Description
Book SynopsisThis controversial new book argues that Jesus, like many of his later followers, proclaimed that God was soon to intervene in human affairs and bring all of history to a screeching halt. Through a careful evaluation of the New Testament Gospels and other surviving sources, including the more recently discovered Gospels of Thomas and Peter, Ehrman shows why Jesus should be understood as an apocalyptic prophet who anticipated the destruction of evil, the end of the age, and beginning of a new world - not 2000 years after his lifetime, but in less than 30.
Trade Reviewthis is a stimulating and worthwhile book that will not always convince but should serve to convey the excitement of New Testament studies to all to read it. * Bishop Paul Richardson, The Church of England Newspaper, Aug. 18th 2000. *
this is a very readable book ... Ehrman ... does succeed in drawing attention to important points that are often overlooked. * Bishop Paul Richardson, The Church of England Newspaper, Aug. 18th 2000. *
Table of Contentspreface 1: The End of History as We Know It 2: Who was Jesus? Why It's So Hard to Know 3: How Did the Gospels Get to Be This Way? 4: Looking about a Bit: Non-Christian Sources for the Historical Jesus 5: Looking about a Bit More: Other Christian Sources for the Historical Jesus 6: Moving on to the Past: How Can We Reconstruct the Life of Jesus? 7: Finding a Fit: Jesus in Context 8: Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet 9: The Apocalyptic Teachings of Jesus 10: A Place for Everything: Jesus' Other Teachings in Their Apocalyptic Context 11: Not in Word Only: The Associates, Deeds, and Controversies of Jesus in Apocalyptic Context 12: The Last Days of Jesus 13: From Apocalyptic Prophet to Lord of All: The Afterlife of Jesus 14: Jesus as the Prophet of the New Millennium: Then and Now notes bibliography index