Who on Earth Was Jesus? The Modern Quest for the Jesus of History

What happens when the Christ of faith meets the Jesus of history? How can it be that “scholars can arrive at such startlingly different interpretations of the reported sayings [of Jesus], and thereby such very different profiles of Jesus himself”? This is the question that preoccupies Boulton in an amazingly good synthesis of historical Jesus scholarship. Boulton gives an overview of several factions of Jesus scholars, comparing their conclusions and explaining their theses. His scope is as wide-ranging as it is evenhanded; from theologians to scholars to popes, he distills their thoughts into a comprehensible and comprehensive survey of the best of the contemporary thinkers. Boulton is a British Quaker and has been involved in transdenominational religious activities for many years. Readers will find no overt proselytizing in this book. Instead, the author treats them to an unbiased look at the ever-changing discipline of Jesus studies. In the end, Boulton understands that it is not the scholar or the theologian who will define the kingdom on earth. Rather, it will be the job of all of us to discern the Jesus of today from words written long ago. This book is not to be missed. (Apr.)