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The Jesus Seminar : The Search For Jesus |
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The Jesus SeminarThe Search for Jesus![]()
The ''Jesus Seminar'' consists of a group of scholars adept at twisting the Scriptures and attacking the Bible's historical reliability.
This group of scholars and pastors—which does not represent a broad cross section of biblical scholarship—continues to be in the news and popular media. On the basis of ten years of deliberations over the sayings of Jesus in the New Testament Gospels, they have color-coded the words of Jesus according to their reckoning of authenticity (red = Jesus really said it; pink = close to something Jesus said; gray = Jesus probably did not say it, or the members of the seminar were sharply divided; black = Jesus definitely did not say it). Articles![]() ![]() ![]() The Jesus Seminar places high value on the historical basis of the Gospel of Thomas—that it recovers for us words Jesus actually spoke that are not found in our four Gospels. But many other scholars, conservatives and liberals alike, view this document more cautiously. Most think that it is no more than a second-century collection of sayings loosely based on the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and other writings, and that it offers nothing that is original or older. So why does the Jesus Seminar interpret it differently? ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Books![]() ![]()
A series of articles by an all-star cast of younger American evangelical scholars demonstrating how unrepresentative and unreliable the findings of the Jesus Seminar are with respect to the credibility of the Gospels. ![]()
In addition to attempting to find postmodern, multiple, nontraditional interpretations of traditional biblical texts, the renowned Jesus Seminar has published texts from outside the traditional canon, heralding them as new discoveries that suggest reinterpretation of traditional Christian theology and practice. In this book, Jenkins counters the interpretations of Jesus Seminar scholars, concisely and evenhandedly introducing their theories and presenting historical and textual evidence to contradict them. He questions their "discoveries" of texts that have been known to biblical scholars for at least two hundred years, challenges their dating of texts in order to impart them greater weight and traces many of their purportedly new interpretations to age-old traditions ("heresies" to the early Church) such as Gnosticism. He ascribes to the seminar scholars "inverted fundamentalism," claiming that these critics, ironically, assign great authority to historically questionable noncanonical texts, such as The Gospel of Thomas, while simultaneously challenging the authority and validity of the long-established canon. He attributes this bias to both a postmodern search for meaning and a lay audience hungry for religious truth, while noting that only new interpretations advance academic careers and attract media attention. In short, he argues that the Jesus Seminar offers nothing new under the sun. Jenkins closes out this forceful critique by noting "we can only hope" that when new biblical texts surface, they might be "evaluated on their merits, and not solely for their value in cultural battles."
Editorial review, Publishers Weekly, at Amazon.com
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Find related news items in AI's News Archive. (Includes items added between Oct. 25, 1999 and Jan. 31, 2002.)
Later items: Religion News Blog (Jul 19, 1999) Controversy follows US Bible professor (May 12, 1999) Rebel theologian: It's hardly retirement for John Crossan (Feb. 27, 1999) Truce in the Jesus war Reminders from Scripture
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.
Proverbs 17:28 NIV
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. {19} For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." {20} Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
1 Corinthians 1:18-20 NIV
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The Jesus Archive provides a venue where those who are passionate about the study of the historical Jesus can gather in a community of interest. We strive to maintain a collegial environment, inviting all points of view – Christian or Jewish, clerical or secular. No matter how diverse their outlook, however, participants should share one core conviction: Only by subjecting their beliefs to rigorous cross-examination is it possible to approach the truth. Everyone with a sincere interest in the historical Jesus is welcome here.
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