Jesus The Prophet

R. David Kaylor believes that Jesus' vision of a just society and his prophetic engagement with social, political, and economic conditions led to his execution by the Romans. Here, he presents Jesus' message of a just society based on Israel's covenant tradition. He shows the prophetic background and social content of Jesus' ethical teaching and demonstrates that the parables (especially those with economic and agricultural associations) critiqued the social conditions and called for a restructuring of community life. He provides evidence that Jesus' vision remains, offering criticism of the present and promise of a future.

In this highly accessible discussion, Bart Ehrman examines the most recent textual and archaeological sources for the life of Jesus, along with the history of first-century Palestine, drawing a fascinating portrait of the man and his teachings. Ehrman shows us what historians have long known about the Gospels and the man who stands behind them. Through a careful evaluation of the New Testament (and other surviving sources, including the more recently discovered Gospels of Thomas and Peter), Ehrman proposes that Jesus can be best understood as an apocalyptic prophet--a man convinced that the world would end dramatically within the lifetime of his apostles and that a new kingdom would be created on earth. According to Ehrman, Jesus' belief in a coming apocalypse and his expectation of an utter reversal in the world's social organization not only underscores the radicalism of his teachings but also sheds light on both the appeal of his message to society's outcasts and the threat he posed to Jerusalem's established leadership.

First published in 1977, Muhammad 'Ata ur-Rahim's classic text examines Jesus as a prophet teaching the Unity of God, and the historical collapse of Christianity as it abandoned his teaching. Now revised by coauthor Ahmad Thomson, the book sketches the dramatic picture of the original followers of Jesus who affirmed Unity, showing how Christianity became the fiction that replaced their truth. A wide-ranging study that covers the Gospel of Barnabas, the Gospel of Hermes, the shepherd, early and later Unitarian Christians, and Jesus in the gospels and in the Qur'an and hadith, Jesus: Prophet of Islam argues persuasively that the idea of Jesus as part of a trinity was a Greek pagan concept adopted by early Christian missionaries to gain converts among the Greeks, and did not become a widely accepted Christian doctrine until after the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.

A profound exploration of how to hold on to hope when our unchanging faith collides with a changing culture, from two respected Christian storytellers and thought leaders. “Offers neither spin control nor image maintenance for the evangelical tribe, but genuine hope.”—Russell Moore, president of ERLC As the pressures of health warnings, economic turmoil, and partisan politics continue to rise, the influence of gospel-focused Christians seems to be waning. In the public square and popular opinion, we are losing our voice right when it’s needed most for Christ’s glory and the common good. But there’s another story unfolding too—if you know where to look. In Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra counter these growing fears with a robust message of resolute hope for anyone hungry for good news. Join them in exploring profound stories of Christians who are quietly changing the world in the name of Jesus—from the wild world of digital media to the stories of ancient saints and unsung contemporary activists on the frontiers of justice and mercy. Discover how, in these dark times, the light of Jesus shines even brighter. You haven’t heard the whole story. And that’s good news.

Herzog has written an introduction for seminary and college students to the discussion about the historical Jesus. He reports on the findings of the Jesus Seminar and also traces other scholarly work in Jesus studies, but with an eye to the theological.

For the world's one billion Muslims, Jesus is a prophet. A highly respected prophet, but one of many throughout history. For Christians, Jesus is more than a prophet. He alone is God incarnate, Lord and Savior. And therein lies the most profound difference between the two faiths. Based upon the authors' extensive dialogues and debates with skeptical, angry, and interested Muslims, liberal Christians, and mainstream journalists, More Than a Prophet answers nearly 150 questions about Islamic and Christian faith. Sympathetic to Muslim concerns yet uncompromising in its portrayal of historic Christian truth, More Than a Prophet is an indispensable handbook for Christians who want to share their faith with sensitivity and intellectual honesty. It is also a helpful introductory resource for those seeking to understand Jesus. - Back cover.