Jesus: A Brief History

Jesus: A Brief History reveals how Jesus and his story have been received over the past two millennia – through art, literature, and culture, as well as theology. It shows how Jesus, a Galilean Jew, born when the ancient Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean world, has come to be honored as the Christ and recognized around the globe by billions at the outset of the twenty–first century. Two questions about Jesus which recur throughout the book are: Who was he? and What did he do? But this engaging study also shows the importance of asking Whose was he? in fully understanding Jesus’ life and legacy. In tracing the reception history of Jesus and his story over two thousand years, W. Barnes Tatum draws on a fascinating range of materials, from ancient texts, creeds, and theological treatises, to the visual and dramatic arts, including The DaVinci Code and The Passion of the Christ .

List of Figures Preface and Acknowledgments Prologue: Jesus, a Jew from Galilee 1. Jesus and Christian Beginnings (First to Fourth Centuries) A Strange Case: Paul and his Letters Anonymous Narratives: Three Gospels and One Sequel An Author Called John: A Fourth Gospel, More Letters, and an Apocalypse Christianity’s Earliest Writings: Literary Diversity, Theological Unity Christianity’s Transformation: From a Jewish Sect to a Gentile Religion Emerging Christianity: A “Catholic” Church “Gnosticism”: The Nag Hammadi Library Living as Christians in the Roman Empire: The Threat of Persecution Christianizing the Roman Empire: Constantine the Great Material Culture: Manuscripts, Architecture, and the Visual Arts 2. Jesus and the Triumph of Christian Orthodoxy (Fourth and Fifth Centuries) The Council of Nicaea I (325): The Relation of the Son to God the Father The Council of Constantinople I (381): God as Trinity, One Substance, Three Persons Transition: From the Trinity to the Incarnation The Council of Ephesus (431): The Incarnate Son, One Person, Not Divided The Council of Chalcedon I (451): The Incarnate Son, One Person, Two Natures Early Monasticism: From Martyr to Monk Material Culture: Manuscripts, Architecture, and the Visual Arts 3. Jesus and Medieval Christian Orthodoxy (Fifth to Fifteenth Centuries) Rome, the Papacy, and the Eastern Church: A Church Dividing The Iconoclastic Controversy: Can Images of Jesus be Created and Venerated? The Filioque Controversy: Does the Holy Spirit also Proceed from the Son? Jesus as the Christ of Eastern Orthodoxy: Creed, Liturgy, and Spirituality The Crusades: Warriors for Christ Beyond Monasticism: Monks, Mendicants, and Mystics Scholastic Theology: The Trinity, the Incarnation, and the At–one–ment Jesus as the Christ of Roman Catholicism: Creed, Liturgy and Spirituality  Rome and the Papacy: Exile, Schism, and Dissent Material Culture: Architecture and the Visual Arts 4. Jesus and Challenges to Christian Orthodoxy (Since the Fifteenth Century) The Renaissance:: Back to the Classics The Reformation: Back to the Bible The Enlightenment: Not Revelation, but Reason Material Culture: Architecture, Visual Arts, and Printed Books 5. Jesus and the Historical Quest (Since the Eighteenth Century) Pre–Quest Period: Christ = Jesus (before 1778) Old Quest Period: Christ // Jesus (1778–1906) No Quest Period: Christ // Jesus (1906–1953) New Quest Period: Christ > Jesus (1953–1985)\ Third Quest Period: [Christ] Jesus (since 1985) Dramatic Arts: From Passion Plays to Jesus Films 6. Jesus and Christological Diversity (Since the Eighteenth Century) Modern Protestant Theology: Liberalism (Nineteenth Century) Modern Protestant Theology: Neo–Orthodoxy (Twentieth Century) Modern Catholic Theology: Two Vatican Councils (Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries) Beyond Liberalism and Neo–Orthodoxy: Process Theology (into the Twenty–First Century) Liberation Theology: Latin America (into the Twenty–First Century) Black Theology: The United States and Beyond (into the Twenty–First Century) Feminist Theology: The United States and Beyond (into the Twenty–First Century) Womanist Theology: The United States and Beyond (into the Twenty–First Century) Theology in the Third World: Latin America, Africa, Asia (into the Twenty–First Century) Dramatic Arts: Christ–Figure Films and Literary Imagination 7. Jesus and World Religions (Since the First Century) Judaism: Jesus, a Jew, but No Messiah Islam: Jesus, a Prophet, but No Son of God Religions of South and East Asia: Jesus, the Outsider Material Culture: From Stone to Celluloid Epilogue: Jesus, a Global Christ Select Bibliography and Further Reading Index

W. Barnes Tatum is Jefferson–Pilot Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Greensboro College. He is the author of two books on Jesus: Jesus at the Movies: A Guide to the First Hundred Years (2004) and In Quest of Jesus (1999), along with numerous articles. He is a long–standing member of the Jesus Seminar and is the author of John the Baptist and Jesus: A Report of the Jesus Seminar (1994).

"The author draws on a range of materials, including ancient texts, creeds, theological treatises, and sources from the visual and dramatic arts, such as The Da Vinci Code and The Passion of Christ." ( Journal of Contemporary Religion , January 2011) "A topically arranged, select bibliography, chapter endnotes, and a single subject/proper name index enhance this introductory text′s classroom usefulness." ( CHOICE, January 2010)