The Historical Jesus of the Gospels [Hardcover]

Craig S. Keener (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2009

The earliest substantive sources available for historical Jesus research are in the Gospels themselves; when interpreted in their early Jewish setting, their picture of Jesus is more coherent and plausible than are the competing theories offered by many modern scholars. So argues Craig Keener in The Historical Jesus of the Gospels.

In exploring the depth and riches of the material found in the Synoptic Gospels, Keener shows how many works on the historical Jesus emphasize just one aspect of the Jesus tradition against others, but a much wider range of material in the Jesus tradition makes sense in an ancient Jewish setting. Keener masterfully uses a broad range of evidence from the early Jesus traditions and early Judaism to reconstruct a fuller portrait of the Jesus who lived in history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Joseph A. Fitzmyer, S.J.
-- Catholic University of America
"With critical acumen, Craig Keener presents a comprehensive account of the study of the historical Jesus. It will be a boon for all readers -- inquisitive laypeople, pastors, students of the Gospels, and biblical colleagues."

James H. Charlesworth
-- Princeton Theological Seminary
"Keener proves why the Evangelists' view of Jesus is preferable to most modern constructs: the Gospels, as ancient biographies, reflect eyewitness accounts of Jesus and provide the only valid sources for reconstructing the historical Jesus. . . . This book is exceptional for its breadth and its captivating prose."

Gerd Theissen
-- University of Heidelberg
"Historical Jesus research has developed in the last decades from a 'postminimalism' concerning the authenticity of Jesus traditions to a new 'moderate confidence' in the historicity of the Gospels. Craig Keener's book is both a milestone and a boundary stone in this development. By contextualizing the sources of Jesus research and Jesus himself, Keener succeeds in increasing the historical plausibility of the Gospels to a degree that is exceptional among critical exegetes. Therefore this book must be read and taken seriously -- both by those exegetes who are reluctant to support this 'historical-critical maximalism' in Jesus research and by those reluctant to contextualize Jesus in such a way. But both will enjoy reading what Keener has written with an open and critical mind." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Craig Keener is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky. Recognized for his expertise in the early Jewish and Greco-Roman context of early Christianity, he is the author of many books, including The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary and The Gospel of John: A Commentary (two volumes). Three of his books have won awards and together have sold over half a million copies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 876 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (November 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802862926
• ISBN-13: 978-0802862921
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 2.3 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #833,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Craig Keener is professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky. Three of his many books have won national awards, and his background commentary has sold over half a million copies (including electronic copies and translations). Craig is married to Dr. Medine Moussounga Keener, who holds a Ph.D. from University of Paris 7. She was a refugee for 18 months in her nation of Congo, and together Craig and Médine work for ethnic reconciliation in the U.S. and Africa.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A knockout punch to liberal arguments January 10, 2010

By Jeri Nevermind VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Here's the oddest thing about current biblical scholarship: even as the public laps up hilarious idiocy like 'The DaVinci Code', even as PBS and Peter Jennings' infamous documentary and the History channel cough out anti-Christian documentaries, even as the newly atheist 18 year old college student insists Christianity is based on pagan mystery religions, the orthodox scholars involved in actual biblical scholarship are beating the stuff and nonsense out of the liberals. Go figure.

Anyone who doubts that can pick up this book for proof.

Keener is calm, polite, and thorough as he demolishes the arguments of liberal scholars. Best of all, Keener writes so clearly that anyone, even someone with no background in scholarship, could pick up this book and read it.

Keener gives the background of the hunt for the historical Jesus and then sets out systematically to show how liberal theories were shown wrong.

Apocryphal gospels? "Most scholars recognize that the apocryphal gospels...bear...similarities to ancient novels...In contrast to Luke's Acts, the apocryphal acts date from the heyday of the Greek romances" (p 50). Gnostic gospels are late compared to Christian gospels and aimed at "an academic elite" (p 52), not the general public. The Gnostic gospels rely on information given in Christian documents.

Thomas, so beloved by the Jesus Seminar, has recently been shown by Perrin to bear "numerous characteristics of Syriac Christianity from the second half of the second century" (p 56).

Keener also discusses Burridge's bombshell of a book arguing that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John follow the Greco-Roman bioi. Ancient history writers aimed at finding the truth. They "harshly criticized other historians who...promoted falsehood, especially when they were thought to exhibit self-serving agendas" (p 96).

Recent studies in orality have wrecked most of Bultmann's old arguments. "Given the emphasis on memory in antiquity, many early Christians could have known sources like Mark by heart, and Matthew and Luke can be 'redacting' more freely based on memory rather than a rigid text in front of them" (p 136). Moreover, many new studies emphasize how oral cultures preserve all the important events in a story, but allow for details to change.

Both archaeology and studies in Second Temple Judaism have shown the clearly Jewish nature of much that exists in Paul and the gospels. The mention of a future kingdom as well as the 'Son of Man' sayings have a very obvious meaning to Second Temple Jews. 'Son of Man' would ring sharply in the ears of those familiar with Daniel. And the title is "barely used by anyone except Jesus...If Jesus proclaimed a kingdom and implied his messiahship, one...need not exclude the eschatological sayings" (p 202).

As for the title messiah, "Paul...sometimes used 'Christ' virtually as Jesus' surname" (p 257) and "for later followers of Jesus to invent such a title for him is inconceivable; it risked persecution against themselves for following one executed for treason" (p 266).

Even from the earliest Christian documents revealed "Jesus' exalted status, and is taken by many scholars as 'clear evidence that in the very earliest days the Aramaic speaking church referred to Jesus by the title that in the OT belongs to God alone'" (p 279-80). And there simply is no other example, no trace of such a claim, anywhere else among the fiercely monotheistic Second Temple Jews.

Very highly recommended.

23 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars All Skeptics Enter Here November 30, 2009

By John A. Grubb

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

All Christians, and particularly pastors and the mentors of pastors, need to have access to the information in this book.

I don't have a television, but the one time I had access to one recently--the day before Easter Sunday, no less, in a hotel room--the programs about Jesus made him out as some kind of product of human imagination, a mere social construct. One so-called expert even characterized him as a rather pathetic individual, somewhat confused and perhaps even a bit twisted.

My faith in Jesus didn't collapse as a result of watching those programs. But it was tested. And I can imagine how, if you were a searcher of spiritual things or a struggling Christian, you might experience doubt.

My only suggestion to one who is about to abandon or dismiss Jesus is to either read this book or buy it for someone who can explain its contents. And then read or have it explained to you all over again, because there's so much to miss the first time through, and every bit of information works to build a solid case for the reliability of the Jesus of the Gospels.

You'll find out that verdict isn't in on the historical Jesus. What you see on television or hear in the lecture halls of universities isn't always as objective as it's made out to be. As a result, you'll learn not to fall for the mere speculations of experts who base their conclusions on obvious forgeries or documents that long post-date the biblical gospels. Are you listening John Dominic Crossan? Bart Ehrman?

(I'm not saying that the Bible is easy to understand. I'm not even saying that its critics don't have a right to their opinions of it, of Jesus, and of the teachings of Jesus. I'm just saying they're not the only voices that should be allowed to be heard.)

Keener is obviously a scholar, and his no-nonsense writing style and immense catalog of references reflect that. But if you're truly serious about taking Jesus seriously, you need to gain a comprehensive understanding of the intellectual, cultural, and historical milieu in which the biblical gospels took form. It will strengthen your faith in the Gospels as well as the Jesus the Gospels depict.

It will also strengthen your trust in the writers and early readers of the Gospels, who, as Keener notes, risked the wrath of Roman leaders merely by mentioning their association with the convicted and crucified Jesus, even years afterward.

I only wish Keener would write a similar book for the average reader, something along the lines of his commentaries.

Even better would be a video documentary to counter the highly problematic but popular media documentaries floating around out there.

Before you take on Keener's book, you might try Darrel Bock's Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods.

I also highly recommend Eddy and Boyd's The Jesus Legend, excluding its somewhat misleading title, though the subtitle pretty much clears things up.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars the Jesus of the Gospels is the historical Jesus December 2, 2012

By Dr. Marc Axelrod VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Keener reveals that the Jesus presented in the 4 Gospels is a more reliable, historical picture of Jesus than all the made up conjectures about Jesus that are popular today. he also says you cannot limit a description of Jesus to any one label, such as cynic, teacher, peasant, or even prophet.

Keener is suspicious of any man made theory of Jesus that denies his Jewishness or that Jesus preached about the future. he examines gospel passages, and demonstrates that they are most plausibly recognized as historical. this is a great book to have in your library. I wish the end notes were footnotes, but that is personal preference.