A History Of The Quests For The Historical Jesus Volume 1

A comprehensive, two-volume reassessment of the quests for the historical Jesus that details their origins and underlying presuppositions as well as their ongoing influence on today's biblical and theological scholarship. Jesus' life and teaching is important to every question we ask about what we believe and why we believe it. And yet there has never been common agreement about his identity, intentions, or teachings—even among first-century historians and scholars. Throughout history, different religious and philosophical traditions have attempted to claim Jesus and paint him in the cultural narratives of their heritage, creating a labyrinth of conflicting ideas. From the evolution of orthodoxy and quests before Albert Schweitzer's famous "Old Quest," to today's ongoing questions about criteria, methods, and sources, A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus not only chronicles the developments but lays the groundwork for the way forward. The late Colin Brown brings his scholarly prowess in both theology and biblical studies to bear on the subject, assessing not only the historical and exegetical nuts and bolts of the debate about Jesus of Nazareth but also its philosophical, sociological, and theological underpinnings. Instead of seeking a bedrock of "facts," Brown stresses the role of hermeneutics in formulating questions and seeking answers. Colin Brown was almost finished with the manuscript at the time of his passing in 2019. Brought to its final form by Craig A. Evans, this book promises to become the definitive history and assessment of the quests for the historical Jesus. Volume One covers the period from the beginnings of Christianity to the end of World War II. Volume Two (sold separately) covers the period from the post-War era through contemporary debates.

A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus, Volume 2 is an extensive survey and analysis of historical Jesus debates, assessing not only the quests' historical, exegetical, critical details but also their philosophical and theological underpinnings.

A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus is an extensive survey and analysis of historical Jesus debates, assessing not only the quests' historical, exegetical, critical details but also their philosophical and theological underpinnings.

A comprehensive, two-volume reassessment of the quests for the historical Jesus that details their origins and underlying presuppositions as well as their ongoing influence on today's biblical and theological scholarship. Jesus' life and teaching is important to every question we ask about what we believe and why we believe it. And yet there has never been common agreement about his identity, intentions, or teachings—even among first-century historians and scholars. Throughout history, different religious and philosophical traditions have attempted to claim Jesus and paint him in the cultural narratives of their heritage, creating a labyrinth of conflicting ideas. From the evolution of orthodoxy and quests before Albert Schweitzer's famous "Old Quest," to today's ongoing questions about criteria, methods, and sources, A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus not only chronicles the developments but lays the groundwork for the way forward. The late Colin Brown brings his scholarly prowess in both theology and biblical studies to bear on the subject, assessing not only the historical and exegetical nuts and bolts of the debate about Jesus of Nazareth but also its philosophical, sociological, and theological underpinnings. Instead of seeking a bedrock of "facts," Brown stresses the role of hermeneutics in formulating questions and seeking answers. Colin Brown was almost finished with the manuscript at the time of his passing in 2019. Brought to its final form by Craig A. Evans, this book promises to become the definitive history and assessment of the quests for the historical Jesus. Volume One (sold separately) covers the period from the beginnings of Christianity to the end of World War II. Volume Two covers the period from the post-War era through contemporary debates.

Throughout the “quest for the historical Jesus,” there has been a parallel quest aimed at discovering new and improved methodologies for studying his life. This methodological quest was originally driven by the belief that the Gospels are so unique (even sui generis) among the literary works of their time that such “historical experimentation” (to use Schweitzer’s words) is necessary for the task of reconstructing Jesus’s life. Although most scholars today characterize the Gospels as a form of Graeco-Roman biography rather than sui generis literature, they nevertheless have continued this quest for new methodologies. This has left historical Jesus studies in a problematic methodological state. In this book, Zolondek argues that if the Gospels are indeed types of Graeco-Roman biographies of Jesus, then no such experimentation is necessary. Rather, historical Jesus scholars should instead be adopting the standard methodological practices that historians and classicists have for decades used to effectively reconstruct the lives of other ancient persons who were also the subjects of Graeco-Roman biographies. After providing examples of three such methodological practices, Zolondek goes on to offer suggestions as to how scholars might apply them to the study of Jesus and, in doing so, end their long-running methodological quest.

The Historical Jesus: Quests and Questions is an attempt to analyze and evaluate significant studies in the quest in terms of these six guiding questions: 1. Is it possible to write a biography, a history, of Jesus? 2. What is the place of miracle in the life of Jesus? 3. How should the resurrection of Jesus be interpreted? Literally or in some other way? 4. What is the nature and place of mythology in the New Testament? 5. What is the historical value of the Gospel of John as compared with the Synoptic Gospels? 6. What is the central significance of Jesus? The Historical Jesus will examine the works of four individual scholars and one group of scholars in relation to these six questions. The Historical Jesus will aid the investigation, benefit the study, and guide the personal quest of anyone seeking to better understand the historical Jesus.

Publisher description

At last it is possible to read Schweitzer's full account in English. Restored to its full stature, The Quest of the Historical Jesus remains as important for the 21st century as it was for the 20th.