This book offers an ideal introduction to the Gospels and explains why it is that scholars and lay people have such different understandings of the person of Jesus. Not content to merely present the historical figure of Jesus, it also presents the particular "image" or "images" of Jesus that are conveyed within the biblical texts. While devoting a chapter to each of the four Gospels, which are the primary sources of our knowledge of Jesus, the authors also include a chapter on the apocryphal gospels. In doing so, they investigate the portrayal of Jesus in all of these gospels, using the tools of historical and literary criticism.
Other chapters look at Jesus in his role as prophet, teacher, and sage. Extra-biblical factors—such as art, media, and culture—can shape our understanding of Jesus, and this book does not shy away from tackling these influences. Our images of Jesus are formed not only by an interplay of faith and history, but also church affiliation, social context and gender. Jesus and the Gospels helps the reader see how these factors affect our interpretation of the Gospels and consequently our understanding of Jesus.
