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John Dominic Crossan's bestselling and critically acclaimed biography of the historical Jesus. "This is an outstanding book--both popular and intelligent. Accessible language and direct, dramatic narration . . . a compelling portrait of Jesus."

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Library Journal Review

Based on Crossan's acclaimed and controversial The Historical Jesus ( LJ 2/1/92), this elegant new reconstruction popularizes and occasionally elaborates on that earlier work. Gone is the massive documentation. What remains is an engrossing, often startling exploration of key themes, in which Crossan weighs scriptural texts against anthropological, historical, and literary standards, sifting through accrued layers for evidence of earlier (if noncanonical) sources. He acknowledges his naturalistic assumptions (``I presume that Jesus . . . could not cure . . . disease''), which, together with his critical method, cause him to dismiss the virgin birth, say, or the passion/resurrection narratives, as historically invalid. Yet he also offers nuanced, powerful readings of Jesus' teachings. Bound to disturb some people and stimulate others, this is recommended for all libraries where lay readers are likely to be interested in the issues raised.-- Elise Chase, Forbes Lib., Northampton, Mass. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

Crossan (DePaul Univ.), an expert on the historical Jesus and a scholar in the Jesus Seminar, has written many best-selling books, including The Historical Jesus (CH, Jun'92) and The Cross That Spoke (1988). A condensed popular version of The Historical Jesus, but going beyond the parent volume, this reconstruction of the "historical" Jesus is based on 25 years of scholarly research. Methodologically, Crossan locates the historical Jesus where three independent vectors cross: cross-cultural anthropology, Greco-Roman and Jewish history of the first quarter of Jesus's century, and literary or textual study. Skeptical of the historical value of the accounts of Jesus in the canonical Gospels, he often concludes: "That never happened, of course, but it is true nonetheless." For the most part, he thinks the Gospel accounts are fictional creations of the authors, that what we have in the Passion Narratives, for instance, is not history remembered but prophecy historicized. Explanations of Jesus's miracles, as recorded in the Gospels, are reminiscent of 19th-century liberalism. Although he provides much helpful and interesting material, he sometimes pushes his hypothetical reconstruction of Jesus ad absurdum. Crossan's radical reconstruction of Jesus forces the reader to make clear distinctions between historical and confessional statements about him. It cannot, however, be called a biography. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty, general. J. W. McCant; Point Loma Nazarene College

Booklist Review

Based on Crossan's more scholarly text, The Historical Jesus (1992), this biographical study makes the author's view of Jesus as a social revolutionary available to a wider audience. Crossan clearly defines the problem of trying to locate the historical Jesus in the midst of myth, and he tells readers how he intends to find that Jesus: through cross-cultural anthropology, Greco-Roman and Jewish history, and literary and textual evidence. Compared to A. N. Wilson's Jesus: A Life (1992), which brought a real man to life, this account gives little sense of a flesh-and-blood Jesus, though Crossan offers some thought-provoking theories about the man and his mission. What is most interesting about the book, though, is Crossan's portrayal of the times and the milieu that gave birth to a new religion. While, at the end of the book, readers may still not be sure if Jesus was a savior or a sorcerer, they will certainly understand the cultural and historical dynamics that allowed him to step forward in that particular time and that particular place. ~--Ilene Cooper

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Considered by many to be the most learned scholar on the topic of Jesus Christ, John Dominic Crossan's adversaries question how he reconciles his Catholic faith with 20th century secular study. A former priest, Crossan is the author of The Essential Jesus: Original Sayings and Earliest Images, The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography; The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus, and The Cross That Spoke: The Origins of the Passion Narrative, among others.

(Bowker Author Biography)