Jesus in context
Book Description
Richard A. Horsley challenges conventional approaches to understanding Jesus by examining the social and cultural forces that shaped his world. Rather than focusing solely on written Gospel texts, this scholarly work explores how Jesus traditions developed through oral storytelling and community memory among ordinary people in ancient Palestine.
Horsley invites readers to consider Jesus within the complex dynamics of Roman-occupied Judea and Galilee, where peasant communities navigated systems of power and economic pressure. By applying social scientific methods to biblical study, he reveals how "great traditions" of religious authority intersected with the "little traditions" of everyday folk wisdom and resistance.
This approach offers a fresh perspective on the historical Jesus by examining the grassroots movement that formed around him. Instead of viewing early Christianity through the lens of elite scribal culture, Horsley demonstrates how popular traditions and oral performance shaped the transmission of Jesus teachings and stories.
The book provides accessible insights into the social world of first-century Palestine, exploring themes of power, memory, and moral economy that influenced both Jesus and his followers. For readers seeking to understand the historical context behind familiar Gospel narratives, this work presents a compelling case for studying religious movements from the ground up, revealing how ordinary people preserved and transformed sacred traditions through their lived experiences and communal storytelling.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
📄 Length: 274 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Jesus christ
- ✓ Explore Social scientific criticism
- ✓ Explore Logienquelle
- ✓ Explore Analys och tolkning
- ✓ Explore Sozialgeschichtliche Exegese
- ✓ Explore Social scientific criticism of sacred works
- ✓ Explore Criticism, interpretation
- ✓ Study Bible from spiritual perspective
