Jesus and His Death
Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory
By Scot McKnight
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Subjects: All Biblical Studies, New Testament |
Recent scholarship on the historical Jesus has rightly focused upon how Jesus understood his own mission. But no scholarly effort to understand the mission of Jesus can rest content without exploring the historical possibility that Jesus envisioned his own death. In this careful and far-reaching study, Scot McKnight contends that Jesus did in fact anticipate his own death, that Jesus understood his death as an atoning sacrifice, and that his death as an atoning sacrifice stood at the heart of Jesus' own mission to protect his own followers from the judgment of God.
Preface
PART ONE: THE DEBATE
1 The Historical Jesus, the Death of Jesus, Historiography, and Theology
2 Jesus' Death in Scholarship
3 Re-enter Jesus' Death
PART TWO: THE REALITY OF A PREMATURE DEATH
4 The Leading Foot in the Dance of Atonement
5 A Temporary Presence in God's Providence
6 Jesus and the Prophetic Fate
PART THREE: A RANSOM FOR MANY
7 The Authenticity of the Ransom Saying
Excursus: The Son of Man
8 Jesus and the Scripture Prophets
9 The Script for Jesus
10 Jesus and the Servant
11 The Passion Predictions
PART FOUR: JESUS AND THE LAST SUPPER
12 Pesah in Jewish History
13 Pesah and the Last Supper
14 This Bread and This Cup
15 Jesus and the Covenant
16 "Poured Out" and Eschatology
17 Conclusions
Excursus: Chasing Down Paul's Theological Ship
Works Cited
Scripture Index
Author Index
Subject Index
Recent books on the historical Jesus illustrate how compelling scholars and general readers alike find the topic of Jesus' death. But these books also illustrate a major problem-some studies depend upon some grand interpretive theory, while others rivet their attention on exegetical details and disregard developmental questions. Widely read, Scot McKnight does both. He moves back and forth with careful transitions between contemporary hermeneutics and the ancient texts. As he does so, he also provides a rich and often entertaining account of the secondary literature. The volume can be read both as an address of its central questions and as a well-informed introduction to New Testament theology.
—Bruce Chilton, Bard College
This is a brave book. With due awareness of the historical traps and with a mastery of the recent relevant literature, McKnight here asks the crucial question, How did Jesus interpret his own death? His answer, which hearkens back to Albert Schweitzer, does full justice to Jesus' eschatological outlook and makes good sense within a first-century Jewish context. Even those who see things differently-I do not-will enjoy how the detailed and rigorous argument develops and will find themselves learning a great deal.
—Dale C. Allison, Jr., Errett M. Grabe Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Scot McKnight is fully aware that making claims about the historical Jesus is like entering a minefield. But he combines wide-ranging knowledge of and a willingness to interact with the extensive literature to build a careful, brick-by-brick argument. The sheer breadth of issues covered separates this work from what might otherwise have been its competitors. In ways reminiscent of Stephen Neil, McKnight also has written a book that is never dry or dull.
—Joel B. Green, Dean and Professor of New Testament, Asbury Theological Seminary
Scot McKnight (Ph.D. University of Nottingham) is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University and author or editor of twelve books, including The Historical Jesus (2005), Turning to Jesus (2002), and Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (1992).
Jesus and His Death - Historiography, the Historical Jesus, and Atonement Theory - Hardback cover
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