The Evidence for Jesus [Paperback]

James D. G. Dunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1986

An acknowledged New Testament authority, James D. G. Dunn here makes an important contribution to contemporary thought. He looks at the origins of Christianity in the light of modern scholarship, demonstrating why Christians should "welcome the critically inquiring and investigative skills of scholars."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James D. G. Dunn is Lightfoot Professor Emeritus ofDivinity atthe University of Durham in England.He is one of the world'spremier New Testament scholars.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (January 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664246982
• ISBN-13: 978-0664246983
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful book dealing with tough issues, October 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Evidence for Jesus (Paperback)

It is nice to see a book dealing with the tough issues of the day with respect to the new testament and modern scholarship. There are so few authors who are tackling the issues (did the resurrection occur? Was Jesus God? Why do the gospels differ in their accounts? Why do christians disagree on so many points?) that I was surprised to find one that did. I would recommend this book for anyone who struggles with some of these issues and would like to see a thoughtful response. I was so impressed with Professor's Dunn's book, I purchased another, Jesus, Paul, and the Law.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and Balanced Introduction to Critical Scholarship, July 17, 2004

By 

Peter D. Glickenhaus (Morrisville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Evidence for Jesus (Paperback)

If you're looking for an exhaustive treatment of critical scholarship issues, this book is not for you. Its intended audience is the layperson or young college student.
Professor Dunn's book deals with four issues which provide a response to the television series, Jesus: The Evidence, which first aired in the mid-eighties, and, according to Dunn, misrepresented the scholarly consensus in early Christian studies. Rather than provide a balanced overview of scholarship, this show favored the eccentric views of a minority of scholars, and thus misled many viewers. This book is a brief reply, and deals with four salient issues:
1. The Reliability of the Synoptic Gospels
2. Finding the Historical Jesus in the Gospel of John
3. Beliefs of the Resurrection in the Early Church
4. The Early Church -- Christianity or Christianities?

Brief, lucid, and a fine example of deftly blending scholarship with a concern for the contemporary church, this book is a must for every layperson not yet exposed to critical scholarship.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Introduction, December 31, 2004

By 

Steve Jackson "stevejackson100atyahoocom" (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Evidence for Jesus (Paperback)

James D.G. Dunn is a "centrist" New Testament scholar who has written a large number of books, many focusing on the Apostle Paul. Dunn is one of the leaders of the "new perspective on Paul" movement, which argues that the Reformers misunderstood or overemphasized Paul's teaching on justification by faith (or at least that's what their critics assert they are saying).

This relatively small book discusses four questions: (1) the historicity of the Gospels; (2) did Jesus claim to be the Son of God?; (3) what the first Christians believed about the resurrection; and (4) unity and diversity in earliest Christianity. It assumes little or no knowledge of the Gospels and could be studied profitably by beginners and those who are exposed to fanciful stories of Jesus' life (e.g., Jesus married Mary Magdalene and moved to India). The discussion of the resurrection is particularly good, and Dunn shows that there are few parallels to belief in Jesus' resurrection in the pagan or Jewish world of the time.

Not everyone will agree with Prof. Dunn's conclusions. For example, he argues that John's Gospel is something of a theological commentary on Jesus' life and that the dispute with "the Jews" reflects the later separation between church and synagogue. Another book, which complements this one and reaches perhaps more conservative conclusions, is F.F. Bruce's THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCUMENTS: ARE THEY RELIABLE?