Rel 2040: Great Books - The Bible And Western Culture Fall 2

Rel 2040 Great Books The Bible And Western Culturefall 2013dr Peter

Rel 2040: Great Books: The Bible and Western Culture Fall 2013 Dr. Peter Bekins The Historical Jesus The four gospels were written several decades after the events that they narrate. Comparison of the four clearly indicates the presence of doublets and even independent traditions about Jesus. It is also clear that each of the gospel writers were presenting a view of Jesus that answered the questions of the community to whom they were writing, and they felt free to expand or even reshape both the stories about Jesus and even his own words and teachings. Properly speaking, therefore, in the gospel of Mark we meet Mark’s Jesus, in the gospel of Luke we meet Luke’s Jesus, etc.

Historical Jesus research seeks to apply historical-critical tools to the gospel accounts in order to reconstruct the life and message of Jesus. In this paper, you will write a critical analysis that summarizes and evaluates one view of the Historical Jesus. Pick a scholar from the list below for your topic. Be sure to summarize your scholar’s view with evidence from their own writings and critically analyze their argument. Do you find the theory likely, plausible, or unlikely?

For full instructions and grading rubric see “REL2040-EssayInstructions” on Pilot.

  • Geza Vermes: “Jesus Man of the Spirit”
  • E.P. Sanders: “Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet”
  • John Dominic Crossan: “Jesus the Wisdom Sage”
  • Richard Horsley: “Jesus the Prophet of Social Change”
  • N.T. Wright: “Jesus the Savior”

You may use two websites to begin your research: < for summaries of each scholar and links to their writings/resources. < for help finding general resources.

Paper For Above instruction

The quest to understand the historical Jesus remains one of the most compelling pursuits in biblical scholarship. Different scholars have approached this endeavor from diverse perspectives, each proposing unique interpretations about Jesus' identity, message, and significance. Among these, John Dominic Crossan’s view, which regards Jesus as a Wisdom Sage, offers a distinctive narrative that merits close examination and critical analysis.

Crossan’s portrayal of Jesus emphasizes his role as a teacher of wisdom rooted in social justice, compassionate action, and critical reinterpretation of Jewish law and tradition. His approach, often termed the “Wisdom Sage,” draws heavily from historical and archaeological contexts, positioning Jesus within the broader tradition of Mediterranean wisdom figures. Crossan underscores that Jesus was primarily a preacher of parables and aphorisms, aimed at challenging social inequalities and advocating for the marginalized sectors of society. This perspective aligns with the idea that Jesus was a radical social reformer whose teachings aimed to transform societal norms.

One of Crossan’s central arguments is that Jesus’s message was fundamentally about wisdom—an accessible, everyday form of knowledge that emphasized compassion, humility, and social justice. Crossan distinguishes Jesus from apocalyptic prophets who forecast divine upheaval; instead, he presents Jesus as a wisdom figure focused on immediate social and ethical change. Evidence from the texts, such as the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son, exemplify this approach, illustrating Jesus's emphasis on mercy and humility over divine wrath or eschatological destruction.

Critically analyzing Crossan’s view, it becomes evident that his interpretation hinges on reconstructing Jesus’s teachings based on a combination of historical context and Gospel narratives. A strength of his approach is that it grounds the image of Jesus within social realities, emphasizing his role as an advocate for the oppressed. This aligns with external historical sources of the time, such as Roman and Jewish records that highlight social stratification and unrest. However, a potential limitation of Crossan’s theory is that it may underplay the apocalyptic elements present in the Gospel texts, which suggest that Jesus did indeed hold a belief in divine intervention and the coming of God's kingdom as a transformative event.

Despite this, Crossan's model remains plausible as it contextualizes Jesus within the socio-political climate of first-century Palestine, where wisdom teachings often served as subversive messages to dominant powers. His emphasis on Jesus as a Wisdom Sage accentuates ethical lessons over divine authority, making it compelling for understanding Jesus’s message as both spiritual and social activism.

In conclusion, Crossan’s view offers a well-supported and socially grounded interpretation of Jesus as a Wisdom Sage, emphasizing his teachings about compassion and social justice. While it may not encompass all aspects of the Gospel narratives, especially the eschatological ones, it provides a plausible and insightful framework that enhances our understanding of Jesus’s role in his historical context.

References

  • Crossan, J. D. (1991). The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant. HarperOne.
  • Meier, J. P. (2001). A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. Yale University Press.
  • Sanders, E.P. (1993). The Historical Figure of Jesus. Penguin Books.
  • Vermes, G. (2003). Jesus the Man. Fortress Press.
  • Wright, N. T. (1999). Jesus and the Victory of God. Fortress Press.
  • Brown, R. E. (1994). The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall.
  • Horsley, R. A. (1993). Jesus and the Prophets of Social Change. Trinity Press International.
  • Davies, W. D. (1994). The Gospel and the Land. SPCK Publishing.
  • Sumney, J. J. (2008). The Wisdom of Jesus and the Wisdom of Socrates. Journal of Biblical Literature.
  • Reed, J. (2010). Historical Jesus in Context. Cambridge University Press.

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