Who Was Jesus?

This book by N. T. Wright is a good introduction to the current trends in Jesus studies. The book opens with a helpful survey of the quest for the historical Jesus since Reimarus all the way until the 21st century. It then devotes individual chapters to discuss and critique the views of Barbara Thiering, A. N. Wilson, and John Spong all of whom have come out with a view of Jesus that is decidedly very different from the Jesus seen in the New Testament and historically portrayed by the Christian Church. Wright does an excellent job to show the strengths of these """"new"""" perspectives of Jesus as well as where they fall short of credible scholarship. His book then closes with a portrait of Jesus which shows how Jesus fit into the first-century religious and political setting and sum up in His own person the calling, destiny, judgment and mission of Israel. Whether one is a scholar, pastor or layman, Wright's book would prove helpful in helping him to understand the critical issues involved in New Testament scholarship, particularly scholarship on the historical person and mission of Jesus. Highly recommended!