Publication
Baker Academic, c2010.
Status
Available
Description
"Presenting the fruit of several decades of research, Allison contends that the standard criteria most scholars have employed and continue to employ for constructing the historical Jusus are of little value. His pioneering alternative applies recent findings from cognitive science about human memory to our reading of the Gospels in order to 'construct Jesus' more soundly" -- BOOK JACKET.
Media reviews
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Though this is not a book that I would use for a seminary class (I would prefer a less skeptical tome), it is well worth the time that the scholar will invest in reading it.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne
Allison's basic premise is that we can trust the patterns of the New Testament record, whether or not we believe the details. Neither believing everything literally, not complete sceptism are reasonable ways of treating the data we have.
He supports his thesis with completist lists of passages, from
I also liked the way quotations were given in the language they were written in (with expanations). This meant not only a few German quotations, but also the various Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Coptic qotes from ancient manuscripts. His argument can be followed without these, but it was often interesting to see how closely certain NT passages followed LXX wording.
This is not a book aimed at a popular audience, but it should accessable to most people interested in his ideas. The hardest bit is not letting yourself be scared off by the academic apparatus.
He supports his thesis with completist lists of passages, from
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the gospels, the rest of the New Testament and from other ancient documents. While I didn't always read every list carefully, I found the insights into his way of working fascinating.I also liked the way quotations were given in the language they were written in (with expanations). This meant not only a few German quotations, but also the various Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Coptic qotes from ancient manuscripts. His argument can be followed without these, but it was often interesting to see how closely certain NT passages followed LXX wording.
This is not a book aimed at a popular audience, but it should accessable to most people interested in his ideas. The hardest bit is not letting yourself be scared off by the academic apparatus.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780281063581