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Title: Who Killed Jesus? : Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus by John Dominic Crossan ISBN: 0-06-061480-3 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: 08 March, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.62 (16 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: A good writer who has reached the wrong conclusions
Comment: Let me start this review by focusing on the positive areas of this book. Dr. Crossan writes in an understandable, and easy-to-read style. For the most part, he doesn't use complicated jargon in an attempt to impress. He is usually gracious in his comments directed toward his main opponent (Raymond Brown) throughout this book and he doesn't resort to name-calling. Having said all that, let me make it very clear that I find Dr. Crossan's thesis to be very, very false in almost every way.
On the inside flap of the book it states that Christianity has held "the belief that the Jews killed Jesus" when nothing could be further from the truth. All four gospels clearly state that Jesus was crucified by the Roman authorities. While you may think Crossan completely exonerates the Jewish authorites of any responsibility, he clearly does not. On page 147 he states, "I take it as historical that Jesus was executed by some conjunction of Jewish and Roman authority." I've got news for Dr. Crossan - Christians have believed this for almost 2000 years. I'm afraid that those marketing this book (or Crossan himself) were unaware of this blunder and thought a little controversy would increase sales.
Crossan's entire thesis is dependent on his argument that the Gospel of Peter was written in the 40's C.E. and is the original source of the passion story. This theory has been rejected by the entire scholarly community. The Jesus Seminar, which Crossan co-founded, even rejected his theory on the Gospel of Peter at their 1996 meeting. I find it utterly unbelievable that a writer (of the Gospel of Peter) in the area of Palestine who was writing only 15 years after the event would be so ignorant of the political and social customs surrounding the trial and execution of Jesus while the later writers (Mark, Matthew, etc.) would be far more knowledgeable when being further distanced both geographically and chronologically.
He believes that after being crucified, the body of Jesus was probably thrown in a pit and consumed by wild animals rather than being buried in a tomb. Crossan picks and chooses which information from his sources is historical and which is myth without using consistent rules. He treats the book of Acts as very reliable when it comes to recording the martyrdoms of early Christian leaders (p. 117), but completely disregards the rest of its testimony pertaining to other details. He also fails to adequately address the earliest and most compelling evidence which contradicts his theory - the writings of Paul (i.e. 1 Corinthians 15) which state that Jesus was buried. This, despite the fact that Paul was personally acquainted with those who knew Jesus (Peter, John, James) as ascertained from Galatians 1 & 2.
I could go on and on with the problems in Crossan's thesis, but I doubt if anyone has read this far as it is. If you are looking for a thorough response to Crossan's thesis, I would recommend "Cynic Sage or Son of God" by Gregory Boyd which directly interacts with Crossan's work and is also available from Amazon.com.
Rating: 5
Summary: Who Killed Jesus?
Comment: Just finished reading a wonderful book: "Who Killed Jesus?" by John Dominic Crossan (1996,Harper, San Francisco). Crossan is a former Catholic priest. At the time the book was published he was professor emeritus of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago, and co-director of the Jesus Seminar. In his book Crossan develops several theses: 1. The followers of Jesus constituted one among the diverse group of Jews extant at the time of Jesus, such as the Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots,etc., with the difference that they carried Jesus' message to the Gentiles. 2. The Gospels are not a true biographical relation of the life of Jesus. They are "prophesy historicized" rather than "history remembered." 3. By the way in which they were written, the Gospels place the blame for Jesus' death on the Jews and exonerates the Romans. Therefore, the seeds of anti-Semitism are imbedded in the Gospels. 4. Christianity didn't really take off until Constantin converted, which gave Christians the powers with which they would persecute dissenters. The book draws not only on the four canonical Gospels, but also on the Gospels of Peter and of Thomas, and on the writings of Tacitus, the Jewish historian Josephus, and others. This is a very important book. You'll enjoy it.
Rating: 5
Summary: An unforgettable Story
Comment: I think this book is an enlightment to one's spiritual stage in life and teaches us the true faith of christianity. Whether people may think it is anti-semetic or not, the truth remains. The fact that it occured can not be hidden nor would it be forgotten to the christians. Overall to me the book was a good guide to those saught to learn. I give great credit to the author.
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Title: The Historical Jesus : The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant by John Dominic Crossan ISBN: 0060616296 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: 26 February, 1993 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Birth of Christianity : Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus by John Dominic Crossan ISBN: 0060616601 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: February, 1999 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Jesus : A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan ISBN: 0060616628 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: 18 February, 1995 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Who Is Jesus?: Answers to Your Questions About the Historical Jesus by John Dominic Crossan, Richard G. Watts ISBN: 0664258425 Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Excavating Jesus : Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts: Revised and Updated by John Dominic Crossan, Jonathan L. Reed ISBN: 0060616342 Publisher: Harper SanFrancisco Pub. Date: 01 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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