Jesus Christ: The Jesus of History, the Christ of Faith [Paperback]

J. R. Porter (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195325435 | ISBN-13: 978-0195325430 | Publication Date: April 8, 2007

Illuminating the life of Jesus--his historical context, his religious teachings, and the changing perceptions of him over the centuries--this lavishly illustrated volume offers one of the most comprehensive and authoritative accounts available of this great and charismatic man.
Featuring some 180 illustrations (including 20 full-color maps) and numerous boxed and sidebar features that shed light on interesting facets of the story, Jesus Christ paints a vivid portrait of Christ's life from the Nativity to the Ascension. Drawing on the Gospels and other evidence, J. R. Porter disentangles many of the mysteries and confusions surrounding the life of the historical Jesus--such as the role of women in his career and the political issues surrounding his trial--and paints a detailed background portrait of all aspects of society in first-century Palestine, from the fishing communities of Lake Galilee to life under Roman rule. Porter also explores the teachings of Christ, looking at his use of parable, his view of Hebrew Scriptures, his attitude toward the law, and his thinking about the Kingdom of God. The book assesses the many interpretations of Christ through the ages, from his immediate impact on the early Church, to the changing image of Jesus in art and illustration, to his perceived role as apocalyptic preacher, revolutionary, mystic, and prophet.
A marvelous gift at Easter time or for a child's confirmation, this attractive, informative volume gives us an inspiring portrait of one of the most complex figures in world history.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jesus Christ: The Jesus of History, The Christ of Faith by J.R. Porter is a beautifully illustrated overview of Jesus' life, social and political context, and teachings, and the variety of ways Jesus' contemporaries and later followers have interpreted his significance. Porter, a professor of theology at the University of Exeter, has a great talent for synthesizing and popularizing the research of today's leading archaeologists, historians, and biblical scholars--who have lately unearthed some surprising discoveries about Jesus' relationship to first-century Judaism, his view of the Hebrew Scriptures, his close relationships with women, and the political issues surrounding his trial. Porter's keen awareness of contemporary scholarship is complemented by his mastery of the content of the original gospels, the creation of orthodox Christianity by the Church Fathers, and the development of Christendom's relationship to Christ through the Middle Ages and into the Modern period.

The resulting book is an engagingly sober balance of humble traditionalism ("It seems likely that the gospel writers worked with a body of existing traditions about Jesus that had many points in common and must, in numerous instances, have derived from the disciples who knew him.") and reasonable subjectivism ("In the end, anyone who attempts a reconstruction, however tentative, of the life and intentions of Jesus cannot avoid a degree of subjectivity. Every idea about Jesus has to be tested by the wide range of criteria and sound historical methods that present-day biblical scholarship has at its disposal."). Porter's excellent text is complemented by hundreds of sumptuous color photographs of the Holy Land and of artists' renderings of Jesus through the ages. Altogether, it's a fine achievement by a scholar whose commitment to both revealed and historical truth shines through on every page of the book. --Michael Joseph Gross --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Porter, Professor Emeritus of Theology at Exeter University, uses a combination of art, photography, visually interesting page layout and well-written narrative to tell the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Potter's account unfolds in traditional order. The author begins with a discussion of the geographical, religious, political and social background and then proceeds to reconstruct Jesus' life following the gospel stories of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Porter's book is filled with the type of details that will fascinate many people interested in the everyday life of Jesus. The author, for example, notes that the term carpenter, which was applied to Jesus, did not necessarily imply that he was poor. At the time, a carpenter usually owned considerable property, including an expensive set of tools. In "Interpretations," Porter explores the diverse ways in which Jesus' life has been interpreted. These include short discussions of how Jesus saw his own ministry, the various ways in which the early Christians interpreted Jesus' life and teachings and some valuable discussions of such matters as "Jesus and Feminism" and "Jesus and Islam." The last section of the book, "Jesus in Art," written by Jennifer Stokes, a well-known English writer on art, discusses the various ways in which artists have represented events in Christ's life. The average educated reader, who knows little about current New Testament research, will find the book to be an insightful, thought-provoking introduction to a complex subject.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195325435
• ISBN-13: 978-0195325430
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #868,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Throughout objective even-handed and sensible, June 21, 2000

By 

Peter Maxwell-Lyte - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jesus Christ: The Jesus of History, the Christ of Faith (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully produced volume, and could be a very good `first book', because it is comprehensive, reliable and clearly presented. It seeks to highlight some of the factors that have inspired the continuing quest to discover the historical Jesus of Nazareth. It begins by placing Jesus in his first-century setting against the religious, social and political conditions of the world of his day. Then Jesus' own life is considered. The relevant sources are reviewed and analysed, followed by discussions of the birth, infancy and youth, call to ministry in Galilee, the approach of the passion, condemnation and crucifixion and the aftermath. His teachings are outlined, with particular attention to how he taught and his ethical message. Finally, the work turns to interpretations of Jesus, how he saw himself and the different ways in which he has been understood in various religions and societies and schools of thought through the centuries, Thus the book covers a great deal of ground but each topic is treated separately, though with numerous cross-references, so that any particular theme can be easily grasped and assimilated. Porter's approach is throughout objective, even-handed and sensible. There is a full index, an extensive bibliography for further study and a 25-page splendidly illustrated treatment of Jesus in art.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, Revealing, Well-Organized, March 12, 2006

By 

R. Koning "Your opinions may differ" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jesus Christ: The Jesus of History, the Christ of Faith (Hardcover)

This book is designed in short segments (approx 3 pages each) rather than long chapters. This makes reading this book cover-to-cover something doable in many short time intervals or fewer long ones...so if fits around your life in the same way that Reader's Digest does. I would read a segment or two each night just before bed, but the writing is so readable that you don't want to put it down. The balance of text and art is excellent and can easily be a coffee-table book. The historical information presented is interesting and eye-opening if you haven't read much about Christian history. It reveals what we have and what we don't have in terms of historical evidence, and it increased my interest in reading more about the historical documents not included in our Bible's canon. Putting Jesus' life into the context of history and the social and political environment of Palestine, this book is very helpful in understanding many parts of His ministry and its impact upon the people of his time.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, February 7, 2006

By 

Dr. James Gardner (California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jesus Christ: The Jesus of History, the Christ of Faith (Hardcover)

Porter's book is one of those rare books in which the ample illustrations actually enhance the text. Many books simply throw in a bunch of illustrations without regard for extending the text. Porter's choices are excellent, making this book not only readable, but highly informative. In that regard, the book is one of the most thorough looks at the historical Jesus. Quite frankly, I don't personally subscribe to some of Porter's interpretations, but he has organized the book in a meaningful way and presented his material thoughtfully. Moreover, he covers a great deal of territory, beyond the straight forward events surrounding Jesus. My major criticism of the book is that it is not well documented, but I suppose that was an editorial choice to make this a more readable book (which it certainly is). Because of this, one has to wonder where Porter comes up with some of the things he says (e.g., a Nazirite is "a person dedicated to God by special vows", "any heavenly supernatural being could be considered a 'Son of God'"). That being said, he offers the most comprehensive review of Jesus' entire life span and discusses many of the controversial topics which are so popular today.

PS - The rating system allows only 4 or 5 stars. I would give this a 4+ if I were able.