Presuppositions and Procedures in the Study of the `Historical Jesus': Or, Why I Decided Not to be a `Historical Jesus' Scholar

In this: publication
By this: publisher
In this Subject: <a title="Arts and Humanities" href="/content/subcat?j_subject=149&j_availability=">Arts and Humanities ,&nbsp; History ,&nbsp; Religion
By this author: Willitts, Joel

Author: Willitts, Joel

Source: Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, Volume 3, Number 1, 2005 , pp. 61-108(48)

Publisher: BRILL

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $35.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

This article provides a detailed description of the presuppositions and procedures of a representative group of six scholars currently contributing to the study of the `historical Jesus'. The intention of the study was to draft a `handbook', a `recipe', of the best methods and the surest presuppositions for achieving the result of a solid historical conclusion about Jesus. What resulted from the project was not what had been hoped. In fact, what resulted was a deep scepticism about the quest, at least as it is currently being conducted. Though, admittedly, not offering solutions, this article seeks to raise questions about the real potential and usefulness of any quest for the so-called `historical Jesus'.

Keywords: confessional scholarship; method; methodology; presuppositions; quest for the historical Jesus; tradition criticism; E.P. Sanders; John Dominic Crossan; John P. Meier; N.T. Wright; Gerd Theissen; Dale C. Allison