary. Mary belongs not only to Christians but to Jews and Muslims as well. In a broad sense she can also be seen in relation to female symbols of the Absolute not as divinity but as divine. Time and changes in dogma have also affected the way Mary is perceived. Tavard has therefore divided his investigation into five parts. He gathers insights from Scripture (Part I), Tradition (Part II), the Reformation (Part III), the Modern Age (Part IV), and World Religions (Part V). Together these perspectives clarify and enhance the Theotokos and her ties with the people of God. George H. Tavard, a member of the Augustinians of the Assumption, professor emeritus of theology at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, and distinguished professor of theology at Marquette University, was a peritus at Vatican Council II, where he was involved in preparing the decree on ecumenism. He has participated in several international and American ecumenical dialogues and has written extensively on theology and ecumenism.

This systematic study isolates those themes with which the early Church proclaimed and celebrated the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan.

"Raising Abel" is a theological exploration of a huge change of mind: the change which the apostolic group underwent as a result of the Resurrection--and how that paradigm can transform the world today. Making use of the thought of Rene Girard, the author shows how the God who was revealed by Jesus subverted the violent language, imagery and expectations of the early Christians.

Jesus and the Land is an attempt to reconstruct the life of Jesus based on insights gained from the land. How did Jesus' ministry begin? What led him from Nazareth and exclusive Judaism to Capernaum and inclusive Hillilian Judaism? What events led to the increase of his popularity, and how did this popularity result in his eventual execution? --from the foreword by the author Key Features: Expands on a successful project, buliding on a proven winner, Focuses on the historical and archeological evidence available to uncover insights into the context of Jesus' ministry, Written in a clear, accessible style Key Benefits: * Helps the reader understand some of the historical background behind the gospel accounts * Assists the reader in learning about the cultural context of Jesus' life and ministry * Makes some of the insights of biblical history and archeology available to a broad audience, without requiring technical knowledge of the fiel

What was crucifixion? Why was Jesus of Nazareth executed and what really happened? Gerard Sloyan begins with history and traces the development of the New Testament accounts of Jesus' death. He shows how Jesus' death came to be seen as sacrificial and how the evolving understandings of Jesus' death affected those who suffered most from it - the Jews. He then traces the emergence and development - in theology, liturgy, literature, art - of the conviction that Jesus' death was redemptive, as seen both in soteriological theory from Tertullian to Anselm, in the Reformation and modern eras, and in more popular religious responses to the crucifixion. Especially fascinating is the story of the emergence of a distinct "Passion piety" that still characterizes the West. In all this Sloyan detects the separation of the cross from Jesus' life and resurrection, allowing the mythicizing of an event too large for mere words to handle: the mystery of the cross.

Part of Fortress Press's classic text series. "This volume has justifiably held a leading position among scholarly presentations of Jesus' life and teachings".--Amos N. Wilder.

George Smith, a twentieth-century American, moved into a house with a large vineyard in the Eastern Mediterranean during the first century AD, going back in time and space. He needed help on his land and requested that individuals interested in work be at his place at 9 a.m. on August 8. No one showed up. Why not? This is just one of the sixty fun-to-read vignettes Bruce Malina cleverly presents in this book that explains the customs and culture of the world in which Jesus lived and taught. Each adventure depicts a twentieth-century North American encountering puzzling practices while visiting Judea during ancient times. These vignettes offer quick and easy access to the first-century Mediterranean world and relate to segments of the New Testament and other passages from the same cultural area.

In the New Testament, Jesus reassures the Apostles before he ascends to heaven by saying, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth." What of this Spirit? In what way was that Spirit manifested in Jesus' ministry on earth? What does it offer us? And ask of us?

These reflections by the preacher to the papal household coalesce biblical and doctrinal thought on the gifts conferred by anointing in the Spirit - kingly, prophetic, and priestly - onto Christ and through Christ to the Church. As one well accustomed to illuminating the Word to his audience, Father Cantalamessa bestows on readers an understanding of the Holy Spirit that is both practical and profound."

over 500,000 copies sold As relevant today as when it was written... In 1995 Mother Mary said that the most dire predictions had been delayed up to 10 years ... now it is 2005, and we are all seeing the Eath Changes return. This book contains a series of "talks" as given by Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to a woman in Texas from 1987 to 1991, which are as relevant today as when they were first written. At Fatima, Lourdes, and more recently, Medjugorie, Mother Mary has spoken through miraculous apparitions. Now she has come with a message for All People of the World. Mother Mary predicts specific earth changes that will disrupt every individual on the planet. She urges all people, regardless of culture or beliefs, to open their minds and hearts to God. Mother Mary explains how to live more fully conscious of our presence and purpose here on earth, and how to prepare ourselves for re-entry into the spirit world after physical death. Mary's eloquent discussions on love, energy, truth and prayer-and a special message to families-reveal a most compassionate and universal Mother. "This book has great impact." Marianne Williamson Also available on audio CD. Other books by Annie and Byron Kirkwood: Instructions for the Soul Mary's Message of Hope, Vol. 1 Mary's Message of Hope, Vol. 2 Mary's Message of Love Messages to Our Family Survival Guide for the New Millennium

This book completes a remarkable trilogy... The basic premise on which the project is founded is that a careful and impartial reconstruction of Jesus' Jewish background is an essential preliminary to any reconstruction of Jesus himself.

An Enquiry into the Talmud Jesus Stories, the Toldoth Jeschu, and Some Curious Statements of Epiphanius-Being a Contribution to the Study of Christian Origins. Canonical Date of Jesus; Earliest External Evidence to the Received Date; Genesis of the Talmud; Talmud in History; In the Talmud's Outer Court; Earliest External Evidence to the Talmud Jesus Stories; Talmud 100 Years B.C. Story of Jesus; Talmud Mary Stories; Talmud Ben Stada Jesus Stories; Talmud Balaam Jesus Stories; Disciples and Followers of Jesus in the Talmud; Toldoth Jeschu; Jewish Life of Jesus; Traces of Early Toldoth Forms; 100 Years B.C. Date in the Toldoth; On the Tracks of the Earliest Christians; Concerning the "Book of Elxai; " 100 Years B.C. Date in Epiphanius.

Mary is a great gift and example to all Christians because in her God's Word was written and by her it was accepted and its grace manifested. In this she is, as the title indicates, a mirror of the Church, the people of God. She reflects what we are called to be.

While this work cannot help but discuss aspects of Mariology, it is not so much a study as it is a pilgrimage. Reflecting on and following Mary's example, as Father Cantalamessa presents it here, we enter into a pilgrimage of listening and obedience to God's Word.

In these meditations, Mattison reminds us that the death of Christ is the clearest expression of God's redeeming love for us. The cross, once a sign of defeat and shame, has become a sign of victory over sin and death. Each meditation is accompanied by hymns and poetry that enlarge the possible meanings of Jesus' last words, and by questions for reflection or discussion.

An acknowledged New Testament authority, James D. G. Dunn here makes an important contribution to contemporary thought. He looks at the origins of Christianity in the light of modern scholarship, demonstrating why Christians should "welcome the critically inquiring and investigative skills of scholars."