Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels
Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels book cover

Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels

Hardcover – April 10, 2007

by
Price
$68.37
Format
Hardcover
Pages
560
Publisher
Zondervan Academic
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0310226970
Dimensions
7.63 x 1.5 x 9.38 inches
Weight
3.64 pounds

Description

'Strauss guides the nonspecialist gently through the maze of academic jargon and esoteric debate. The treatment is fair and responsible, based on sound scholarship but not over burdened with footnotes.' -- R.T. France, Principal Emeritus -- R.T. France To Christians worldwide, the man Jesus of Nazareth is the centerpiece of history, the object of faith, hope, and worship. Even those who do not follow him admit the vast influence of his life. For anyone interested in knowing more about Jesus, study of the four biblical Gospels is essential.Four Portraits, One Jesus is a thorough yet accessible introduction to these documents and their subject, the life and person of Jesus. Like different artists rendering the same subject using different styles and points of view, the Gospels paint four highly distinctive portraits of the same remarkable Jesus.With clarity and insight, Mark Strauss illuminates these four books, first addressing their nature, origin, methods for study, and historical, religious, and cultural backgrounds. He then moves on to closer study of each narrative and its contribution to our understanding of Jesus, investigating things such as plot, characters, and theme. Finally, he pulls it all together with a detailed examination of what the Gospels teach about Jesus' ministry, message, death, and resurrection, with excursions into the quest for the historical Jesus and the historical reliability of the Gospels. Mark L. Strauss (PhD, Aberdeen) is university professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary, where he has served since 1993. His books include Four Portraits, One Jesus ; How to Read the Bible in Changing Times ; The Essential Bible Companion ; and commentaries on Mark and Luke. He also serves as vice chair of the Committee on Bible Translation for the New International Version translation. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • To Christians worldwide, the man Jesus of Nazareth is the centerpiece of history, the object of faith, hope, and worship. Even those who do not follow him admit the vast influence of his life. For anyone interested in knowing more about Jesus, study of the four biblical Gospels is essential. Four Portraits, One Jesus is a thorough yet accessible introduction to these documents and their subject, the life and person of Jesus. Like different artists rendering the same subject using different styles and points of view, the Gospels paint four highly distinctive portraits of the same remarkable Jesus. With clarity and insight, Mark Strauss illuminates these four books, first addressing their nature, origin, methods for study, and historical, religious, and cultural backgrounds. He then moves on to closer study of each narrative and its contribution to our understanding of Jesus, investigating things such as plot, characters, and theme. Finally, he pulls it all together with a detailed examination of what the Gospels teach about Jesus’ ministry, message, death, and resurrection, with excursions into the quest for the historical Jesus and the historical reliability of the Gospels.

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Most Helpful Reviews

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This is one of the best books that provide a layman’s approach to the gospels

Book Review: Four Portraits One Jesus by Mark L. Strauss

I have been teaching a college class called Jesus and the Gospels for many years. I’ve decided to use a new textbook by this author. This audiobook is a 6-hour lecture by the author, based on his book.

If you want to delve in the details of the gospels without feeling like you have to wade through the research and writings of a Ph.D. professor, this book is for you. Strass, presents the topic quickly, with modern-day examples to help bridges the first-century Palestinian culture to today’s setting.

The book covers all of the aspects you would expect; historical-critical analysis, cultural setting, language differences, important themes, and discrepancies that scholars often discuss.

Also, the book then spends a small amount of time focusing on each of the gospels separately, providing a closer examination of the Gospel and what the original author was trying to convey through linguistic and literary styles.

Towards the end, Strauss transitions from the Gospels to addressing the historical Jesus, demonstrating how the Bible and some, but many outside sources, can give proof to the life of Jesus. He then discusses a few controversial topics, such as miracles and the divinity of Jesus.

For the most part, the writer provides an excellent overview of the subject. He is clearly coming from a Christian perspective, assuming the reader already has a belief that these books are indeed inspired.

Upon completion, I felt the author addressed some other issues in the latter half of the book, where his apologetic stance was weakened by failing to address some of the problem areas in the Bible, like other scholars ( like Aslan, Mark Clark, or even Bishop Spong).

In some ways, the author could have built a stronger case on focusing on just the biblical literature (the four Gospels) instead of attempting to provide a weakened argument for the historical Jesus, the case for miracles, etc

In the end, This is one of the best books that provide a layman’s approach to the gospels.
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