John Dominic Crossan

En El poder de la parábola se diseccionan cuidadosamente las historias que leemos en los evangelios para volver a lo que Jesús trata realmente de enseñar. Las parábolas fueron tan importantes para la enseñanza de Jesus que sus seguidores tambien usaron este genero literario para explicar la propia vida, el ministerio y los objetivos de Jesus.

John Dominic Crossan, el mayor especialista del mundo y autor de importantes obras sobre el Jesús histórico, presenta una fascinante y esencial investigación sobre la aparición del cristianismo en los años anteriores e inmediatamente posteriores a la crucifixion. El enfoque interdisciplinar de Crossan arroja nueva luz sobre el contexto cultural y teologico en que surgio la Iglesia cristiana y plantea cuestiones esenciales sobre el papel de san Pablo y el significado de la resurreccion. En un momento en que el judaismo tradicional antiguo se ve sometido a una presion creciente, tanto por la explotacion comercial romana como por la dominacion cultural griega, el movimiento del reino de Dios de Jesus y sus seguidores establece una resistencia radical pero no violenta en la Baja Galilea de finales de los años 20. Frente a las escuelas judias primitivas y las academias infuidas por el pensamiento griego, que presentaban visiones contrarias de la naturaleza del espiritu y la carne, es el mensaje anunciado por Jesus durante su vida lo que crea el centro espiritual de la Iglesia primitiva. La resurreccion, aunque constituye un elemento esencial de la historia de Cristo tal como se ha narrado a traves de los siglos, se entiende bajo una luz diferente cuando es presentada en el marco de una cultura mediterrane...

¿Es la resurrección de Cristo una metáfora? ¿O el Cristo de la Fe es la misma persona que paseó por las costas de Galilea, fue clavado en una cruz romana y resucitó del sepulcro para nuestra salvación? La respuesta es un recorrido razonado y necesario por las raices de la fe cristiana.

John D. Crossan, reconstruye en este libro apasionante la verdadera história de Jesús, utilizando los conocimientos que la investigación ha aportado en las últimas décadas, ya que a pesar del tópico que sostiene que sabemos poco del Jesus historico, Crossan demuestra que se trata de una de las figuras mejor documentadas de la Antiguedad. Tras analizar la sociedad y el tiempo en que vivio -las rebeliones contra Roma, los problemas de los campesinos judios- situa en este marco los hechos reales de su vida, reuniendo todas la evidencias disponibles -incluso las de los evangelios llamados apocrifos y las de una serie de textos de los primeros tiempos del cristianismo- y las interpreta a la luz de una critica rigurosa, contrastando cada afirmacion para seleccionar las que resultan mejor atestiguadas.De este esfuerzo de erudicion surge una nueva imagen del Jesus historico: la de un campesino que compartio los problemas de su gente y creo un programa social revolucionario, que critico los abusos del poder y la opresion de los campesinos, predico el reino de Dios y se preocupo por los pobres y marginados. Situado en estas coordenadas, y al margen de la fe y de los milagros, su mensaje adquiere un nuevo sentido, sin perder su valor perdurable.

The revered Bible scholar and author of The Historical Jesus explores the Christian culture warsthe debates over church and statefrom a biblical perspective, exploring the earliest tensions evident in the New Testament, and offering a way forward for Christians today.Leading Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan, the author of the pioneering work The Historical Jesus, provides new insight into the Christian culture wars which began in the New Testament and persist strongly today. For decades, Americans have been divided on how Christians should relate to government and lawmakers, a dispute that has impacted every area of society and grown more rancorous over the past forty years. But as Crossan makes clear, this debate isnt new; it can be found in the New Testament itself, most notably in the tensions between Luke-Acts and Revelation. In the texts of Luke-Acts, Rome is considered favorably. In the book of Revelation, Rome is seen as the embodiment of evil in the world. Yet there is an alternative to these two extremes, Crossan explains. The historical Jesus and Paul, the earliest Christian teachers, were both strongly opposed to Rome, yet neither demonized the Empire. Crossan sees in Jesus and Pauls approach a model for Christians today that can be used to cut through the acrimony and polarization roiling our society and dividing us. Based on a lifetime of scholarship, this study of early Christianity offers a vital framework for understanding the intersection of faith and power:Church and State: An exploration of the biblical roots of the Christian culture wars, tracing the debate back to the very pages of the New Testament. Two Competing Visions: A deep dive into how Luke-Acts presents a favorable view of the Roman Empire, while the book of Revelation demonizes it as the embodiment of evil. Jesus and Pauls Alternative: How the earliest Christian teachers forged a model of nonviolent resistance that confronted Rome without resorting to demonization. A Model for Today: A compelling argument for how this ancient, nuanced approach to political engagement offers a path through the polarization dividing contemporary society.

Many theories exist about who Saint Paul was, what he believed, and what role he played in the origins of Christianity. In In Search of Paul, John Dominic Crossan, the eminent historical Jesus scholar, and Jonathan L. Reed, an expert in biblical archaeology, combine their expertise to reveal that Paul, like Jesus, focused on championing the Kingdom of God against the dominant yet temporal powers of the Roman empire.Against the background of first-century Greco-Roman and Jewish life, In Search of Paul reveals the work of Paul as never before. The authors show just how and why messages of equality, caring for the poor, and building a just society under Gods rules were so appealing to those living under the tyranny of Rome.John Dominic Crossan is generally regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world. He is the author of several bestselling books including The Historical Jesus, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Birth of Christianity, and Who Killed Jesus? He lives in Clermont, FL.Jonathan L. Reed teaches New Testament and Christian origins at La Verne College in La Verne, California. He is a leading authority on first-century Palestinian archaeology, has been involved in several major digs, and is now the lead archaeologist at Sepphoris. He is the author of Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus.An adventure in history, theology, and the politics of empire. Christianity needs this book, but so does America. - James Carroll, author of Constantines Sword

Every Sunday, the Lords Prayer echoes in every Christian Church around the world. An indisputable principle of Christian faith, it is the way Jesus taught his followers to pray, and encapsulates the most essential beliefs required of the worlds 2.5 billion Christians. In The Greatest Prayer, our foremost Jesus scholar explores this foundational prayer line-by-line for the richest and fullest understanding yet of this prayer that every Christian knows by heart.This is quintessential Crossan, conveying the message of Christianitys greatest prayer with just the right amount of history, scholarship, and detail. Addressing issues such as Gods will for us, our responsibilities to each other and to the earth, and the moral responsibilities that come with money, Crossan reveals the enduring meaning and universal significance of the only prayer Jesus ever taught.

The bestselling author and prominent New Testament scholar draws parallels between 1stcentury Roman Empire and 21stcentury United States, showing how the radical messages of Jesus and Paul can lead us to peace today.Using the tools of expert biblical scholarship and a keen eye for current events, bestselling author John Dominic Crossan deftly presents the tensions exhibited in the Bible between political power and Gods justice. Through the revolutionary messages of Jesus and Paul, Crossan reveals what the Bible has to say about land and economy, violence and retribution, justice and peace, and ultimately, redemption. He examines the meaning of kingdom of God prophesized by Jesus, and the equality recommended to Paul by his churches, contrasting these messages of peace against the misinterpreted apocalyptic vision from the book of Revelations, that has been co-opted by modern right-wing theologians and televangelists to justify the United States military actions in the Middle East.In this provocative work of political theology, Crossan reveals:Roman Imperial Theology: Unpacking the "peace through victory" ideology that dominated the 1st-century world, drawing direct parallels to the rhetoric of modern global powers. Kingdom of God vs. Empire: A deep dive into Jesuss radical counter-programa kingdom built not on power and violence, but on Gods distributive justice and equality. Nonviolent Resistance: How the teachings of Jesus and Paul functioned as a powerful ideological challenge to Roman rule, offering a path to redemption outside of imperial retribution. Apocalypse Re-examined: A critical look at how the Book of Revelations apocalyptic vision has been co-opted to justify military action, contrasting it with a message of genuine peace.

The eBook collection of four complete works by bestselling author and leading historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan, including Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Birth of Christianity, The Power of Parable, and The Greatest Prayer.

The acclaimed Bible scholar and author of The Historical Jesus and God & Empire"the greatest New Testament scholar of our generation" (John Shelby Spong) grapples with Scriptures two conflicting visions of Jesus and God, one of a loving God, and one of a vengeful God, and explains how Christians can better understand these passages in a way that enriches their faith.Many portions of the New Testament, introduce a compassionate Jesus who turns the other cheek, loves his enemies, and shows grace to all. But the Jesus we find in Revelation and some portions of the Gospels leads an army of angels bent on earthly destruction. Which is the true revelation of the Messiahand how can both be in the same Bible?How to Read the Bible and Still be a Christian explores this question and offers guidance for the faithful conflicted over which version of the Lord to worship. John Dominic Crossan reconciles these contrasting views, revealing how different writers of the books of the Bible not only possessed different visions of God but also different purposes for writing. Often these books are explicitly competing against another, opposing vision of God from the Bible itself.Crossan explains how to navigate this debate and offers what he believes is the best central thread to what the Bible is all about. He challenges Christians to fully participate in this dialogue, thereby shaping their faith by reading deeply, reflectively, and in community with others who share their uncertainty. Only then, he advises, will Christians be able to read and understand the Bible without losing their faith.This essential guide to modern theology and biblical studies offers a path forward:Biblical Contradictions: Reconcile the compassionate, loving God of the Gospels with the vengeful, warring God of Revelation without dismissing either text. The Historical Jesus: Go beyond dogma to understand the world Jesus lived in and the radical, nonviolent message he preached. Rival Visions in Scripture: Discover how different biblical authors wrote with competing purposes, creating an internal debate within the Bible itself. A Framework for Faith: Learn a method for reading scripture deeply and reflectively that strengthens, rather than shatters, your belief. Progressive Christianity: Engage with a scholarly yet accessible approach that has empowered countless modern Christians to tackle the Bibles most difficult passages.

In this four-color illustrated journey that is part travelogue and part theological investigation, bestselling author and acclaimed Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan and his wife Sarah painstakingly travel throughout the ancient Eastern church, documenting through text and image a completely different model for understanding Easters resurrection story, one that provides promise and hope for us today.Traveling the world, the Crossans noticed a surprising difference in how the Eastern Church considers Jesus resurrectionan event not described in the Bible. At Saint Barbaras Church in Cairo, they found a painting in which the risen Jesus grasps the hands of other figures around him. Unlike the Western image of a solitary Jesus rising from an empty tomb that he viewed across Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the Crossans saw images of the resurrection depicting a Jesus grasping the hands of figures around him, or lifting Adam and Eve to heaven from Hades or hell, or carrying the old and sick to the afterlife. They discovered that the standard image for the Resurrection in Eastern Christianity is communal and collective, something unique from the solitary depiction of the resurrection in Western Christianity.Fifteen years in the making, Resurrecting Easter reflects on this divide in how the Western and Eastern churches depict the resurrection and its implications. The Crossans argue that the West has gutted the heart of Christianitys understanding of the resurrection by rejecting that once-common communal iconography in favor of an individualistic vision. As they examine the ubiquitous Eastern imagery of Jesus freeing Eve from Hades while ascending to heaven, the Crossans suggest that this iconography raises profound questions about Christian morality and forgiveness.A fundamentally different way of understand the story of Jesus rebirth illustrated with 130 images, Resurrecting Easter introduces an inclusive, traditional community-based ideal that offers renewed hope and possibilities for our fractured modern society.

In this national bestseller, John Dominic Crossan reveals how Christianity emerged in the period following Jesuss death. Very little is commonly known about the 30s and 40s BCE, compared to the years following. Crossan, the worlds leading expert on the historical Jesus, reconstructs that era, relying on a multidisciplinary approach. Analyzing oral tradition, comparing Gospel manuscripts, and researching cross-cultural anthropological studies, Crossan shines new light on the theological and cultural contexts from which the Christian church arose. The Birth of Christianity thoroughly illuminates the mysterious period of time that set Western religious history on the path it has followed for the last two thousand years. John Dominic Crossan is generally regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Birth of Christianity, and Who Killed Jesus? He lives in Clermont, Florida.Ambitious and groundbreaking, The Birth of Christianity is a must read for those with a serious interest in Jesus and the early church. - Toronto Star

The death of Jesus is one of the most hotly debated questions in Christianity today. In his massive and highly publicized The Death of the Messiah, Raymond Brown -- while clearly rejecting anti-Semitism -- never questions the essential historicity of the passion stories. Yet it is these stories, in which the Jews decide Jesus execution, that have fueled centuries of Christian anti-Semitism. Now, in his most controversial book, John Dominic Crossan shows that this traditional understanding of the Gospels as historical fact is not only wrong but dangerous. Drawing on the best of biblical, anthropological, sociological and historical research, he demonstrates definitively that it was the Roman government that tried and executed Jesus as a social agitator. Crossan also candidly addresses such key theological questions as "Did Jesus die for our sins?" and "Is our faith in vain if there was no bodily resurrection?" Ultimately, however, Crossans radical reexamination shows that the belief that the Jews killed Jesus is an early Christian myth (directed against rival Jewish groups) that must be eradicated from authentic Christian faith.

Historical understanding of the world in which Jesus lived has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few decades. However, lesser known but still spectacular advances in first-century Palestinian archaeology also explain a great deal about Jesus, his followers, and his teachings. Excavating Jesus is the first book to combines these two fields of knowledge, and it does it in a fresh, accessible way that will interest biblical scholars, archeologists, and anyone with an interest in early Christianity.Written by John Dominic Crossan, the worlds premier Jesus scholar, and leading archeologist Jonathan L. Reed, each chapter of Excavating Jesus focuses on a major modern archaeological or textual discovery and shows how that discovery opens a window onto a key feature of Jesuss life and teachings. John Dominic Crossan is generally regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world. He is the author of several bestselling books including The Historical Jesus, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Birth of Christianity, and Who Killed Jesus? He lives in Clermont, FL.Jonathan L. Reed teaches New Testament and Christian Origins at La Verne College, La Verne, CA. He is a leading authority on first-century Palestinian archaeology, has been involved in several major digs, and is now the lead archaeologist at Sepphoris. He is the author of Archaeology and the Galilean Jesus. He lives in Upland, CA.This is a fascinating and exhilarating study, which breathes new life into the quest for the historical Jesus. - Karen Armstrong, author of A History of God

Who could argue with the message the authors draw from the Bibles Christmas stories? Light in the darkest time of the year, hope in a period of creeping despairthese are powerful and universal themes that can give everyone a stake in Christmas.USA TodayIn The First Christmas Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossantop Jesus scholars and authors of The Last Weekhelp us see the real Christmas story buried in the familiar Bible accounts. Basing their interpretations on the two nativity narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Borg and Crossan explore the stories meaning in their first-century historical context, focusing on the inner truthrather than literal historical factsto offer a clear and uplifting message of hope and peace. With The First Christmas readers get a fresh, deep, and new understanding of the nativity story, enabling us to better appreciate the powerful message of the Gospels.This fascinating work of biblical scholarship unpacks the layers of meaning behind the familiar carols and pageants: Historical Jesus Studies: Go beyond the Sunday school story to see how the nativity accounts reflect the political and social realities of the first-century Roman Empire. Matthew vs. Luke: A clear analysis of the two distinct, and often contradictory, Christmas stories, exploring why each was written and for whom. Anti-Imperial Theology: Discover the surprising political message of Jesuss birth as a direct challenge to the claims of Caesar Augustus. Parabolic Overtures: Learn to read the nativity narratives not as literal history, but as theological introductions that frame the major themes of each Gospel. A Message of Hope: Find a deeper, more resonant understanding of Christmas that moves beyond historical debates to uncover a powerful message of peace for today.

Los destacados especialistas en Jesús, Marcus J. Borg y John Dominic Crossan, se unen para revelarnos un Jesús radicalmente nuevo y poco conocido. Cuando ambos autores reaccionaron y respondieron preguntas sobre el exitoso filme de Mel Gibson, La Pasion de Jesucristo, descubrieron que muchos cristianos no tienen claro los detalles de los acontecimientos de la semana que condujo a Jesus a su muerte en la cruz.Usando el evangelio de Marcos como guia, Borg y Crossan presentan un relato dia a dia de la ultima semana de vida de Jesus. Comienzan su historia el Domingo de Ramos con dos entradas triunfales a Jerusalen. La primera entrada, la del gobernador romano Poncio Pilatos que conduce soldados romanos dentro de la ciudad, simboliza la fuerza militar. La segunda anuncia un nuevo tipo de heroe moral que es alabado por la gente mientras va montado sobre un humilde burro. El Jesus presentado por Borg y Crossan es este nuevo heroe moral, un Jesus mas peligroso que el consagrado en las enseñanzas tradicionales de la iglesia.La Ultima Semana pinta a un Jesus que renuncia a su vida para protestar contra el poder sin justicia y para condenar al rico a quien no le importa el pobre. Comprometido con esto, al termino de la semana Jesus marcha hacia el Calvario, ofreciendose como modelo para que otros hagan lo mismo cuando se enfrenten a cuestiones similares.Informados, desafiados e inspirados no solo nos encontramos con el Jesus historico, sino tambien con un nuevo Jesus que nos compromete y nos invita a seguirlo.

¿Por qué la «oración del Señor», aparentemente tan sencilla, desencadenó una auténtica revolución? Abordando las cuestiones de la voluntad de Dios y nuestra respuesta, las responsabilidades de unos p

In 1969, I was teaching at two seminaries inthe Chicago area. One of my courses wason the parables by Jesus and the other wason the resurrection stories about Jesus. I hadobserved that the parabolic stories by Jesusseemed remarkably similar to the resurrectionstories about Jesus. Were the latter intended asparables just as much as the former? Had webeen reading parable, presuming history, andmisunderstanding both?from The Power of ParableSo begins the quest of renowned Jesus scholarJohn Dominic Crossan as he unlocks the truemeanings and purposes of parable in the Bible sothat modern Christians can respond genuinely toJesuss call to fully participate in the kingdom ofGod. In The Power of Parable, Crossan examinesJesuss parables and identifies what he calls the"challenge parable" as Jesuss chosen teaching toolfor gently urging his followers to probe, question,and debate the ideological absolutes of religiousfaith and the presuppositions of social, political,and economic traditions.Moving from parables by Jesus to parables aboutJesus, Crossan then presents the four gospels as"megaparables." By revealing how the gospels arenot reflections of the actual biography of Jesus butrather (mis)interpretations by the gospel writersthemselves, Crossan reaffirms the power of parablesto challenge and enable us to co-create withGod a world of justice, love, and peace.