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Jesus of Nazareth: Background, Witnesses, and Significance

By author: Gerald L. Borchert
Product Code: P438
ISBN: 9780881462661
Product Format: Paperback
Publisher: Mercer University Press
Availability: In stock
Price: $25.00

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Jesus of Nazareth is a comprehensive introduction to Jesus and the gospels for college and seminary students. It begins with discussions on communication and patterns of reading the Bible before detailing the historical setting and the geographical, social, and religious contexts during the time of Jesus, such as the language and community aspects, and the rabbinic, literary, and institutional settings that were present. Next, Borchert discusses the nature of the gospels before each gospel witness is treated individually to identify the particular uniqueness of the portrait of Jesus that is being presented by each author. The non-canonical portraits of Jesus are also introduced in order to help readers understand the struggles that emerged in the early church. Finally, the significance of Jesus who is the focus of the gospels is presented. After reviewing the time issues for Jesus, theological concerns related to Jesus are considered, such as the virginal conception and the incarnation, the issues of temptation and sin, the relationship of Jesus to God and the messianic consciousness of Jesus, the crucial issues of the death and resurrection of the Messiah, and the Church’s expectation of the return of Jesus in power. This important theological section concludes with discussions on the integrity of our understanding of Jesus and the very sensitive nature of proof as compared to the nature of belief. Borchert weighs these matters fairly, bearing in mind his own presuppositions. He closes the work with suggested implications of this study in terms of doubt and rejection on the one hand and worship as well as living and witnessing to and for Jesus on the other. Written with clarity and erudition, this accessible introduction reflects a lifetime of both classroom and church experience in teaching the Gospels.
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Reviews

Review by: R. Culpepper, Dean, McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University - August 25, 2011
This is the work of a master teacher – a lifetime of study, travel, reflection, and teaching distilled in lively prose for beginning students of the New Testament. It is an ideal textbook for courses on Jesus and the Gospels: comprehensive, balanced, and constructive. Students will find new insights about Jesus, his times, and the Gospels on every page.
Review by: Mitzi Minor, Professor of New Testament, Memphis Theological Seminary - August 3, 2011
More than 25 years ago Gerald Borchert taught me to study Jesus and the gospels within their cultural and historical contexts. This wisdom was life-altering for me. He offers that wisdom to a broader audience in this book as he “sets” Jesus in the soil of first century Palestine where Jesus and his people were impacted by Roman occupation and Jewish tradition. In so doing, Borchert presents a compelling understanding of Jesus as a flesh-and-blood person living out a transformative mission from God in a difficult world. No “plastic” Jesus here! Rather, Borchert’s careful, analytical, faithful study helps readers relate to Jesus’ revolutionary living and appreciate anew the testimonies to his life and significance in the gospels. Believers who wish both to think and believe will welcome Borchert’s effort as his students have been doing for decades.
Review by: Charles J. Scalise, Professor of Church History, Fuller Theological Seminary - July 29, 2011
In Jesus of Nazareth Gerald Borchert guides readers into historical encounter with the Jesus of the Gospels. Displaying wisdom and skill developed over decades of teaching the New Testament in Christian colleges and seminaries, Borchert blends descriptions of the ancient contexts of the Gospels with a literary survey analysis that utilizes methods of careful critical study of the texts. In this era when debates over Jesus too often shed more rhetorical heat than kindly light, Borchert offers a trustworthy guide to Christians seeking deeper understanding of Jesus and the testimonies of the Gospels.

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