Jesus and Divine Christology

Publisher Marketing: Did Jesus see himself as divine? Since the beginning of the quest for the historical Jesus, scholars have dismissed the idea that Jesus could have identified himself as God. Such high Christology is frequently depicted as an invention of the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon, centuries later. Yet recent research has shown that the earliest Jewish followers of Jesus already regarded him as divine. Brant Pitre tackles this paradox in his bold new monograph. Pitre challenges this widespread assumption and makes a robust case that Jesus did consider himself divine. Carefully explicating the Gospels in the context of Second Temple Judaism, Pitre shows how Jesus used riddles, questions, and scriptural allusions to reveal the apocalyptic secret of his divinity. Moreover, Pitre explains how Jesus acts as if he is divine in both the Synoptics and the Gospel of John. Carefully weighing the historical evidence, Pitre argues that the origins of early high Christology can be traced to the historical Jesus's words and actions. Jesus and Divine Christology sheds light on long-neglected yet key evidence that the historical Jesus saw himself as divine. Scholars and students of the New Testament--and anyone curious about the Jewish context of early Christianity--will find Pitre's argument a necessary and provocative corrective to a critically underexamined topic.

Table of Contents

1. The Problem The Quest and Jesus's Divinity Early High Christology Four Historical Warrants Method of Proceeding
2. The Epiphany Miracles The Miracles of Jesus Stilling the Storm Walking on the Sea The Transfiguration
3. The Riddles of Jesus's Divinity The Teacher of Parables Greater than Father or Mother No One is Good but God The Riddle of David's Lord
4. The Apocalyptic Secret The Apocalyptic Jesus The Heavenly Son of Man The Question of John the Baptist The Apocalyptic "Thunderbolt"
5. Crucified for Blasphemy The Criterion of Execution They Picked Up Stones You Make Yourself God The Charge of Blasphemy
6. Implications Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit Early Divine Christology The Parting of the Ways The Long Road to Nicaea Acknowledgments Indexes

Review Quotes: CHOICE "This text would be a great addition to all libraries supporting work on the historical Jesus. . . . Highly recommended."

"Too many attempts to explain the advent of early high Christology pay insufficient attention to the historical Jesus. This, as Pitre rightly recognizes, is a huge blunder. The error not only leaves much about early Christianity unexplained but overlooks much in the Synoptics that should count as history. Even if one disagrees with some of his answers, Pitre is asking the right questions and pushing the guild in the right direction." --Dale C. Allison Jr., Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary "[This book is] a 'scholarly majority' buster! And a deeply learned and persuasive one at that! The earliest Christ followers seemed to understand Jesus to be fully divine. Fair enough--but what did Jesus himself think? He didn't kick around the shores of Galilee announcing his divinity, right? 'Greetings, Capernaumites, I'm God. Don't look at me like that, I'm begotten not made, didn't you know!' So all that divine Christology must be a later Christian theological imposition, right? Wrong! The claim that Jesus is the divine Messiah indeed makes more sense of the data than any alternatives. Well beyond a mere trotting out of the same well-worn arguments, Pitre presents an up-to-date case that 'the "smoke" of early divine Christology originated in the "fire" of Jesus's own divine messianism.' This is an explosive blend of courage, logic, and premier biblical scholarship!" --Chris Tilling, head of research and senior lecturer in New Testament studies, St. Mellitus College "Finally! By showing from history that Jesus made divine claims about himself, Brant Pitre has compelled the prodigal quest for the historical Jesus to return home. This book should be received with open arms, because it is both necessary and convincing." --Matthew W. Bates, author of The Birth of the Trinity; professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary "Brant Pitre has established himself as the preeminent Catholic historical-Jesus scholar alive today--and indeed as one of the most important Christian thinkers of the twenty-first century. In a series of major works he has taken on such themes as Jesus's understanding of the eschatological tribulation and the restoration of Israel, Jesus's understanding of the Eucharist (and of himself as the New Passover Lamb and New Moses), and the meaning of Jesus's kingdom proclamation. The present book engages perhaps the biggest question of all: did Jesus think of himself not only as human but also as divine? Immensely readable and erudite, this persuasive and brilliant book will be a touchstone for all future studies of this controversial topic." --Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary "This study bridges the gap between Jesus of Nazareth and the early church by situating the question of Jesus's self-understanding within its appropriate context in early Judaism. In so doing, Brant Pitre has made a strong case that all four canonical gospels present us with a Jesus who understood himself to be divine and that it is plausible that the historical Jesus did as well. Even more impressively, he has done so in a book that is readable and enjoyable." --Jordan J. Cruz Ryan, associate professor of New Testament, Wheaton College "It is odd indeed that debate about Christology in the early Jesus movement has been able to get along in recent years without any serious discussion of the historical Jesus. We are in Pitre's debt for filling that lacuna with his characteristic clarity of expression, creativity, and literary sensitivity. Everyone working in this area will have to wrestle with the claims of this important book." --Tucker S. Ferda, author of Jesus and His Promised Second Coming: Jewish Eschatology and Christian Origins; associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

"Brant Pitre poses the question of Jesus's messianic self-understanding anew and challenges a previous research consensus. In the light of current findings and methods of Jesus research, he arrives at new, surprising and, above all, convincing answers." -- Christine Jacobi, visiting professor of New Testament and ancient Christian apocrypha, Humboldt University of Berlin