Description
Book SynopsisJoan E. Taylor is Professor of Christian Origins and Second Temple Judaism at King's College London, UK.
Trade ReviewEditor Joan Taylor’s coterie of merry scholars does justice to the serendipitous meeting of Jesus and Brian … Several essays sparkle with almost divine panache. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
I was astonished when I heard there was to be a conference where proper New Testament scholars would be discussing what they had learnt from Life of Brian! This is the result. Fascinating... * John Cleese *
Taken as a whole, the essays form a complete analytical documentation of the Life of Brian, and very interesting they are too! They take various angles and look at the film from not just a filmic one but from a historical point of view, and read many things I had not noticed at the time. The comparisons are always illuminating, and the commentaries always right on the nose. * Terry Jones, Monty Python *
[T]his delightful edited collection ... is something of a labour of love for its editor Joan E. Taylor and the other contributors who managed to procure the involvement of two of the original Pythons, John Cleese and Terry Jones, to talk about the influence and reception of the film. * Theology Journal *
[The book] contains 16 papers from a distinguished group of international biblical scholars ... One cannot do justice to the breadth of the contributors' papers. * Church Times *
This diverse colleciton showcases the many ways a particular biblical film can direct our attention back to ancient texts and contexts with greater insight and critical awareness. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the Gospels, historical Jesus research, or biblical films. While reception analysis is emerging as a recognized sub-discipline of biblical studies worthy of pursuit in its own right, many still ask whether it can provide an exegetical pay off. This book responds affirmatively, as each author poses and attempts to answer the (adapted) question of "Reg" the Judean freedom fighter: "What have the Pythons [indeed, what has reception exegesis] done for us?" * Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch, Eastern University, USA *
[CC] This is not the silly book the title suggests it is. Rather, it is a serious (but not too serious) exploration of the Pythons' classic comedy
Life of Brian vis-à-vis the historical Jesus and his
Sitz im Leben. Emanating from the Jesus and Brian Conference held at King’s College London (2014), the book is a great read for admirers of the Pythons in general and of the film in particular and for serious (but not too serious) New Testament scholars. The lectures-turned-essays are organized into two parts: ‘The Film in Its Cinematic Context, Its Reception, and Its Challenges’ and ‘History and Interpretation via
Monty Python’s Life of Brian.’ Both are interesting and at times fascinating. The first offers a glimpse of the movie before, while, and after it was made and released; the second gives readers a glimpse of the times in which Jesus lived. The book covers a potpourri of topics and offers much valuable scholarship. Both film students and students of the historical Jesus will find much to commend in this book.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. -- W. J. Pankey, William Rainey Harper College, USA * CHOICE *
This book is a great read for anyone interested in Monty Python's classic Life of Brian and the almost equally exciting world of biblical, early Jewish and Christian studies. Like undoubtedly many other colleagues I have used various scenes from the film in my classes on ancient Jewish religion and culture. I have learned a great deal of new things from the book. This book will now be mandatory reading for students. Catering to the needs of students of the biblical past, most chapters deal with ancient history and interpretation via the movie. The contributors write with humour and also very profound knowledge of ancient history, texts and contexts. In doing so, they often challenge the reader to go beyond some of the cliches surrounding the movie's understanding. And it's good to know that the Pythons got Pilate's dress right. * Mladen Popovic, University of Groningen, The Netherlands *
These are very serious essays, well researched and carefully written. -- Dianne Bergant * Bible Today *
A cracking good read. -- George Hunka
Clearly any text concerning Life of Brian will supply humor scholars with fruitful material, since the film is the holy grail (pun intended) for those seeking to link religion with humor, and this book will afford them many constructive ideas and critiques within a set of essays that are an accessible and valuable resource, demonstrating at the same time the role of history in the study of humor. Additionally, it concludes with a detailed bibliography of Life of Brian scholarship useful to anyone looking to research the film or Monty Python in general. * Humor: International Journal of Humor Research *
Table of ContentsList of Authors List of Abbreviations List of Illustrations Preface: Terry Jones Foreword: Paul Joyce Introduction: Jesus and Brian: the Conference and the Book
Joan E. Taylor, King's College London, UK Part One: The Film in its Cinematic Context, its Reception and its Challenges 1. Monty Python's Life of Brian and the Jesus Film
William Telford, University of Durham, UK 2. The Church of England’s Life of Python – or what the Bishop saw
Richard Burridge, King's College London, UK 3. When Brian met Moses: Life of Brian (1979), Wholly Moses (1980) and the ‘Failure’ of Biblical Parody
David Shepherd, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland 4.‘Blasphemy!’ On Free Speech Then and Now
David Tollerton, University of Exeter, UK 5.The Meaning of Monty Python’s Jesus
James Crossley, University of Sheffield, UK 6. The Gospel of Brian
Philip R. Davies, University of Sheffield, UK Part Two: History and Interpretation via Monty Python’s Life of Brian 7.The Historical Brian: Reception Exegesis in Practice
Joan E. Taylor, Kings College London, UK 8. Romani Ite Domum – Expressions of Identity and Resistance in Judaea
Guy D. Stiebel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 9. ‘You'll probably get away with Crucifixion’: Laughing at the Cross in Brian and the Ancient World
Helen Bond, University of Edinburgh, UK 10. Brian as a Teacher of Righteousness
George Brooke, University of Manchester, UK 11. Brian and the Apocalyptic Jesus: Parody as a Historical Method
Bart Ehrman, University of North Carolina, USA 12. ‘Are You a Virgin?’: Biblical Exegesis and the Invention of Tradition
Paula Fredriksen, Boston University, USA 13. Beards for Sale: The Uncut Version of Brian, Gender and Sexuality
Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt University, USA 14. ‘What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?’ Brian and Josephus on Anti-Roman Sentiment
Steve Mason, University of Aberdeen, UK 15. Hook-Nosed Heebies: Brian, Jesus and Jewish Identity
Adele Reinhartz, University of Ottawa, Canada 16. ‘The Shoe is the Sign!’ Costuming ‘Brian’ and Dressing the 1st Century
Katie Turner, King's College London, UK Abstracts of Chapters Bibliography Index
