IVP: Historical Jesus, The: Five Views (Spectrum Multiview Series) / January 01, 2009

Requires Accordance 11.1 or above.

The scholarly quest for the historical Jesus has a distinguished pedigree in modern Western religious and historical scholarship, with names such as Strauss, Schweitzer and Bultmann highlighting the story. Since the early 1990s, when the Jesus quest was reawakened for a third run, numerous significant books have emerged. And the public’s attention has been regularly arrested by media coverage, with the Jesus Seminar or the James ossuary headlining the marquee.

The Historical Jesus: Five Views provides a venue for readers to sit in on a virtual seminar on the historical Jesus. Beginning with a scene-setting historical introduction by the editors, prominent figures in the Jesus quest set forth their views and respond to their fellow scholars.

On the one end Robert M. Price lucidly maintains that the probability of Jesus’ existence has reached the “vanishing point,” and on the other Darrell Bock ably argues that while critical method yields only a “gist” of Jesus, it takes us in the direction of the Gospel portraits. In between there are numerous avenues to explore, questions to be asked and “assured results” to be weighed. And John Dominic Crossan, Luke Timothy Johnson and James D. G. Dunn probe these issues with formidable knowledge and honed insight, filling out a further range of options.

The Historical Jesus: Five Views offers a unique entry into the Jesus quest. For both the classroom and personal study, this is a book that fascinates, probes and engages.

About the Series:
Spectrum Multiview Books from IVP Academic offer a range of viewpoints on academic topics about which Christians clearly disagree. The unique format, pioneered by IVP in 1977 with the publication of The Meaning of the Millennium, gives proponents of major positions an opportunity to make their case. Each of the other contributors then offers a brief response. Books in the series range in topic from theology to science, from practical ministry to philosophy. Spectrum books help Christians think more carefully about what they believe and appreciate more the perspectives of others.