The Historical Jesus For Dummies by Catherine M. Murphy (PDF)

Description

Was Jesus of Nazareth a real person? Did all of the events described in the gospels really happen? How was the world Jesus lived in different from our own? In The Historical Jesus For Dummies, you’ll discover the answers to these questions and hundreds more. This accessible, plain-English guide to the life and times of Jesus paints a vibrant picture of his world, examining records in the New Testament and Roman history as well as recent archeological finds that shed new light on his life. You’ll find informative explanations of Jesus’s birth, infancy, and childhood; meet his followers and enemies; learn about his teachings and miracles, and discover how modern scholars and historians have arrived at these conclusions. This fascinating primer to the real-life Jesus explores: The different stories of Jesus in the gospels The three quests for the historical Jesus The miracles of Jesus Jewish society and the influence of Rome in Jesus’s time The Roman practice of crucifixion The politics of Roman-occupied Judea What people though of Jesus when he was alive The Gnostic gospels and other non-biblical texts of the time The top controversies surrounding Jesus Portrayals of Jesus in art and film Complete with a concise account of the spread of Christianity throughout the world, The Historical Jesus For Dummies puts you in touch with the human Jesus who walked the earth and whose teachings changed the world.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: From the Back Cover Demystifies top controversies surrounding JesusYour accessible guide to the life and times of JesusWant to know more about Jesus? This plain-English, practical guide paints a vibrant picture of his world, examining records in the Bible and Roman history and exploring recent archaeological finds that shed new light on his life. You get informative explanations of Jesus’s infancy, followers, teachings, and miracles, as well as the crucifixion and resurrection.Discover: The different stories of Jesus in the gospels The three quests for the historical Jesus Jewish society and the influence of Rome in Jesus’s time The spread of Christianity around the world Jesus in art and film About the Author Dr. Catherine Murphy is Associate Professor of New Testament at Santa Clara University, where she teaches courses on the Bible, the historical Jesus, gender in early Christianity, and apocalyptic literature. She earned her doctorate in New Testament and early Christianity from the University of Notre Dame, where she worked on the Dead Sea Scrolls publication team. She has traveled frequently to Israel, Greece, Turkey, and Europe and has written two books, Wealth in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in the Qumran Community (2002) and John the Baptist: Prophet of Purity for a New Age (2003). She also gives frequent talks on the Bible, the historical Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Jesus in film.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I am supposing that one does not come to The Historical Jesus for Dummies without having some exposure to the more scholarly approaches from writers such as John Dominique Crossan or the Jesus Seminar or even Albert Schweitzer. Being somewhat familiar with those works but not being a student of the gospels myself, I was hoping the Dummy book would help me put certain historical concepts in perspective and I was not disappointed. The book makes an effort to remain respectful of religious beliefs- the book’s prose style frequently takes on a light-hearted tone, however – while setting forth mainstream historical thinking. I would think that only those who cling to a literal interpretatiion of the New Testament would be offended by the argument that the Bible should be read as metaphorical stories of moral teachings and not as eyewitness history. Its main theme is that there are two applicable kinds of truth when dealing with a figure such as Jesus – historical truth and religious truth, and both must be kept separate in examining the life of any religious person and his or her role in history. I was particulary pleased with the author’s explanation of the so-called Q Gospel and how it is used to explain the similarities and differences in the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke. However I would have liked more space devoted the other gospels, the dozen or so other writings that did not make it into the Bible, even though they may not have direct relevance to the narrative life of Jesus. The Dummy books are designed so that the reader can start anywhere and go anywhere that interest leads him. But I read this volume straight through and I thought that perhaps that method would make more sense and tend to make the subject matter hang together better.

⭐This is a fantastic and complete book of Jesus as is historically known. What Catherine does is put it all together for us from all the credible sources available. She even delves into church understandings and weaves a concise and understandable life of Christ.This is a wonderful reference document and I have recommended it to several church friends also who are struggling with the many scattered sources.

⭐I felt like a goof buying it and hesitate to tell people that I am reading it but I have gleaned a lot from this book. It has helped me to better understand the world in which Jesus lived. It has led to a lot of personal and scriptural reflection as well as discussion. I recommend this If you are looking for something that provides you with a very basic background. Don’t read it as if it’s the word of God, question it and discuss it over with your pastor. I will be moving on to something with more heft after this.

⭐This is a thoroughly well researched book and surveys the field of some of modern scholarship on the Historical Jesus. Regretably, the author has a strong (overwhelming!) favoring of liberal scholarship which intentionally erodes the historical picture of Jesus. If you are looking for a survey of impartial research, this is NOT the book you are looking for. If you are looking for a book that surveys all the anti-historical research, this may be your book.

⭐Excellent!

⭐this book is incredibly helpful to me for bible study class or when I’m just curious about something. I depend on this book quite a bit and wouldn’t want to be without it..

⭐I already have a personal copy of this book at home, but purchased another to use in my capacity as Pastoral Associate and Director of Religious Education in a Catholic parish. The Historical Jesus… is easily referenced and understood by teens and adults without speaking down to readers. It has been my experience that teens can come up with questions that I have never even thought of, and I have found this text to be helpful in my search for assisting them in knowing what direction to look for answers without becoming long-winded and “preachy,” which normally just turns them off. Dr. Murphy appears to be one of those exquisite rare birds who is easily able to relate to the most highly educated intellectual as well as to us “grass-roots” theologians!!

⭐Very enlightening from a historical point of view, as it should be.““`

⭐This is a good introduction to the historical Jesus. Bare in mind, that is all it is. It will not cover things in great detail, but is a realy good place to start and get some good structure to your thinking. Very helpful to read, and to teach from. Came well packaged and in good time.

⭐I found this book like the curate’s egg – good in parts but presents some tendentious opinions as if they are established facts. For example she asserts (without any real attempt at justification) that Jesus was not born in Bethlehem. i suppose it’s one way to get one’s books noticed – but I prefer scholars to iconoclasts.

⭐This was a good read and interesting in parts. I wanted an introduction and this was perfect although it wont give you a comprehensive guide and a decent timeline.

⭐Interesting, comprehensive, easy to read publication for use by members of our church’s alpha course alpha course alpha course alpha course.

⭐With The Historical Jesus For Dummies®, Catherine McMurphy provides novices to this field with a very useful introduction to the study of Jesus as a historical figure.

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