Jesus: A Very Short Introduction

Written by Richard Bauckham

Narrated by Julian Elfer

Two billion people today identify as Christians, with the implication that Jesus is the focus of their relationship with God, and their way of living in the world. Such followers of Jesus are now more numerous and make up a greater proportion of the world's population than ever before.

Richard Bauckham explores the historical figure of Jesus, evaluating the sources and concluding that they provide us with good historical evidence for his life and teaching. In order to place Jesus in his proper historical context, as a Jew from Galilee in the early first century of our era, Bauckham looks at Jewish religion and society in the land of Israel under Roman rule. He explores Jesus's symbolic practices as well as his teachings, looks at his public career and emphasizes how his
actions, such as healing and his association with notorious sinners, were just as important as his words.

Bauckham shows that Jesus was devoted to the God of Israel, with a special focus on God's fatherly love and compassion, and like every Jewish teacher he expounded the Torah, but did so in his own distinctive way. With a discussion about the way Jesus understood himself and what finally led to his death as a criminal on a Roman cross, he concludes by considering the significance Jesus has come to have for Christian faith worldwide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: May 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781666111484

Richard Bauckham

  Richard Bauckham is professor emeritus at the University of St. Andrews and senior scholar at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He is a fellow of the British Academy and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Reviews for Jesus

[oldie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The below reviewer is biased and clearly does not understand the meaning of the words "a very short introduction." This book is well balanced, and contrary to the other reviewer, does not contain any agenda - Bauckham is the world's foremost scholar on the composition of the gospels and is thus the best person for introducing us to the life of the historical Jesus and his vision - which is why Oxford asked him to write this introduction. He provides what is the most obvious and compelling interpretation of who Jesus was and what his vision for the world was according to the gospel bio-narratives. If the reader should want deep engagement with every potential point of contention about Jesus, they should look elsewhere, particularly in books without the word "introduction" in the title.

[stevengarside · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

At the outset the author sets himself the task of refuting accepted contemporary wisdoms concerning the Gospels, established by empirical scholars and historians. He claims the Gospels are far from folk tales and unreliable guides to the historical Jesus. They are, in fact, a record of the living, breathing Christ set down from eye witnesses. However, the case is not remotely established in the subsequent discussion. Instead, the author swiftly moves on to a highly personal and subjective reading of the Gospels, full of speculative leaps and supposition. This is therefore a work of theology, not history. And one shaped in advance by the author's obvious faith. Certainly not a book not for agnostics, atheists or even Christians seeking to 'find' the historical Jesus.