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Title: Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity
ISBN: 0802831672
Author:
Larry W. Hurtado
Publicate Date: 2005-09-15
Publish: 2005-09-15
List Price: $36.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $23.54
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $23.56
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Christ-deoviton in Earliest Christianity
Hurtado has done a masterful job in this work which ties together years of research and writing on the main theme of this book: Christ-devotion in the early church. For five decades, the loadstone on this theme has been Bousset's "Kyrios Christos". No scholar can work in this area without interacting with Bousset; Hurtado, with due appreciation of the strenghts and brillance of Bousset's work, does not hesitate to show the major drawbacks of the "religionsgeschichtliche Schule's" methodology and conclusions.
Other reviews of this book adequately address the new ground that Hurtado covers. Of special import is his explanation of his methodology. Researchers and scholars would do well to note Hurtado's discussion of his historiography. Modern historical understanding is unavoidably dependent upon analogy. Accurate observation and comparison are crucial. Hurtado makes the argument that inaccurate observations and misguided comparisons produce theories that attribute too much significance to teritiary concerns while overlooking vital ones. "Any theory that can be shown to rest upon an oversimplified or distorted view of what is being explained, or ovelooks and important factor, or simply gets wrong the interaticon of relevant historical factors is justifiably to be rejected or seriously modified (p. 28)." The rest of Hurtado's effort is a masterful job of applying his priciples of historiography.
Hurtado's irenic tone with those with whom he takes issue will make this work a pleasure to read, even for most of those who may disagree with some of his assumptions or conclusions. Some reviewers should not confuse invective with argument, or heat with persuasiveness. Diatribe is best left for talk shows and cable tv.
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2: Biased opinions obvious
The only reason a 5 star rating by 8 individuals can be justified, is not on readability or clarity. It is transparently obvious that, the only criteria was support for their theology. And all reviews say as much. An alternative theory to christology is hailed as the answer to Christs identity with the same enthusiasm as vitamins cure cancer. Anything but orhtodox medicine is hailed as a wonder therapy. Anything but that Jesus is God is here hailed in five stars! The bias is not even veiled. This verbose and out on a limb, interpretation as fact epic work gets a 1 in my rating. Time could better be spent on more honest less ego centric theory.
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3: How the Church Has Always Revered Jesus Christ as Divine
We have needed this book for a long time! Larry Hurtado has given us a full scale treatment of the history of devotion to Jesus Christ. Contrary to scholars such as J.D Crossan, Hurtado shows why Paul's writings must be considered when researching the history of devotion to Christ. He persuasively demonstrates that in Paul's writings as well as the later Gospel traditions, Jesus was revered. He even shows where Paul puts Jesus right up there with God (he calls this a binitarian understanding of God). He says that this is a radical new envisioning of Jewish monotheism and that it cannot be traced back to any polytheistic Gentile ideas.
Hurtado also shows how the Gospels and Q also reveal the church's early devotion to Jesus.
The book concludes with a discussion of Jesus in later noncanonical writings such as the Gospel of Thomas and in the writings of the early church fathers.
The basic thesis of the book is that the church worshipped Jesus as divine from the very beginning of Christianity. Hurtado dialogues with Jesus scholars such as Martin Hengel, John Kloppenborg, J.D Crossan, and James D.G Dunn, and he always treats their work with the utmost respect while also explaining why he occasionally must diverge from their viewpoints.
The last time a major study of Jesus worship was written was way back in 1913, so this book is long overdue. Hurtado is a moderately conservative guide through the twists and turns of early Christian literature, and his conclusions are well thought out and deserve to be considered.
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4: Jesus Devotion- Historical Divinity or Process to that?
Scholar Hurtado carefully examines the historical evidence at the transition from the BC montheistic Judaism to binitarian God/Jesus in the first and second centuries.
He thoughtfully seeks as others have relayed to test the heretofore accepted research of Bouseet which proclaimed that Paul primarily was the first to introduce such Jesus devotion.
His meticulous engagement with all scholarly opinions is widesweeping and thorough, and thus this project is massive, yet interesting to read along with, not trudging at first sight of over 600 pages. Hurtado does a superb job of sticking with his focus of Jesus devotion from a historical perspective, avoiding most of the time other concerns and arguments, e.g. theological and isagogical.
He finds that there was rather seamless transition from BC devo to God (Yahweh) to including Jesus as also receiving devotion much same as Father, with devout Jews suddenly becoming champions of including such praise and adoration applied to exclusive agent of this God in Jesus. His work on name of God in OT and subsequent application of promises/glory/etc. to Jesus is convincing and important.
Hurtado engages with and examines diverse Christological opinions of first and second centuries, stopping such about 170 AD, right before Irenaeus. His looks into other Jesus Books and Marcion movement as well as Valentinus are thoughtful.
More conservative theologians might have valid concern at times with his Biblical book authorship, yet the conclusions reached in this tome are significant and put a serious dent in the liberal elements long claims to Paul created Jesus Christology.
Worthy read which liberal side must deal with.
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5: Good-Bye Jesus Seminar Hello History
If you are reading this review I think I can assume that you have some familiarity with the general debate about when Jesus was considered divine (in any sense) and worshipped (in any sense). This book firmly and soundly trashes the thesis of the Jesus Seminar, which is not new, that Jesus "became God" only after a period of speculative theological progression (various times differ for this theory) and intense interaction with Hellenic ideas.
Each HIGHLY DETAILED section of this book merits its purchase, and each can stand on its own as a monograph. Hurtado begins with an examination of Jewish monotheism and concludes that it is not entierly uniform and that there exists the openess to a plurality within God. He then goes through the New Testament (and the Gospel of Q) and the earliest Jesus tradtions showing that Jesus was considered divine and worshipped from the earliest times and that this was not in contradiction to the tradition of the Jewish community de facto. Following this is an analysis of the second century, again proving his thesis.
This book is foundational reading for anyone intersted in real history and christology.
Please also check out Skarsaune's "In the Shadow of the Temple" and "Incanation: Myth or Fact", along with the works of N.T. Wright, for material on this topic that is both scholarly and accessable. Although at times Hurtado is critical of Martin Hengel's conclusions and methodology, I would still strongly recommend his "Cross of the Son of God" (a collection of previously published monographs) as a great introduction to this topic.
You know, it really could be that the Church's experience and understanding of Christ and God may just be true after all! Imagine that.
Enjoy!
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