Publisher's Description: The earliest substantive sources available for historical Jesus research are in the Synoptic Gospels themselves. Furthermore, when interpreted in their early Jewish setting, their picture of Jesus is more coherent and plausible than are the competing theories offered by many modern scholars.

The Historical Jesus of the Gospels explores the depth of the material found in the Gospels and exposes the limitations of many other documents often held as better representations of Jesus. Craig Keener demonstrates how some works on the historical Jesus emphasize just one aspect of the Jesus tradition against others. Here, Keener shows how a much wider range of material in the Jesus tradition makes sense in an ancient Jewish setting. He seeks to utilize as broad a range of evidence as possible from both the early Jesus traditions and early Judaism to reconstruct a fuller portrait of the Jesus who lived in history.

Substantive and compelling, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels will prove a key entry for better understanding in historical Jesus literature.

841 Pages
Published October 2009

About the Author: Craig Keener is professor of New Testament at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University.