The Historical Jesus and the Christ of Faith: Marcus Borg and N. T. Wright in Critical Dialogue

The Historical Jesus and the Christ of Faith examines the conflicting views of Marcus Borg and N. T. Wright on the long-standing question of the relationship between the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ of faith as depicted in the New Testament. Demetrion has created a study designed to supplement and expand on the discussion laid out in Borgs and Wrights widely read The Meaning of Jesus: Two Views. While the author is more empathetic to Wrights emphasis on the continuities between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith as illuminated throughout the New Testament he is critical of Wrights overemphasis on history. In placing his interpretive emphasis on the revelatory dynamic of the canonical Scripture and the Great Tradition of Christian orthodoxy Demetrion calls for a fourth quest for the historical Jesus that starts from a position firmly rooted in biblical faith and works backwards in search of historical roots. In this he draws on the Pauline vision of God . . . reconciling the world to himself in Christ (2 Cor 5:19) as his underlying hermeneutics. In exploring the broad range of issues that underpins the continuity/discontinuity question Demetrion has provided a resource designed to span a wide audience from Christian adult study groups interested in tackling books like The Meaning of Jesus to graduate level seminary students and professors. By means of his insightful comparison of the views of Borg and Wright on the historical Jesus George Demetrion addresses the central questions surrounding the interplay of history and faith in our knowledge of Jesus. Demetrions reading of both authors is empathic and generous as he attempts to build bridges between postliberalism and evangelicalism. This is a stimulating book. . . . Highly recommended! --Donald A. Hagner George Eldon Ladd Professor Emeritus of New Testament Fuller Theological Seminary Demetrion provides an insightful analysis and critique of two very different visions of the historical Jesus. This book is a helpful tool for navigating the philosophical foundations of historical Jesus studies. Demetrion proposes a middle way where historical research is not ignored but builds on the solid foundation of Gods self-revelation through Scripture. --Mark L. Strauss PhD University Professor of New Testament Bethel Seminary San Diego Demetrion has done us a great service. He invites us into his own informed exploration of this perennial question of the truth about Jesus. His strategy is both humble and informed. . . . [T]he questions engaged in this little book are far from trivial and warrant our close reading. --Glen G. Scorgie from the foreword George Demetrion is a self-educated Christian scholar who has audited courses at Bethel and Hartford Seminaries. He has taught cx ourses in the Virginia Commonwealth University Online Adult Literacy Certification Program. He is the author of In Quest of a Vital Protestant Center: An Ecumenical Evangelical Perspective (2014) and Conflicting Paradigms in Adult Literacy Education: In Quest of a U.S. Democratic Politics of Literacy (2005).