Books in the Understanding Jesus Today series

This series brings together in accessible form the conclusions of an international team of distinguished scholars regarding various important aspects of Jesus' teaching. The authors have extensively analyzed biblical and contextual evidence about whom Jesus was and what he taught; they summarize their findings here in easily readable and stimulating discussions.

An examination of the social, economic, political and cultural context of first century Judaism. Precipitated by the coming of the Romans in the century before, Judaism experienced a crisis of cultural erosion in the first century AD.

The latest book in the Understanding Jesus Today series deals with the role of discipleship in Christianity.

This volume deals authoritatively and intelligibly with questions which are often asked about Paul, and shows how Paul interpreted Jesus's significance. Because Pauline understandings of Jesus have remained so influential across twenty centuries, the more fully they are appreciated now the better one can understand Jesus today.

Professor Perkins compares Jesus with other types of teachers in his day: philosophers, interpreters of the law, prophets, and visionaries. Jesus is characterized as a charismatic teacher and prophet who addressed his message to all people, as opposed to the elite groups taught in formal schools in ancient times.

This 1997 book presents in readable, non-technical language the findings of scholarship on one important aspect of 'who Jesus was' - Jesus as healer. It guides readers through the New Testament's portraits of Jesus, as seen by modern biblical scholarship, setting the stage for these portraits by looking at sickness and its treatment in Jesus's day.

Jesus' statements about the future provoked conflict among his own people and reprisal from the Romans; they remain controversial even today. This book challenges the reader to understand the historical realities that Jesus addressed. Important passages concerning the future are examined in close connection to their real life contexts.