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Henry Neufeld

Book Review: The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth

Book Review:  The Jesus Quest:  The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth

Review By:  Henry E. Neufeld

Author:  Ben Witherington III

Publisher:  InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL

ISBN:  0-8308-1861-8

I have long searched for a book that I could recommend to those who want to read a serious conservative review of the search for the historical Jesus.  While there are a number of scholars writing their own views on this topic, careful review of other views is not all that common on any side, though there are more general histories than there are specifically conservative—not fundamentalist!—review.

Witherington has presented us with such a book.  He reviews a number of different approaches, starting out with some history (the preface titled  The First Two Quests) and following up with background—Chapter 1 Galilee and the Galilean.

Chapter 2, Jesus the Talking Head is perhaps his most strident chapter as he criticizes the Jesus Seminar and his approach.  While I agree with the bulk of his criticisms, I think the tone is a bit overdone.  Why should the rest of us complain that the Jesus Seminar had better publicity and has often been taken for the search rather than a part of the search?  Witherington discusses both method and representation, and much of his criticism is cogent.  We would do well to remember, however, that while not the whole, the Jesus Seminar is nonetheless a serious part of the third quest.

Chapter 3, Jesus the Itinerant Cynic Philospher discusses the works of John Dominic Crossan, Burton Mack and F. Gerald Downing.  Many of the criticisms applied to the Jesus Seminar still apply, but Witherington digs into the details of each portrait of Jesus.  I have always felt that the most convincing part of any work on the historical Jesus was the section in which the author critiques other views, and I must say that this chapter only added to that impression of the works of Crossan and Mack.

Chapter 4, Jesus, Man of the Spirit examines the works of Marcus Borg, Geza Vermes and Graham H. Twelftree.  Of these I was totally unacquainted with the third, but Witherington is more gentle with Borg than many reviewers.  To those who might believe the criticism is too intense in chapters two or three I recommend this one to show that Witherington is listening carefully to the positions he critiques.

Chapter 5, Jesus the Eschatological Prophet examines the works of E. P. Sanders and Maurice Casey.    I detect a little more friendliness to the methodology, but the results are still found wanting.

Chapter 6, Jesus the Prophet of Social Change examines the work of Gerd Theissen, Richard A. Horsley and R. David Kaylor.  I admit that I was only distantly acquainted with all of these works.  The review appears very thorough, but I had little basis on which to critique the critique!

Chapter 7, Jesus the Sage:  The Wisdom of God examines the works of Elisabeth Schussler and Ben Witherington himself.  It seems to me that this sections again demonstrates that it is easier to critique someone else’s picture than to paint your own.  To his great credit, Witherington admits the limitations of the portion of a portrait he is painting of Jesus as the wisdom of God.

Chapter 8, Jesus: Marginal Jew or Jewish Messiah?  reviews the works of John P. Meier, Peter Stuhlmacher, James D. G. Dunn, Marinus de Jonge, Markus Brockmuehl and N. T. Wright.  All of these authors fair better than those discussed in the first few chapters.  I think here that Witherington makes a very telling point in that all of these pictures of Jesus are too limited to explain the early Christian church, its growth and its faith.  He continues this theme in chapter 9, The Journey’s End, and somewhat in the Epilogue, The Death of the Messiah which examines the works of Raymond E. Brown.

I recommend this book either for those who want a conservative review as their own starting point into the Jesus quest, or for those who want to take conservative and evangelical scholarship seriously as they study this field.

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  • At the center of Henry’s Web . . .
    • Energion Publications
    • Everything
    • The Jevlir Caravansary
    • Neufeld Computer Services
    • Threads from Henry’s Web
  • All My Books
    • Revelation: A Participatory Study Guide
      • Revelation Study Guide – Front Cover
      • Revelation Study Guide – Back Cover
    • Stories of the Way: Table of Contents
    • Tales from Jevlir: Oddballs – Table of Contents
    • Not Ashamed of the Gospel
    • What’s in a Version?
      • Bible Version Selection Tool
      • Catalog Page
      • Reviews
    • When People Speak for God
      • Preview
      • Front Cover
      • Back Cover
      • Where to Buy
  • Essays
    • Book Reviews
      • Book Review: How to Lie with Statistics
      • Faith, Form, and Time
      • The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research
      • Review: Leviticus by Jacob Milgrom
    • Christian Experience
      • Dance Floor Worship
      • Principle and Compromise
      • His Deeds Keep Following Him
      • Thoughts on Revival
    • Politics and Society
      • Make Education a Priority
      • Moral Person – Moral Nation
      • Media Bias
      • Justice and Truth
    • God Does Things Backwards
    • Personal Statement of Beliefs
    • The Bible: Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Authority
      • Inerrancy FAQ
      • Inspiration, Biblical Authority, and Inerrancy
      • Bible Translations FAQ
    • Stand on the Mount before the Lord
      • The Danger of Assurance
      • The Hand of God
      • The Hand of God: Prayer
      • The Hand of God: Miracles
  • Bible Passages
    • Bible Stories, Story Series, and Histories
    • Hebrew Scriptures
      • Hebrew Transliteration Table
      • Problems in the Genealogies of Genesis 5 & 11
      • Ezekiel 1: A Glimpse of the Glory of Yahweh
      • Genesis Creation Stories – Form, Structure, and Relationship
      • The Two Flood Stories
      • PSALM 104: GOD — CREATOR AND SUSTAINER
        • Psalm 104: Appendix, Translation, and Notes
    • New Testament
      • A New Look at the Seals of Revelation
      • Hebrews Translation
    • Resources for Study
      • Resources for Studying Paul
      • Resources for Dating the Book of Daniel
      • Commentaries on Torah
      • Reading Job Video Collection
      • Resources for My Knowing God Series
  • Books
    • Books by Author
      • David Alan Black
      • Bruce G. Epperly
      • Dorothy L. Sayers
    • Process Theology Books
    • Stewardship Books
    • Book Review: The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth
  • Misc Essays
    • Construction for the New Year
      • The Proverbs 31 Woman Is Real
      • Holiness or Sanctimony
      • A Passion for the Passion
      • Obedience and Waiting
      • Live It!
      • You Have Been Rebelling
    • God Does It, But You Do It
      • A Fruitful Faith
      • Was Paul an Exegete?
      • Of Trees and Saplings
      • I Know That My Redeemer Lives
      • Are Seventh-day Adventists Christians
  • Henry and Jody Neufeld
    • Monday Morning Devotion
    • A Personal Testimony
  • Contact