Thursday I wrote a post on “The top ten most difficult doctrinal/theological subjects that contemporary Christians need to address.” Today I want to invite readers to leave a comment recommending books on these topics that you have found to be helpful. The second item on my list was the the historical Jesus in relation to creedal Christology about which I wrote:
While historical Jesus research seems to be waning in some circles there remains a tension between talking about Jesus of Nazareth who walked this earth in the first century and Jesus the Second Person of the Trinity who is worshiped every Sunday and exalted in the language of the creeds. One area that will continue to be hotly debated is whether or not Jesus talked about himself in ways that indicated he thought of himself as one with God in a meaningful way.
What is a book (or books) that you recommend for someone wanting to think through this? You don’t have to recommend books that discuss both of these matters. If they address one only that is fine.
April 21, 2012 at 1:11 pm
I highly recommend Oscar Cullmann’s The Christology of the New Testament
April 21, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Larry Hurtado’s book: How on Earth Did Jesus Become God?
April 21, 2012 at 4:44 pm
For the earliest period, James D. G. Dunn’s Christology in the Making is especially helpful. Moving beyond that, Maurice Wiles’ The Making of Christian Doctrine I remember being particularly insightful from back in my student years. And John Macquarrie’s Jesus Christ in Modern Thought is in fact a history of Christology providing a brief overview of everything from the beginnings to the present.
April 21, 2012 at 8:04 pm
I’d add The Historical Jesus: Five Views; Anthony Le Donne’s The Historical Jesus; The King Jesus Gospel by Scot McKnight; and pretty much anything I’ve read on the subject written by N.T. Wright, Craig A. Evans, E.P. Sanders, Richard Bauckham, Paul Anderson, Ben Witherington, Amy Jill-Levine, and James D.G. Dunn. I am sure there are many others.
I’ve heard great things about Allison’s Constructing Jesus. Also, I’ve heard good things about Jesus Among Friends and Enemies edited by Keith and Hurtado.
April 22, 2012 at 5:01 am
Wolfhart Pannenberg, Jesus: God and Man. This works more on the creedal Christology part.
April 22, 2012 at 6:53 am
I second barobin’s recommendation. Hurtado addresses neither Christology or creeds head on, but his work brings to light the timing and general sense of the earliest Christian views on these subjects. If you care about what the apostles and their disciples understood about these subjects, Hurtado will get you a ringside seat. Hurtado’s book is also a good complement to Dunn’s work, which James mentioned above.
April 29, 2012 at 8:43 pm
I would recommend Thomas Rausch’s, “Who is Jesus?” And Bernard Lonergan’s, “Christology Today”
June 2, 2012 at 6:37 pm
“The Son of God: The Origin of Christology and the History of Jewish-Hellenistic Religion”, Martin Hengel