The quest for the historical Jesus has been an ongoing scholarly concern for more than two centuries. The work of the Westar’s Jesus Seminar brought the investigation to the public imagination. This course goes back to the basics of the quest. How do we enter this critical conversation? What do we need to know of the ancient world to allow us to hear the words of Jesus in that sound system? How do we get beyond our prejudices and assumptions.
We shall begin with two texts, one from the gospel of John, the other from the gospel of Matthew. How can we determine whether any of the words attributed to Jesus in this material does come from the historical Jesus? Does simply asking this question raise a myriad of issues? How do we proceed? In the time allotted we shall look intensively at the evidence to determine whether any of the words in the Jesus traditions do go back to Jeshua, son of Mariamne. By the end of our time, you will have acquired the rudimentary tools to continue your intellectual trek.
The class will be held on six consecutive Thursdays beginning 9/24. The class will be held on Zoom from 4:30-6:00 PM PDT.
Required text: R. Miller, The Complete Gospels (4th Edition)
Recommended: A. Dewey, The Gospel of Jesus (2nd edition)
A. Dewey & R. Miller, Complete Gospel Parallels
