In Store Now - The Historical Jesus of the Gospels

Just when you think a topic has been exhausted along comes a book that proves you were wrong. Of course I should know by now that there is always more to say. From Eerdmans publishing and Craig Keener comes this impressive new work on The Historical Jesus of the Gospels. Here's some early praise:

Ulrich Luz
— University of Bern, Switzerland
"This is an outstanding book about Jesus. It does not pretend to present an entirely new perspective on Jesus, like so many others, and exactly for this reason it is reliable, sober, and reasonable. It is highly recommendable as an introduction for students and also for academically trained nontheologians."

Gerd Theissen
— University of Heidelberg
"Historical Jesus research has developed in the last decades from a 'postminimalism' concerning the authenticity of Jesus traditions to a new 'moderate confidence' in the historicity of the Gospels. Craig Keener's book is both a milestone and a boundary stone in this development. By contextualizing the sources of Jesus research and Jesus himself, Keener succeeds in increasing the historical plausibility of the Gospels to a degree that is exceptional among critical exegetes. Therefore this book must be read and taken seriously — both by those exegetes who are reluctant to support this 'historical-critical maximalism' in Jesus research and by those reluctant to contextualize Jesus in such a way. But both will enjoy reading what Keener has written with an open and critical mind."

James H. Charlesworth
— Princeton Theological Seminary
"Globally, and especially in the USA, keen interest is focused on seeking solid historical information about Jesus, who walked out of the hills of Nazareth and into world culture. In these pages Craig Keener throws illuminating light on the historical Jew seen behind the Gospels. Keener proves why the Evangelists' view of Jesus is preferable to most modern constructs: the Gospels, as ancient biographies, reflect eyewitness accounts of Jesus and provide the only valid sources for reconstructing the historical Jesus. Replete with endnotes, this book is exceptional for its breadth and its captivating prose. Ideal for classroom adoption."

The book is hardcover with 831 pages (393 of that is text. 438 pages of footnotes, bibliography and indexes!) The retail price is $60.00.