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Presuppositions and Procedures in the Study of the ‘Historical Jesus’: Or, Why I Decided Not to be a ‘Historical Jesus’ Scholar

Cambridge University Cambridge, England

This article provides a detailed description of the presuppositions and procedures of a representative group of six scholars currently contributing to the study of the ‘historical Jesus’. The intention of the study was to draft a ‘handbook’, a ‘recipe’, of the best methods and the surest presuppositions for achieving the result of a solid historical conclusion about Jesus. What resulted from the project was not what had been hoped. In fact, what resulted was a deep scepticism about the quest, at least as it is currently being conducted. Though, admittedly, not offering solutions, this article seeks to raise questions about the real potential and usefulness of any quest for the so-called ‘historical Jesus’.

Key Words: confessional scholarship • method • methodology • presuppositions • quest for the historical Jesus • tradition criticism • E.P. Sanders • John Dominic Crossan • John P. Meier • N.T. Wright • Gerd Theissen • Dale C. Allison

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