The Historical Jesus:
Can We Get Behind the Gospels? Should We Try?
1. Early attempts to reconstruct the
Jesus of history
- H. S. Reimarus (1778): fanatical politician
who was rejected by his people and his God
- W. Wrede (1901): largely a figment
of early Christian imagination
- Albert Schweitzer (1906): apocalyptic
preacher who tragically expected the end of the world in his
lifetime
2. Current attempts to reconstruct
the Jesus of history
- E. P. Sanders (1985): restoration prophet
who predicted the temple's destruction and Israel's subsequent
restoration
- The Jesus Seminar (1993, 1998):
itinerant, Cynic-philosopher who preached a counter-cultural
message of equality
- N. T. Wright (1992, 1996): Israel's
Messiah who was called to die vicariously for Israel and for
the world
3. Text or Event? Where to begin?
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event |
witnesses |
historical records |
persuasion |
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persuades & changes witnesses >> |
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event |
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written text |
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<< confirms & interprets history |
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- locus of salvation: in a story
or on the cross?
- starting point for ethics: the moral
vision of individual texts or the teachings
of the historical figure of Jesus
4. Foundational Questions
- Jesus and Palestinian Judaism: how
was Jesus' relevant for his people?
- Jesus and the early church: why did
his followers remember and worship him?
- Jesus' life and death: why was he executed?
- Jesus words and deeds: should we begin
with Jesus' sayings or teachings or both?
- The Synoptics and John: how can we
hold these two portraits together?
- Other Gospels: how should we weigh
the gospels of Thomas and of Peter?
- Burden of proof: are the Gospels essentially
trustworthy?
5. Historical Jesus 101
- a Jew from Nazareth in Galilee
- baptised by John the Baptist
- considered to be a prophet
- preached the imminent arrival of God's Kingdom, justice,
mercy, non-violence
- had reputation for teaching and healing
- showed particular interest in the poor and lowly (including
women and children)
- demonstrated in the temple
- was crucified by Pontius Pilate under
Roman rule c. 30 CE
- was executed as a revolutionary/security risk
- came back to life to be seen by various disciples