
Raid on the Articulate : Comic Eschatology in Jesus and Borges
By John Dominic Crossan"He comes as yet unknown into a hamlet of Lower Galilee. He is watched by the cold, hard eyes of peasants living long enough at a subsistence level to know exactly where the line is drawn between poverty and destitution. He looks like a beggar yet his eyes lack the proper cringe, his voice the proper whine, his walk the proper shuffle. He speaks about the rule of God and they listen as much from curiosity as anything else. They know all about rule and power, about kingdom and empire, but they know it in terms of tax and debt, malnutrition and sickness, agrarian oppression and demonic possession. What, they really want to know, can this kingdom of God do for a lame child, a blind parent, a demented soul screaming its tortured isolation among the graves that mark the edges of the village?"
–– from "The Gospel of Jesus," overture to The Historical Jesus
The Historical Jesus reveals the true Jesus––who he was, what he did, what he said. It opens with "The Gospel of Jesus," Crossan's studied determination of Jesus' actual words and actions stripped of any subsequent additions and placed in a capsule account of his life story. The Jesus who emerges is a savvy and courageous Jewish Mediterranean peasant, a radical social revolutionary, with a rhapsodic vision of economic, political, and religious egalitarianism and a social program for creating it.
The conventional wisdom of critical historical scholarship has long held that too little is known about the historical Jesus to say definitively much more than that he lived and had a tremendous impact on his followers. "There were always historians who said it could not be done because of historical problems," writes Crossan. "There were always theologians who said it should not be done because of theological objections. And there were always scholars who said the former when they meant the latter.'
With this ground–breaking work, John Dominic Crossan emphatically sweeps these notions aside. He demonstrates that Jesus is actually one of the best documented figures in ancient history; the challenge is the complexity of the sources. The vivid portrayal of Jesus that emerges from Crossan's unique methodology combines the complementary disciplines of social anthropology, Greco–Roman history, and the literary analysis of specific pronouncements, anecdotes, confessions and interpretations involving Jesus. All three levels cooperate equally and fully in an effective synthesis that provides the most definitive presentation of the historical Jesus yet attained.
show more
Book details
- Hardcover
- 207 pages
- English
- 0060616075
- 9780060616076
About John Dominic Crossan
john dominic crossan was Read More about John Dominic Crossan
More Books By John Dominic Crossan
People who bought this also bought
How to Make Anyone Like You : Proven Ways to Become a People Magnet book by Leil Lowndes
New Book
The Book of Humans: A Brief History of Culture, Sex, War, and the Evolution of Us book by Adam Rutherford
New Book
The School of Life: An Emotional Education book by Alain de Botton
New Book
Start Becoming a Good Samaritan Participant's Guide: Six Sessions
Used Book
Britain's Gulag : The Brutal End of Empire in Kenya book by Caroline Elkins
New Book
Fish: A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results book book by Stephen C. Lundin
New Book
The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You book by Julie Zhuo
New Book
Inside the Tornado: Marketing Strategies from Silicon Valley?s Cutting Edge book by Geoffrey A. Moore
Used Book
Branded? Products and their personalities book by Gareth Williams
Used Book
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World
New Book
Talking to Strangers : What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
New Book
Pulling Your Own Strings: Dynamic Techniques for Dealing with Other People and Living Your Life as You Choose book by Wayne W. Dyer
New Book
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
New Book
Bringing Home the Gold : Ten Keys to Winning the Investment Decathlon
Used Book
Low-fat Living : Turn Off the Fat Makers, Turn on the Fat Burners for Longevity, Energy, Weight Loss, Freedom from Disease
Used Book
Spreading the Fire : New Look at Acts - God's Training Manual for Every Christian
Used Book
Love and Respect : The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs
Used Book