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Jesus: An Historical Approximation

ISBN: 9781934996096
Author(s): José Antonio Pagola Publisher: Convivium Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In this Spanish best-seller, now available in English for the first time, the Biblical scholar José Antonio Pagola reconstructs the historical Jesus with a scholarly exegetical and theological approach. He addresses basic questions about who Jesus was; how he understood his life; what was the originality of his message; how the vision of he Kingdom of God centred his life; and why he was executed and who intervened in the process. The author presents a lively and passionate narrative of Jesus of Nazareth within the milieu of the first century, locating him in his social, economical, political and religious contexts based on current and accepted research. He also analyses the perspectives and conclusions of the most important scholars in this research and presents a profound and extensive scholarly theological reflection about Jesus.
 

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The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions

ISBN: 9780060608765
Author(s): Marcus J Borg & N T Wright Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In The Meaning of Jesus two leading Jesus scholars with widely divergent views go right to the heart of these questions and others, presenting the opposing visions of Jesus that shape our faith today. In alternating chapters, Marcus Borg, the most popular revisionist voice on Jesus and a member of the Jesus Seminar, and N.T. Wright, the most prominent standard-bearer for the traditional stance and an outspoken critic of the Jesus Seminar, present their views of who Jesus was, what he taught, and what he did. Candid, spirited, and thoughtfully debated, this compelling discourse will stimulate fresh ideas and intense dialogue among anyone concerned with what it means to be a Christian today. This new edition will include an updated dialogue from the two authors and other bonus materials.
 

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Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time

ISBN: 9780060609177
Author(s): Marcus Borg Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining. "Believing in Jesus does not mean believing doctrines about him," Borg writes. "Rather, it means to give one's heart, one's self at its deepest level, to ... the living Lord." Drawing on his own journey from a naive, unquestioning belief in Christ through collegiate skepticism to a mature and contemporary Christian faith, Borg illustrates how an understanding of the historical Jesus can actually lead to a more authentic Christian life--one not rooted in creeds or dogma, but in a life of spiritual challenge, compassion, and community. In straightforward, accessible prose, Borg looks at the major findings of modern Jesus scholarship from the perspective of faith, bringing alive the many levels of Jesus' character: spirit person, teacher of alternative wisdom, social prophet, and movement founder. He also reexamines the major stories of the Old Testament vital to an authentic understanding of Jesus, showing how an enriched understanding of these stories can uncover new truths and new pathways to faith. For questioning believers, doubters, and reluctant unbelievers alike, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time frees our understanding of Jesus' life andmessage from popular misconceptions and outlines the way to a sound and contemporary faith: "For ultimately, Jesus is not simply a figure of the past, but a figure of the present. Meeting that Jesus—the living one who comes to us even now—will be like meeting Jesus again for the first time."
 

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Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus

ISBN: 9780061568220
Author(s): Robin R. Meyers, Publisher: HarperCollins

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In a progressive rather than negatively critical mode, in strong contrast to much of Far Right Protestantism, pastor/NPR commentator Meyers (philosophy, Oklahoma City Univ.) suggests with typical elegance that a recovery of true Christianity emphasizes compassion over condemnation, blessing over sin, and equity over individual prosperity. Highly recommended.

REVIEW:
"A perceptive book ... Not many authors can present such progressive ideas and still come across as reasonable and loving. Meyers masters such a task." ...Oklahoma City Oklahoman
 

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Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus

Hardback ISBN: 9780199557875
Author(s): Gerald O'Collins Publisher: Oxford University Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In this fully revised and updated second edition of his accessible account of systematic Christology, Gerald O'Collins continues to challenge the contemporary publishing trend for sensationalist books on Jesus that are supported neither by the New Testament witness nor by mainline Christian beliefs. This book critically examines the best biblical and historical scholarship before tackling head-on some of the key questions of systematic Christology: does orthodox faith present Jesus the man as deficient and depersonalized? Is his sinlessness compatible with the exercise of a free human will? Does up-to-date exegesis challenge his virginal conception and personal resurrection? Can one reconcile Jesus' role as universal Saviour with the truth and values to be found in other religions? What should the feminist movement highlight in presenting Jesus? This integral Christology is built around the resurrection of the crucified Jesus, highlights love as the key to redemption, and proposes a synthesis of the divine presence through Jesus. Clear, balanced, and accessible, this book should be valued by any student reading systematic theology, anyone training for the ministry in all denominations, as well as interested general readers.
 

This book was quoted from by Dr Brian Gleeson CP in his commentaries for Catholica on the Resurrection in November 2011.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Some Major Challenges; 2. The Jewish Matrix; 3. The Human History; 4. The Resurrection; 5. The Son of God; 6. Lord, Saviour, God, and Spirit; 7. To the First Council in Constantinople; 8. Ephesus, Chalcedon, and Beyond; 9. Medieval and Modern Christology; 10. Divine and Human; 11. Faith, Holiness, and Virginal Conception; 12. Redeemer; 13. Universal Redeemer; 14. The Possibilities of Presence; Select Bibliography; Index of Names; Biblical Index.

REVIEW:
"This new edition strengthens the case for the reliability of the gospels ... The content and tone is ecumenical and critical but conservative, lending itself to use ina variety of denominational settings. Summing up: Highly recommended." ...Choice