Crossan was one of the premier scholars of Jesus in the world. Here he introduces the reader to the historical Jesus, relying on the historical record as much as possible, exploring what kind of man he was and what kind of world he lived in. A refreshing read and a highly informative one for those who want to understand the person before churches built institutions around him and his story. ( )

About the authors, quoting from the book's back cover: John Dominic Crossan is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at DePaul University in Chicago. He is the author of many best-selling books (on the subject of Jesus). Richard G. Watts recently retired as pastor of New Covenant Community in Normal, Illinois, a union congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). . . The authors explain the person and teachings of Jesus with remarkable clarity, relying on the actual historical record as much as possible. Their intention is to aid readers in a fuller and more accurate understanding of what kind of man Jesus was, what kind of world he lived in, and the legacy of his teachings to humankind." This book is not indexed, but the titles of the chapters are helpful. Within each chapter there are multiple headings with comments and questions, which lead the reader along and/or help find a specific topic.

Who Is Jesus?: Answers to Your Questions About the Historical Jesus by John Dominic Crossan and Richard G. Watts. Epiphany-OviedoELCA Library section 3 A: Christianity, Jesus/God/HolySpirit. I just finished this book by Crossan, a former Catholic priest and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at DePaul University in Chicago. He is also the founder of the Jesus Seminar, a conference held by Jesus scholars twice a year to discuss their newest findings about Jesus.
Crossan and his scholarly buddies agree that Jesus was indeed a real person, born into the lowly artisan class, that in the face of severe Roman persecution he tried to rally his Jewish peasantry to a radical, revolutionary idea – that all are welcome at the table, all are equal (including women), and all deserve justice. To Rome, equality, say, between an emperor and a Jewish peasant, was ludicrous. Christ’s crucifixion was a horrific, public message: “this is what happens when you try to arouse the people to a Kingdom of God rather than the Empire of Rome.” Rome used crucifixion as a way to terrorize the poor and lowly. To Rome, Jesus’ message was radical and dangerous. But to the “have-nots” Jesus’ message was empowering and all-inclusive. It all depended on your viewpoint. It seems to me that society is still a lot like that today. That old 1960's phrase, “where you’re coming from” makes a huge difference in whether you feel that our society is fair and just.
Crossan says that Jesus not only spoke about the Kingdom of God, he actually LIVED it, with a message so committed, so life-changing that his disciples, missionaries like Paul, and even his brother James were converted to his cause and spread it throughout the middle east. That Kingdom of God still lives on in Christianity today.
At the beginning of each chapter Crossan includes letters from readers of his other books concerning the historical Jesus. The letters are grouped according to chapter subject. About half of the letters find his view of the historical Jesus fascinating (as do I). The other half finds his observations too dismissive of ideas they have held dear all their lives. All the letters are intensely sincere, which is what makes them so gripping. I invite you to read this book and see what YOU think! It is sure to spur you to think more about Christ no matter whether you entertain Crossan’s ideas as legitimate and logical or not. And thinking about Christ is always a good thing. ( )

This is a short, very readable book (now fifteen years old) that does an excellent job of introducing the Historical Jesus; Crossan’s take in particular. Labeled by liberal Christian Marcus Borg as the “premier Jesus scholar in the world today,” Crossan’s picture of Jesus is controversial and base … which is precisely what you would expect of research into the “historical Jesus.” It’s about the flesh-and-blood man who walked the earth, not the legends that grew about him. A series of contrived questions meant to introduce the topic and the scholarship of Crossan and Watts steer the reader through the life and death of Jesus; how he lived, what he taught, what he really hoped to accomplish.

According to Crossan, Jesus was not really born of a virgin, performed no nature miracles, and never rose from the dead. Probably, he was never buried to begin with, as that would be uncommon for a crucifixion victim. Jesus was a social revolutionary with a humanitarian vision of a “Kingdom of God,” which, by Crossan’s definition, is how Jesus imagined “the way a kingdom on this earth would be established if God were in control.” This vision left Jesus in conflict with the Roman Empire, and eventually led to his arrest and sentence. By the Romans, of course, not the Jews.

Crossan insists that his book is not meant to be about Christ, but only about Jesus. Faith is not about Jesus, or about any historical reconstruction of his life, but about Christ. “Jesus”is the historical person; “Christ” affirms who he is for believers, and Christian faith is always faith in the historical Jesus as a manifestation of God to us. As Crossan explains, faith cannot ignore or bypass the historical facts, but faith goes beyond the facts to wrestle with the meaning. ( )

Who is Jesus? by John Dominic Crossan was definitely not for me. It's a great example of interpreting the Bible to fit your own personal views of the world. I don't necessarily disagree with many of the views themselves, but I do disagree with the assertion that these views are the ones expressed by the Bible. It's not a keeper for me--too much liberation theology. ( )