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Praise for the Print Edition
Although this is a small book, the issues are large, and Dunn’s critique of so much that historians of Jesus still 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 further paths for research.
—Dale Allison, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
What Dunn did for Pauline studies, when he called for a ‘post-Sanders new perspective,’ he is now doing for historical Jesus studies. Dunn’s ‘new perspective’ on Jesus is post-tradition criticism and contends that the foundation of the Jesus traditions was shaped by faith. There never was a historical Jesus who could be understood apart from faith. This book summons the academy to the table and contends that it has been epistemologically irresponsible.
—Scot McKnight, North Park University
A New Perspective on Jesus takes a serious look at the Jesus tradition in its earliest form as oral tradition. The impact of faith, the nature of oral communication, and a focus on the ‘characteristic’ Jesus are affirmed in a context where faith is often undervalued, form and redaction criticism are said to rule, and the ‘dissimilar’ Jesus is treated as the authentic Jesus. This work brings needed balance to a study of Jesus that is often out of whack.
—Darrell Bock, author of Jesus According to Scripture
At last, here is an accessible book by a noted New Testament scholar who takes seriously, and thus builds a strong case for, the role of orality/aurality among the early followers of Jesus. In doing so, Dunn also builds a strong case for the essential reliability of the Gospel materials. I am glad to commend this book as an introduction to the study of Jesus and the Gospels.
—Gordon Fee, Regent College
The past twenty-five years have brought a Copernican revolution in our understanding of Jesus. We now know that Jesus was Jewish by cultural commitment as well as by birth, that his disciples conveyed this perspective in their teachings, and that his disciples taught by word of mouth—not in writing—during the earliest years of Christianity. In this accessible book, Dunn provides a lucid introduction to one of the intellectual pivots in the present generation of scholarship.
—Bruce Chilton, Bard College
Additional Information
- Title: A New Perspective on Jesus: What the Quest for the Historical Jesus Missed
- Author: James D. G. Dunn
- Publisher: Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker | 2005
- 136 pages
About the Author
James D. G. Dunn (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity at the University of Durham. He is the author of numerous books, including The Theology of Paul the Apostle, Jesus Remembered, the commentary on Romans in the Word Biblical Commentary, the commentary on Colossians and Philemon in the New International Greek Testament Commentary, and the commentary on Galatians in Black's New Testament Commentary.
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