Jesus Around the Cracker Barrel

Dale Allison's new book is a gem. The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus is not another scholarly "Jesus book," providing a "new" portrait of the real Jesus. Rather he asks: What is the religious implications of the quest for the historical Jesus.

This is no sappy "just read your bible." After all he is one of the premier critical New Testament scholars. And his three volume work on the Gospel of Matthew is at top of most commentary recommendation lists. Nor is this a" faith is foolish" tome. Rather, reading this book is like sitting around a cracker barrel at an old general store and listing to wise old expert tell you "what s/he has learned over the years.

It is, Allison, says "my personal testimony to doubt seeking understanding." And again: "the unexamined Christ is not worth having." The open chapter provides a warning to those who put the historical Jesus of modern scholarship to theological use." And it only get better from there. At only a little over 100 pages, this is a reminder that book does not have to have 800 page in order to challenge and inform. I highly recommend this book!