Companions and Competitors (A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Volume 3) (Hardcover)

by John P. Meier (Author) "No sooner do we turn to the task of trying to describe the various relationships of the people around Jesus than we run into a..." (more)
Key Phrases: sedentary supporters, multiple attestation, dispute stories, Marginal Jew, New York, Fourth Gospel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
No man is an island, not even Jesus, as John Meier writes in Companions and Competitors, the third installment of his four-part series, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The first volume, an overview of Jesus' background, chronology, and early years, was followed by a second that analyzed Jesus' most important messages and deeds. Here, Meier explains his conviction that "No human being is adequately understood if he or she is considered in isolation from other human beings." He leads readers through the concentric circles of companions (including the followers who became his disciples and apostles) and competitors (such as Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Samaritans) that shaped Jesus' life in first-century Palestine. Meier, a priest and New Testament scholar at Notre Dame, writes in the engaging, methodical style of an astringently avuncular professor: chapters are carefully outlined, with straightforward headings such as "Points of Comparison and Contrast," "Caveats on Comparisons," and "The Sheer Oddness of Jesus"). His findings, particularly his explanation of "the essentially Jewish nature" of Jesus' relationships, are a valuable addition to the field of Historical Jesus scholarship. --Michael Joseph Gross

From Library Journal
Meier, a Roman Catholic priest and professor of New Testament at University of Notre Dame, as well as president of the Catholic Biblical Association and general editor of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, here provides the third of a projected four-volume scholarly investigation of the historical Jesus and the context in which he taught and died. The current volume continues the rigorous historian's approach of the preceding volumes, which investigated Jesus' background and early years and the statements and deeds of his public ministry. In this volume, Meier focuses on those around Jesus: the crowds, the disciples, the 12, his Jewish competitors, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Samaritans, the Scribes, the Herodians, and the Zealots. This volume concludes with an integrative chapter focusing on how Jesus' Elijah-like prophetic ministry and the identity he created for his movement set him apart from those around him. Meier also prepares for his final volume, which will focus on Jesus' enigmatic teaching on the law, his riddle-speech in parable and self-definition, and his enigmatic death. Meier's scholarship is detailed and thorough, supported by substantive footnotes that allow the text to read easily. Both a reference volume and a book for leisurely reading, this is essential for academic, theological, and large public libraries. Carolyn M. Craft, Longwood Coll., Farmville, VA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 720 pages
• Publisher: Anchor Bible (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385469934
• ISBN-13: 978-0385469937
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #405,802 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 3 in The A Marginal Jew Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the effort., November 18, 2001

By	Kerry Sullivan (Taylor, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Consistent with the overall quality of the Anchor Bible Series, the "Marginal Jew" series impresses with the depth, honesty, and objectivity of its scholarship. It may be that nobody is completely impartial when it comes to assessing the historical Jesus, but John Meier comes far closer than most, and he documents every opinion he offers. (If you're into footnotes, and I mean thousands of them,is this ever the series for you!)

I took on the challenge of this series when I read that Raymond E. Brown, the late great Catholic scholar and author, gave his highest marks to the first two volumes. Similar to Brown, Meier cooly and adeptly applies the tools of critical scholarship to his task of learning what we can of the historical Jesus. Fundamentalists will find his approach too liberal. Jesus Seminar types will find him too conservative. As a believing Christian who also wants to be intellectually honest in my faith, I think he's just right.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat Disappointing, January 28, 2005

By	Steve Jackson "stevejackson100atyahoocom" (New England) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I've commented on the first two volumes of John P. Meier's series A MARGINAL JEW. This series is a centrist (or perhaps slightly left of center) work on the historical Jesus. While Meier denies or suspects the historicity of parts of the New Testament (such as the infancy narratives) he also thinks that the Gospel presentation of Jesus (a miracle worker who preached a present and future Kingdom of God) is accurate to a large extent.

Volume three is something of a disappointment. Meier discusses Jesus' followers (the crowds, disciples & apostles) and also Jesus' Jewish "competitors" (Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, Essenes & Herodians). My concern centers on Meier's discussion of Jesus' competitors. It is evident from a casual reading of the NT that Jesus often came into dispute with the Jews of his day. As Meier notes, this is clear from an analysis of all the sources available. While Meier's discussion of these groups is interesting and informative, the issue of why Jesus disputed with them is not as detailed as one might expect. For example, the section entitled "Jesus and the Pharisees" is all of eight pages. Yet there are a great many statements of Jesus which are quite hostile to the Jews of his day that cry out for discussion. I realize that the at times shameful treatment of Jews by Western Christianity makes people reticent to discuss these issues, but I wonder if we are too accustomed to hearing about "Jesus the Jew" and "the Jewish roots of Christianity" to discusses these issues frankly. Meier promises that the fourth and final volume will tackle Jesus' view of the law, and I imagine that here Jesus' dispute with his contemporaries will figure prominently.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another good book in the series, March 29, 2002

By	J. Owens - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this book Meier investigates Jesus' followers, disciples, and the other Jewish groups that Jesus interacted with. He wisely doesn't try to draw too many conclusions about Jesus' interaction with other Jewish groups because of the scarcity of sources. His treatment of Jesus' disciples is wonderfully done and brings insight into the nature of Jesus' disciples. I'm eagerly waiting the 4th book of the series.