John Dominic Crossan Book order

The revered Bible scholar and author of The Historical Jesus explores the Christian culture wars--the debates over church and state--from a biblical perspective, exploring the earliest tensions evident in the New Testament, and offering a way forward for Christians today. Leading Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan, the author of the pioneering work The Historical Jesus, provides new insight into the Christian culture wars which began in the New Testament and persist strongly today. For decades, Americans have been divided on how Christians should relate to government and lawmakers, a dispute that has impacted every area of society and grown more rancorous over the past forty years. But as Crossan makes clear, this debate isn't new; it can be found in the New Testament itself, most notably in the tensions between Luke-Acts and Revelation. In the texts of Luke-Acts, Rome is considered favorably. In the book of Revelation, Rome is seen as the embodiment of evil in the world. Yet there is an alternative to these two extremes, Crossan explains. The historical Jesus and Paul, the earliest Christian teachers, were both strongly opposed to Rome, yet neither demonized the Empire. Crossan sees in Jesus and Paul's approach a model for Christians today that can be used to cut through the acrimony and polarization roiling our society and dividing us.

"Leading Bible scholar John Dominic Crossan reveals that just like in today's world of heated debates over church and state, a similar debate roils through the New Testament itself--most keenly seen in the tensions between Luke-Acts and Revelation-but which also model a path forward for Christians today"--

The memoir chronicles John Dominic Crossan's transformative journey from his Irish upbringing to becoming a leading biblical scholar. With humor and honesty, he reflects on his evolution from traditional Catholicism to a more nuanced faith, influenced by his diverse experiences across Ireland, America, Rome, and Israel. Crossan shares the challenges and joys of his life, including his transition from a monk to a married man, shaping his insights into God, Jesus, and the essence of Christianity.

The book explores the significance and global resonance of the Lord's Prayer, examining its role in various religious practices and its impact on communities. It delves into the themes of faith, unity, and spirituality, highlighting how this prayer transcends cultural boundaries and connects believers. Through personal stories and historical context, it emphasizes the enduring power of this prayer in fostering hope and resilience among congregations worldwide.

The acclaimed Bible scholar and author of The Historical Jesus and God & Empire -- "the greatest New Testament scholar of our generation" (John Shelby Spong) -- grapples with Scripture's two conflicting visions of Jesus and God, one of a loving God, and one of a vengeful God, and explains how Christians can better understand these passages in a way that enriches their faith. Many portions of the New Testament, introduce a compassionate Jesus who turns the other cheek, loves his enemies, and shows grace to all. But the Jesus we find in Revelation and some portions of the Gospels leads an army of angels bent on earthly destruction. Which is the true revelation of the Messiah -- and how can both be in the same Bible? How to Read the Bible and Still be a Christian explores this question and offers guidance for the faithful conflicted over which version of the Lord to worship. John Dominic Crossan reconciles these contrasting views, revealing how different writers of the books of the Bible not only possessed different visions of God but also different purposes for writing. Often these books are explicitly competing against another, opposing vision of God from the Bible itself. Crossan explains how to navigate this debate and offers what he believes is the best central thread to what the Bible is all about. He challenges Christians to fully participate in this dialogue, thereby shaping their faith by reading deeply, reflectively, and in community with others who share their uncertainty. Only then, he advises, will Christians be able to read and understand the Bible without losing their faith

Explores and explains the two views of God in the Bible - the violent God of vengeance and retribution, and the non-violent God who became incarnate in Jesus.

Controversial new book by an internationally respected expert on Jesus and his time. Argues that Jesus' parables became the inspiration and model for the way he is presented in the Gospels.

Every Sunday, the Lord's Prayer echoes in every Church around the world. It is an indispensable element of the faith. John Dominic Crossan, one of the world's leading experts on Jesus and his times, explores this foundational prayer line by line.

Exploring the life of Jesus, this bestselling account delves into historical evidence and interpretations, challenging conventional beliefs. It presents a thought-provoking analysis that combines scholarly research with accessible writing, aiming to uncover the truths behind Jesus' life and teachings. The narrative invites readers to reconsider their understanding of a pivotal figure in history, making it both a compelling and contentious read for those interested in religious studies and history.

This book is concerned with the words rather than the deeds of Jesus. But even the words are limited to sayings, that is, units which could or did exist in the tradition as isolated segments passed on in different contexts. This leaves out, for example, those short, terse commands or comments of Jesus uttered during cures or exorcisms and inextricably linked to some such situation. . . . Sayings Parallels is a workbook for the study of the Jesus tradition. Its existence and structure derives from one basic postulate: the exact same unit often appears in different sources, genres, and versions within the Jesus tradition. This is what is meant by parallel sayings. And this phenomenon and its explanation will have implications even for those cases where there are no parallels and the unit appears in only one instance. That basic postulate is taken as a factual statement although, of course, its implication and interpretation, its importance and significance are open to very different visions. But, granted that preliminary postulate, an attempt was made in this book to present the data as neutrally as possible. The work is to facilitate descussion of that factual diversity rather than to promote a set understanding of its presence. --from the Introduction