The Historical Jesus: Criteria and Contested Claims
Doctoral-level review of the Third Quest for the Historical Jesus and authenticity criteria
Course Instructors
To Be Announced
Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies
Details
A doctoral-level review of the "Third Quest" for the Historical Jesus. Focuses on the most difficult and controversial criteria (e.g., dissimilarity, embarrassment) and the scholarly consensus/disagreement on the authenticity of Jesus's deeds and sayings.
Course Curriculum
No Curriculum yet
What You Will Learn
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Authenticity Criteria: Apply dissimilarity, embarrassment, multiple attestation
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Quest History: Study First, Second, Third Quest developments
FAQs
Tools historians use to assess likely genuine Jesus material: dissimilarity (unlike Judaism & early church), embarrassment (awkward for early church), multiple attestation (in multiple sources), coherence (fits core message).
Current phase (1980s-present) emphasizing Jesus within 1st-century Judaism, using Jewish sources, and focusing on his actions and context rather than just his sayings.
Jewish preacher from Galilee, baptized by John, taught about God's kingdom, performed healings/exorcisms, criticized temple authorities, crucified by Romans, followers believed he rose.
What is in this course?
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Duration : 1 Days
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Class Start Date : 2026-02-01
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Historical Method : Master criteria for authentic Jesus tradition evaluation
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Quest Scholarship : Develop comprehensive understanding of Historical Jesus research history
