Story of Jesus in History and Faith

Martin McDonald Lee

Description

Many books are available on the historical Jesus, but few address issues that are critically central to Christian faith--namely, Jesus as resurrected Lord, Christ, and Son of God. This comprehensive introduction to the study of the historical Jesus takes both scholarship and Christian faith seriously.Leading New Testament scholar Lee Martin McDonald brings together two critically important dimensions of the story of Jesus: what we can know about him in his historical context and what we can responsibly claim about his significance for faith today. McDonald examines the most important aspects of the story of Jesus from his birth to his resurrection and introduces key issues and approaches in the study of the historical Jesus. He also considers faith issues, taking account of theological perspectives that secular historiography cannot address. The book incorporates excerpts from primary sources and includes a map and tables.

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 15 septembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441241528
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

© 2013 by Lee Martin McDonald
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www . bakeracademic . com
Ebook edition created 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4152-8
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Lee Martin McDonald is world famous for his books on the development of the biblical canon. In the present book, designed for nonspecialists, Lee focuses on the Jesus story. In light of the advances in perceiving the evidence of eyewitness accounts in the Gospels and the fact that oral tradition is not always untrustworthy, Lee wisely points out the vast amount of reliable historical information in the Gospels, although they were primarily composed to defend the faith and win converts ( kerygmata ). Lee assesses the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for comprehending Jesus’ time and his unique message and astutely includes not only the so-called apocryphal gospels but also the Jewish traditions about Jesus. Lee writes with skill, insight, and spiritual energy. His insight that Jesus’ message proves ‘we are significant enough to be loved’ will be moving for many readers, as well as the notion that the biblical Jesus is also the Christ of faith. This book is highly recommended for classes and all who find Jesus’ story riveting and compelling.”
James H. Charlesworth , director and editor, Princeton Dead Sea Scrolls Project; George L. Collord Professor of New Testament Language and Literature, Princeton Theological Seminary
“ The Story of Jesus in History and Faith is perhaps the best technical survey of Jesus research now in print. It is at once exhaustively thorough, painstakingly fair, and enormously readable. This is simply a great book that will serve scholars and students alike who need to become current on virtually every critical issue surrounding the Gospels, the life of Jesus, and the intersection of history and faith.”
Gary Burge , professor of New Testament, Wheaton College and Graduate School
“In what must be regarded as a tour de force in Jesus studies, Lee McDonald has picked up the gauntlet thrown down by David F. Strauss in the nineteenth century, effectively challenging his two dichotomies: that the Jesus of history must be divorced from the Christ of faith, and that the historicity of the Fourth Gospel is decimated by that of the Synoptics. As a fourth quest for Jesus seeks a way to include the Gospel of John, this book will play a pivotal role in restoring the critical integration of history and faith regarding the greatest subject of both fields: Jesus.”
Paul N. Anderson , professor of biblical and Quaker studies, George Fox University; author of The Riddles of the Fourth Gospel
“Lee McDonald writes as a veteran scholar with a depth of experience in both the church and the academy. The Story of Jesus in History and Faith distinguishes itself by offering readers a learned and carefully nuanced discussion of what history is, how it is written, and what relevance it has for our understanding of Jesus. McDonald skillfully leads his readers through all of the important topics and questions, including the historical reliability of the New Testament Gospels and the miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Careful reading of this book will profit believers and skeptics alike. I am pleased to recommend it.”
Craig A. Evans , Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada
“Lee McDonald has provided a wide-ranging compendium of useful information on the study of the historical Jesus, including an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that engages the major critical issues. This material will be well suited to students at various levels of engagement. This is vintage McDonald.”
Stanley E. Porter , president, dean, and professor of New Testament, McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
“McDonald surveys the broad range of issues and sources in historical Jesus research in a way that is irenic toward all sides. Rather than pursuing a partisan line he writes as an independent observer and yet with sensitivity to the scholars with whom he disagrees.”
Craig Keener , professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary
To my many colleagues and friends in the Institute for Biblical Research who trusted me as their president from 2006 to 2012
Contents

Cover i
Title Page ii
Copyright Page iii
Endorsements iv
Dedication v
Preface ix
Abbreviations xiii
Introduction xvii
Part One: History and the Historical Jesus 1
1. History, Historical Inquiry, and the Historical Jesus 3
The Conflict between History and Faith 4
History, Science, and Historical Inquiry 8
Quests for the “Historical Jesus” 21
Criteria of Authenticity 38
Faith and Evidence 45
Part Two: Sources for Studying the Historical Jesus 47
2. The Gospels: Their Relationships and Reliability 49
Approaching History and Faith in the Gospels 50
What Are the Gospels? 53
Literary Relationships 58
The New Testament Gospels 77
Assessment of the Gospels as Historical Sources 121
3. Other Sources for Studying the Historical Jesus 127
Apocryphal Gospels 128
Greco-Roman Sources 135
Jewish Traditions about Jesus 146
Jesus, Archaeology, and the Dead Sea Scrolls 155
Part Three: The Story of Jesus in History (Events and Teachings) 171
4. The Story of Jesus in History: From His Birth to His Scriptures 173
Events in the Life of Jesus 174
The Life of Jesus: From Birth to His Scriptures 176
5. The Story of Jesus in History: From the Transfiguration to His Burial 227
The Transfiguration of Jesus 227
The Triumphal Entry 231
The Passion Predictions of Jesus 232
The Arrest and Trial of Jesus 233
Who Executed Jesus and Why? 242
The Death and Burial of Jesus 251
6. Easter: The Story of Jesus within History and Faith 271
A Challenged but Central Affirmation 271
Origins of the Notion of Resurrection 276
The Empty-Tomb Tradition 279
The Appearance Stories 301
A Summary of the Events of Easter 328
7. Conclusion: Jesus in History and Faith 333
What Can Historians Reliably Know about Jesus? 333
Historical and Theological Explanation 337
Conclusion: Jesus and the Church’s Confession 344
Select Bibliography 347
Scripture Index 367
Index of Modern Authors 381
Subject Index 385
Notes 394
Back Cover 395
Preface

A colleague who is quite familiar with the history of historical Jesus research recently asked why I saw the need to write yet another book on this subject! He indicated to me that everything that can be known has already been said many times over. I mentioned to him that much is now known about Jesus that has only emerged in the last decade, some of which is the result of recent archaeological discoveries, and some the result of reassessments of some of the ancient data that has been circulating among scholars for more than a generation. Also, most of those who write on this subject more often than not write for scholars and ignore those in the church or students in college or seminary who are looking at the “historical Jesus” for the first time. While an emerging picture of Jesus is gaining favorable responses from many biblical scholars, this is still a story that needs to be told to students, pastors, and educated laypersons in churches. Much of the new and emerging picture of Jesus has formed as a result of a better understanding of the Jewish context in which Jesus lived than was possible to know in previous generations.
It is not inappropriate to ask, however, why after two thousand years of study we are still resolving problems in our understanding of the origins of the Christian faith and especially of its founder. This volume is not an arrogant attempt to correct all of the previous stories about Jesus, but rather an attempt to offer an introduction to nonspecialist readers who are not familiar with what is going on in life of Jesus biblical research today. I would suggest here that those who are exploring this subject for the first time may well want to ignore the many footnotes in this volume and simply try to get a “feel” for the subject. The footnotes are for those who are more advanced in their study of Jesus and who want to know and perhaps research some of the critical literature and arguments circulating among scholars. Also, while I have put in several important Greek or Hebrew words, they are both transliterated and translated so readers without those language skills can be familiar with some important technical terms that help in our investigation of the story of Jesus.
I should also remind readers that because so many books have been written about Jesus, there is no way to give each of them serious consideration in a study this size, or for that matter even in multivolume works on Jesus. I have chosen instead to limit myself to some of the most recognized critical resources that have had the greatest influence on recent discussions about Jesus and his career. Readers will observe that I accept the New Testament Gospels as the primary and most reliable sources for knowing about Jesus. Some scholars have given greater priority to some of the so-called noncanonical or nonbiblical gospels than those in the New Testament. I will say here and below that those sources tend to offer nothing new or of much value; rather, they tend to be more sen