Jesus among Friends and Enemies: A Historical and Literary Introduction to Jesus in the Gospels

In their newly co-edited book, Jesus Among Friends and Enemies: A Historical and Literary Introduction to Jesus in the Gospels, the contributors believe that we can learn a lot about Jesus by studying how he interacted with the people of his day — both friends and enemies alike.

Baker has made three short videos interviewing Christ Keith about the book. In my review on the blog I have these in the review according to the three parts of the review below.

A Historical and Literary Introduction to Jesus in the Gospels

The two part outline of the book and the uniformity of the chapters gives the book a fluid read. While detailed, each chapter serves to introduce the reader to the character of each chapter providing material for further study. In the introduction, Keith introduces the reader to Jesus Himself in the same fashion as the rest of the character of the book are discussed. Much attention is given to the apocryphal gospels, namely the Gospel of Thomas. Keith discusses the differences between these gospels the four Gospels of the New Testament. The Christians responsible for the Gospel of Thomas present their image of Jesus in the form of a catalogue of His sayings.

In contrast to the Gospel of Thomas, the canonical Gospels have narrators who tell the story of Jesus, characters who enliven the story of Jesus, settings that situate the story of Jesus, plots that direct the story of Jesus, and conflict that drives the story of Jesus to its resolution.

Jesus Among Friends and Enemies: A Historical and Literary Introduction to Jesus in the Gospels

For instance, in the chapter on John the Baptist, Michael Bird looks into the works of Josephus and the possible connections to the Qumran community. For the chapter on Judas Iscariot, Holly Carey examines the Gospel of Judas and the various legends that formed years after his death. Then the Gospels themselves are examined in order to draw out from them what they tell us about Jesus as he interacts with various people.

• Bestselling Series.
• Account Options.
• Jesus among Friends and Enemies | Baker Publishing Group.

Since the bulk of the material we have abut Jesus is the Gospels themselves, the bulk of each chapter deals with them. The narrative of each Gospel is traced and each contributor notes the points of similarity and dissimilarity in how each Gospel writer presents Jesus. Also apparent is the value in learning about Jesus from how He was misunderstood at so many points, even by His followers note Peter. The Historical Jesus Here, the text of the Gospels is given a priority of voice in the quest for the historical Jesus. After all they are an eyewitness testimony.

Jesus Among Friends and Enemies is a great introduction to Jesus through the various people He interacts with through His life and ministry. There were several bits of insightful observations of both the Gospel texts and the extra biblical literature. There is a heavy emphasis on the reliability of the Gospels to provide us with accurate and trustworthy information about Jesus. Readers will walk away with a greater appreciation for what one can learn about Jesus from all four Gospels and the characters within them. This book will serve students, pastors and teachers as a serious intro to the various people studied and ultimately Jesus Himself.

See a Problem?

I received this book for free from Baker in exchange or a review. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are my own. Oct 26, Cliff rated it liked it. I'm working on a fuller review, but here's my initial impression after finishing the book: The title, introduction, and conclusion all indicate that the book is supposed to be about Jesus, even though he'll be approached indirectly through his friends and enemies.

Many of chapters, however, read like dictionary articles on the different friends or enemies, with little reflection on what they I'm working on a fuller review, but here's my initial impression after finishing the book: Many of chapters, however, read like dictionary articles on the different friends or enemies, with little reflection on what they indirectly reveal about Jesus.

I'm convinced the editors' premise is worth pursuing; I just didn't feel like the chapters consistently pursued it. I'm left wanting the book they promised. Nov 15, Brent Wilson rated it liked it Shelves: Like most edited collections, the quality varies among the chapters. Corby Amos rated it liked it Jun 01, Leslie rated it really liked it Sep 26, Michael Heredia rated it liked it Mar 11, Into this mix stir what modern scholars are saying about the impressions Jesus left on the Romans and Jews of his day and about the most responsible ways to read the Gospels.

Season with clear prose. Jesus among Friends and Enemies is a great read, a rich introduction to Jesus and his world, and a fresh addition to the often-bland menu of Jesus studies. Though Jesus and the New Testament Gospels are the primary focus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, non-Christian discussions of Jesus, writings associated with apocalyptic Judaism, and noncanonical Gospel traditions are also addressed, providing readers with a rich store of comparative data.

Jesus among Friends and Enemies : Chris Keith :

This book will inspire classes. The content of the discussion will be of interest to scholars, while the accessible presentation will make this book a valuable resource for students. Table of contents Contents Introduction: The Friends of Jesus 1. God and Angels Edith M.

John the Baptist Michael F. The Disciples Warren Carter 4. The Family of Jesus Richard J. Other Friends of Jesus: Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea David M. Interview family and foreigners, disciples and detractors, men and women. Confer not only with secret allies but also with public opponents, with loyalists as well as traitors. Find out what drew each group toward Jesus or scared them away.

Into this mix stir what modern scholars are saying about the impressions Jesus left on the Romans and Jews of his day and about the most responsible ways to read the Gospels.

Season with clear prose. Jesus among Friends and Enemies is a great read, a rich introduction to Jesus and his world, and a fresh addition to the often-bland menu of Jesus studies. This book covers it all, providing clear and robust historical and literary examinations of Jesus from our knowledge of John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, Caiaphas, Pilate, Judas Iscariot, and more.

This book will inspire classes. Though Jesus and the New Testament Gospels are the primary focus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, non-Christian discussions of Jesus, writings associated with apocalyptic Judaism, and noncanonical Gospel traditions are also addressed, providing readers with a rich store of comparative data from which to assess canonical descriptions of Jesus, his friends, and his enemies.

Keith and Hurtado are to be congratulated for this superior contribution to the study of Jesus in the Gospels. Approaching the Jesus question from the outside in, the contributors reflect both on what can be known historically about the figures who surround him in the Gospels and on how these figures function within the respective narratives as foils to create distinct portraits of Christ.

In the process, the essays provide an excellent overview of both the reception-history of characters in the Gospels and the ways that they can contribute to our understanding of the historical Jesus. The content of the discussion will be of interest to scholars, while the accessible presentation will make this book a valuable resource for students. He was a recipient of the John Templeton Award An internationally respected New Testament scholar, he is an expert on the Gospels, Continue reading about Larry W.

The goal is to help the reader cumulatively to see the full dimensions of the Jesus of the gospels through the eyes of those who surround him in the gospel dramas. As an introduction, it achieves both aims very well. The conclusion in particular contains a good summary of the quests for the historical Jesus and a critical appraisal of some of the key methods used. Keith and Hurtado have assembled an impressive array of leading scholars. Every chapter concludes with helpful suggestions for further reading and most are accompanied by student-friendly text boxes and sidebars with definitions of key terms and discussions of related issues.