NEW PERSPECTIVE ON JESUS PB

James Dunn critiques the quest for the historical Jesus. In this book, Dunn critiques the old and presents his own new perspective on Jesus. Countless studies of Jesus and his impact have been done throughout the centuries - many coming under the heading of The Quest for the Historical Jesus - especially during the last twenty years. James D. G. Dunn believes these recent studies have been flawed - neglecting to look at the impact that Jesus would have made in a predominantly oral society. Dunn's study offers three criticisms of questers' methods. First, he contends that scholars have failed to see how the disciples' pre-Easter faith shaped the Gospel traditions. Second, he claims that a focus on literary transmission has led scholars to ignore the fact that the Gospel traditions arose in an oral culture, which shaped the way the stories of Jesus were told and passed on. Third, Dunn challenges scholars' preoccupation with finding what is distinctive about Jesus and rejecting portions of the tradition portraying Jesus as characteristically Jewish. He concludes by rethinking accepted views of Synoptic relations in light of the oral nature of the Jesus tradition. 'Although this is a small book, the issues are large, and Dunn's critique of so much that historians of Jesus take for granted is salutary. He thoughtfully asks the hard questions, and his informed answers not only orient us in the right direction but outline paths for further research.' Dale Allison, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.