Ben Witherington III
"Scholars have tended to say that there is no significant evidence
about the historical Jesus to be garnered from sources outside of
the New Testament canon. This book shows that that assessment is by
no means entirely correct. Here we finally have in one book all the
essential extrabiblical data from the earliest period about Jesus.
Anyone who cares about understanding Jesus within his historical
context will find this well-written study to be an invaluable aid"
John P. Meier
"Jesus Outside the New Testament gives a clear, concise, and
orderly presentation of the major sources -- pagan, Jewish, and
Christian -- for our knowledge of the historical Jesus. Readers
will be especially grateful for the way in which Robert Van Voorst
gathers together disparate texts that are otherwise difficult to
find in one place. This is especially true of his treatment of the
pagan authors. Both scholars and lay readers will find this work
useful." Library Journal
"Van Voorst has written a comprehensive, rigorously focused survey
of the evidence for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as
manifested by the written sources other than the New Testament. . .
This very well-organized and -written book fills a comparative void
left by the deluge of historical Jesus books. It will be valuable
for those interested in the historical grounding of their faith."
Marion L. Soards
"This careful study is a lucid, concise, and insightful
presentation, analysis, and guide to the ancient extra-New
Testament materials related to Jesus. Robert Van Voorst provides a
tremendous service for those studying the life of Jesus by
collecting, translating, and commenting on these often-cited but
seldom seen (or critically examined) early references to Jesus. All
students and scholars interested in 'Jesus' will welcome this
work." Paul J. Achtemeier
"The material collected in this volume, along with the sober
evaluations provided by the author, presents readers with a rather
complete sampling of the noncanonical evidence about Jesus of
Nazareth, from Greco-Roman, Jewish, and noncanonical Christian
sources, both actual and hypothetical. Those interested in the
contemporary quest for the historical Jesus have here much of the
noncanonical evidence called upon by those who seek to present
Jesus in radical as well as more traditional forms" Internationale
Zeitschriftenschau für Bibelwissenschaft und Grenzgebiete
"This is a careful survey of all the relevant ancient materials on
Jesus. A remarkable study, to be recommended for its references to
a wide range of interpretive opinion." Choice
"Van Voorst's style is both readable and objective, and he poses
questions that more skeptical readers would raise, such as 'Are
these texts reliable?' and 'Why is there not more ancient evidence
for the historical Jesus?' In the process he supplies a wealth of
notations for those interested in further study, making it an ideal
primer for all levels of university students, as well as general
readers." Review of Biblical Literature
"For those who would like a trustworthy and readable introduction
to early non-canonical sources related to Jesus, this book should
be placed at the very top of the list. The balance, clarity,
brevity, and scope of this book commend it as a textbook for
courses at any level. While it may be of special interest to
scholars and students, this book may be strongly recommended to
anyone with an interest in the contemporary study of the historical
Jesus." The Expository Times
"In a well-researched, yet highly readable study, [Van Voorst]
introduces the reader to all non-canonical references to Jesus. . .
Van Voorst helpfully analyses each reference in turn, situating
each within the context of the work as a whole, asking from where
each author derived his information, and evaluated its historical
significance. . . Overall, the book provides a useful introduction
to a wide range of literature from the ancient world, a clear
outline of the state of the question regarding sources behind the
canonical gospels, and a particularly valuable discussion of the
place of the Gospel of Thomas and certain Apocryphal texts in
reconstructing the historical Jesus." Evangelical Quarterly
"Van Voorst shows himself to be well abreast of recent scholarship
in all parts of his book. . . He is a careful and cautious guide to
the material about Jesus outside the Gospels, wisely concluding, as
others have done before him, that we are thrown back upon the New
Testament for solid information about him."
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