Description
"Magisterial. . . . A learned, brilliant and enjoyable study."-Geza Vermes, Times Literary Supplement
"Brilliant and lucidly written, full of original and fascinating insights."-Reginald H. Fuller, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
"This is a first-rate work of a first-rate historian."-James D. Tabor, Journal of Religion
In this exciting book, Paula Fredriksen explains the variety of New Testament images of Jesus by exploring the ways that the new Christian communities interpreted his mission and message in light of the delay of the Kingdom he had preached. Carefully examining the New Testament texts, she provides fascinating insights into such issues as the social and religious problems facing early Christian communities, the content of Jesus' ministry, and the circumstances of his crucifixion. This edition includes an introduction that reviews more recent scholarship on Jesus and its implications for both history and theology.
About the Author
Paula Fredriksen, the Aurelio Professor of Scripture at Boston University, is the author of Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, which won the 1999 National Jewish Book Award. She served as historical consultant and featured speaker on the PBS Frontline series "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians."
Reviews
"Fredriksen has achieved a magisterial sketch of the evolution of the images of Jesus with astonishing neatness and simplicity. . . . A learned, brilliant and enjoyable study of the genesis of the New Testament images of Jesus."-Geza Vermes, Times Literary Supplement
"A landmark book on Christianity."-International Review of Biblical Studies
"Fredriksen confronts her documents-principally the writings of the New Testament-as an archaeologist would an especially rich complex site. With great care she distinguishes the literary images from historical fact. As she does so, she explains the images of Jesus in terms of the strategies and purposes of the writers Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John."-Thomas D'Evelyn, Christian Science Monitor
"I can tell you what I liked about it: its sense of scholarship and a becoming intellectual modesty; its strong sensitivity to the Jewish matrix out of which Jesus emerged; and the care with which she made this work accessible to the general reader. She not only writes well but supplies us with bibliographies, suggested readings, indices of both the scriptures and of ancient sources in addition to a thorough general index of names and subjects. It is always a pleasure to open a book which keeps the reader's needs so firmly in mind."-Lawrence S. Cunningham, Commonweal
"A more than usually competent and stimulating survey course textbook. . . . The summary expositions of the New Testament texts provide a fair and adequate summary of principal emphases in these writings, with a good proportion of shrewd observation. . . . Insightful and lively style. . . . This book provides a helpful framework and should provoke a good deal of questioning and discussion. And what more can we ask?"-James D. G. Dunn, Journal of Theological Studies
"This extraordinarily well-written and exciting book is a reconception of the causes and motivations operative in the early Christian movement, a new rationale of the sequence of probable events. It will be fascinating for all kinds of readers."-Wayne Meeks
Book Information
ISBN 9780300084573
Author Paula Fredriksen
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Yale University Press
Publisher Yale University Press
Weight(grams) 295g