Media Reviews: A Marginal Jew, Rethinking the Historical Jesus. Vol. 4

“ This is not the Jesus known by countless millions of his followers. It is the historical man who was known by contemporaries before he became the Risen Christ. It is, nevertheless, the same man. ”

"A Marginal Jew, Rethinking the Historical Jesus. Vol. 4" by John P. Meier (Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2009).

Finally, it came.The long and eagerly awaited vol.4 of the John Meier series on Jesus. This is not the Jesus known by countless millions of his followers. It is the historical man who was known by contemporaries before he became the Risen Christ. It is, nevertheless, the same man.

For the first time since he trod the pathways of Palestine this man may become familiar to us all thanks to the gifts of modern science and historical scholarship.

Meier performs a great service to all of us in this presentation of Jesus as the man he truly was. To know this Jesus it is important to know something of the daily life of first century, a.d., Palestine. Meier provides us with this information.

Among the things I learned from this work. That Jesus, though fully a marginal Jew, was a Jew among fellow Jews to his contemporaries. In his thinking and acting he was not that different from his fellow Jews.

This might be the first of the works of church scholars following Vatican Council II. One of the many possible classifications of members of the church is into politicians (basically the bishops), scholars and the people. John Meier’s work represents the best that can be expected of church scholars.

We, the members of the Church, look for a great deal of our leadership from our scholars,as we are basically an intellectual community. We depend upon them for our self- understanding and our direction. They are not our ultimate leaders, however This remind the prerogative of our political leaders, the bishops Moreover, they have not done too poorly in the past. The scholars tend to be too doctrinaire and the people too easily led.

The political leaders win by default if nothing else Actually, the bishops have not done too bad a job in running the Church. They have won a number of important battles,and often acted with genuine nobility.