ebooks Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Controversial AccountBy Edward J. BartonWritten by one of the most prolific authors on the subject of the "Historical Jesus"; this book represents a shorter synthesis of Crossan's magnum opus; "The Historical Jesus". Using three scholarly elements: cross-cultural anthropology; Roman/Jewish history and textual criticism as the legs of his stool for development of a theory on the historical Jesus; Crossan develops a picture of Jesus as a Jewish Cynic peasant; who was executed by the Romans in a relatively obscure and unremarkable way in the early first century of the Common Era.The controversies that Crossan raises and attempts to support head-on are the role of the Romans in the execution of Jesus; the primacy of Peter; the physical resurrection and ascension; the virgin birth and the nature of the healing miracles. In each case; Crossan takes a very secular or allegorical approach; and supports his position using the three elements mentioned above. The book covers a lot of ground quickly and somewhat superficially. This account is probably best seen as a primer to Crossan's theory; which can be explored in more depth in some of his other works. It is; however; an interesting and approachable read into a controversial topic.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Good insight into the life of JesusBy jurgfellaThis is essentially an abbreviated version of Crossan's The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant; and it contains a lot of very good insight from one of the World's leading historical theologians and scholars. Because of his academic background and origin in the larger work; I didn't find this book quite as accessible as Reza Aslan's more recent Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth; but the two books together; if you are sufficiently interested in the historical Jesus; make a very nice compliment to each other. In any case; Crossan is clearly deeply knowledgeable and often very insightful; and this book is well worth the time it took to read.10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. A life of Jesus that everyone can believeBy G. PolleyWell-researched and controversial; this vision of Jesus' life shows him as the person he was: a Jewish peasant with a deep; prophetic commitment to the downtrodden and oppressed people of Israel; a man with a deeply experiential understanding of God and of God's commitment to human freedom from oppression and injustice; who was executed for threatening the religious and political powers of the day.In Crossan's view; which he shares with scholars like Marcus Borg; Jesus was not THE Son of God; born of a Virgin; died to atone for humanity's sins; and was raised from the dead on the third day. Jesus was an illiterate peasant who was executed; as so many people were; for questioning the authority and power of religious and political leaders.In my view; this makes Jesus and what he taught accessible to everyone; as Buddha is; without needing to affiliate with Christianity. And this makes him a teacher of universal appeal and application.