Chapter 1 The Three Quests for the Historical Jesus

1977 DER SPEIGEL The Mirror editor Jesus Son of Man how the Christian Church dares appeal to a Jesus who never existed, to a mandate he never issued, and to a claim that he was Gods son, which he never presumed for himself

-1985 Robert founded JESUS SEMINAR - a group of about 150 critical scholars and laymen who - meet twice a year effort to discover real Jesus behind the Gospels and doctrine of the Church -color-coded beads to vote -They produced new translations of the New Testament and apocrypha to use as textual sources

Jewish sage Wisdom teacher Cynic Philosopher Countercultural critique accidentally crucified

-difference was first noted in the 18th century -German Scholar H.S. Reimarus - Three diff. quest for the Historical Jesus

Hermann Samuel Reimarus 1694 1768 Manuscript Message and intention of Jesus differ from the early church ---.G.E. Lessing Fragments

Apostles: disappointed; secure their position-created Christian story

JESUS: free Israel from the Roman rule

Reimarus contributions - recognized difference between historical Jesus and Christ proclaimed by Scriptures and Church - - pointed to difference between History and Dogma - - raised critical question who is Jesus of Nazareth? Suggested historical real Jesus can be known through historical scholarship

Leben Jesu books- ethical teacher, friend of poor, ideal human being, a character of fiction

George Tyrrell to Adolf von Harnack -protestant face

- Martin Kahler introduce a distinction became part of the vocabulary of Christology Jesus and Christ Historical Jesus and Historic, biblical Jesus

Albert Schweitzer- 1875-1965 - liberal quest as great achievement of German Theology yet flawed bec. Theologians pursuing it presupposed that Jesus was a modern man. Jesus was portrayed in their

Own image

-Jesus as apocalyptic preacher: died a failure

Christian Weisse = source Q William Wrede Mark Messianic secret Martin Kahler = Jesus of History and Christ Faith Reimarus Johannes Weiss Jesus be understood in the context of 1st century Schweitzer Palestinian Judaism

Not burdened by rationalist, presuppositions of the Enlightenment

1953 Ernst Kasemann The Problem of the Historical Jesus New Methods of Historical-critical scholarship (source, form, redaction criticism) Bultmann and Karl Barth- continuity of historical Jesus and Christ of Faith

Recognizing the Gospels while not themselves histories contain historical material
Rejects myth and Docetism It does not bypass the kerygma Historical Jesus interpreted through kerygma Historical Jesus helps us interpret the kerygma

Rediscovery of the Kerygma Many practitioners still remained half liberal: easily dismissed miraculous as mythological much a product of modernity

Early 1980s recover historical world of Jesus using properly historical methods and social sciences rather than literary disciplines

Josephus first century Jewish historian QumranApocalyptic writings

used social sciences investigates the structure of Galilean Family social relationships position of women religious milieu ways of handing down and expression of tradition Extent of Hellenistic Greek influence impact of Roman domination and system of taxation

JESUS Seminar find the real Jesus hidden behind the theology of the evangelist and dogma of the Church Robert Funk Christ of the Christian faith John Dominic Crossan and N.T.Wright Gnostic Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Peter secret Gospel of Mark JESUS Social Anthropology Jewish Cynic Philosopher magician open Commensality

 Jesus

Jews Passion narrative as hypothetical Cross Gospel Resurrection Story as legitimations of the leaders of early Church Leaders

killed by romans Not by

Reconstructs Jesus as a wisdom teacher: social experiment Mark as real founder of Christianity

Jesus as Spirit person: charismatic sage and healer social prophet a movement founder He was put to death because his social vision threatened the dominant classes Agnostic about after life

Luke Timothy Johnson an entrepreneurial venture Does not represent consensus of scholars Richard Hays methodology as problematic questionable selection and dating of sources E. Brown dangerous false impression not added much to the knowledge of the Historical Jesus

First Quest Flawed by Enlightenment presuppositions Jesus of History and Christ of Faith Priority of Mark Q hypothesis

Third Quest Application of Historical and Social Studies Historical Jesus cannot simply be identified with real Jesus and cant be an object of Christian Faith

Second Quest Continuity of Jesus of History and Christ of Faith Defined the tools for historical-critical study of text Development of NT Preaching of Jesus in his own time