Christianity in the Making, vol. 1: Jesus Remembered
Overview
Jesus Remembered presents the lessons to be learned from the quest for the historical Jesus, focusing on the insights gained during this 200-year-old quest and assessing whether or not they are still valid, and, if so, to what degree? This book also argues that the Gospel traditions clearly portray the remembered Jesus, as they display how he impacted his first followers.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
If you like this resource be sure to check out James D. G. Dunn Collection (5 vols.).
Top Highlights
“To sum up, there is substantial circumstantial evidence on two points. First, that the earliest churches would have wanted to remember and actually did remember and refer to Jesus tradition, provided for them as foundational tradition by their founding apostle(s). And second, that the Gospels attest to a lively interest among the first Christians in knowing about Jesus, in preserving, promoting, and defending the memory of his mission and in learning from his example.” (Page 186)
“In short, so far as its earliest usage is concerned, the term ‘Judaism’ describes the system of religion and way of life within which diaspora Jews lived so as to maintain their distinctive identity, and also the national and religious identity which was given its more definitive character by vigorous resistance to the assimilating and syncretistic influences of wider Hellenism.” (Page 262)
“But John’s preaching gives no indication that a sacrifice or act of atonement was necessary. In a sense, baptism took the place of the sin-offering.99 That was the really distinctive feature of John’s baptism: not that he rejected the Temple ritual on the grounds that repentance alone was sufficient, but that he offered his own ritual as an alternative to the Temple ritual.” (Page 359)
“The point is this: within Jewish prophetic/apocalyptic tradition there was some sort of recognition that the partial fulfilment of a hope did not nullify or falsify that hope. Instead the earlier hope became the basis and springboard for a fresh articulation of the same hope.” (Page 481)
- Title: Jesus Remembered
- Author: James D. G. Dunn
- Series: Christianity in the Making
- Volume: 1
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 2003
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Pages: 1037
- Era: era:Contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Jesus Christ › Person and offices; Jesus Christ › History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600
- ISBNs: 9780802839312, 0802839312
- Resource ID: LLS:JESUSREMEMBERED
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T00:52:04Z
Reviews
1 rating
Glenn Crouch
12/21/2016
This is a scholarly work, and this needs to be taken into account, just as we would adjust our expectations when reading a devotional work. This is the first volume, in the Author's three volume work looking at "Christianity in the Making". Thus, he correctly starts with Jesus - for what are we as Christians without Jesus. Whilst much has been written about the Historical Jesus or at least the search for him, and how he differs (often very dramatically) from the Jesus of the Gospels, or the Jesus of the Christian Faith, the Author argue that from a strictly scholarly point of view we face great difficulties in coming to grips with the Historical Jesus. Rather, we are on firmer ground, when we examine the Jesus that was remembered - how those first Christians remembered Jesus actions and words not only give us insight into the making of Christianity, but surely give us the only historically reliable view of Jesus himself. I especially liked the way the Author handled Oral Tradition amongst the first Christians. Some authors seem to treat this aspect with disregard or even disrespect, but this book helps to elevate it as an essential part of the formation of Christian Worship. I believe I have a much better understanding of this area thanks to this book, and thus am grateful to the Author for that. Even though the Author points out weaknesses with Q and with the Gospel of Thomas (as well as other Apocryphal Gospels), he does seem to rely on them a bit too much in his arguments for my liking. I realise this is most likely for the benefit of other Scholars who put a lot of weight on them. One of the reasons for choosing to read this book, was to get another perspective following reading Tom Wright's "Jesus and the victory of God" - and I am a big fan of that work. The Author does address Wright's work (as well as other authors writing in this area), and does so in a respectful manner, raising valid criticisms. However, whilst Wright separates his examination of the Resurrection into a separate volume, the current Author allocates only a chapter. Whilst it is indeed a worthwhile chapter, I would've appreciate more. I don't always agree with the Author's conclusions, and this book didn't have the same effect on me as Wright's work did. I would recommend it to those who have read and enjoyed Wright's work.