What Are They Saying About the Parables? Paperback – July 1, 2000

Gowler presents an excellent summation of "Historical Jesus" research, both past and present. Even though he must fit a huge amount of material into this volume, he is nevertheless able to cover the main points with aplomb. The Endnotes are extremely helpful as well for following up on some of the authors. He covers such scholars well-known as: David Strauss; Albert Schweitzer; E. P. Sanders; N. T. Wright; as well as the work of some lesser-known "Jesus scholars" as: Dale Allison and Paula Frederiksen. He also covers the scholarly group, the "Jesus Seminar," and reactions to its work (e.g., by Luke Timothy Johnson). His summaries of ideas is brilliant: Gowler offers a general sketch of his subjects and their ideas without losing sight of each one's particular nuances and distinctions.I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to know where "Jesus Research" has been and where it stands right now. As a Theology Instructor, I have been using it as a re-fresher to my own knowledge and as a guidepost for where I should be looking for further reading.One caveat, or caution regarding the "Jesus Seminar": While Gowler presents and excellent summary of the Seminar's methodology, assumptions, and conclusions about the "Historical Jesus," he is not so evenhanded in my opinion when it comes to the Seminar's critics. Gowler's chpater on the Seminar can seem at times to be an apologia or defense for the Seminar's motives and its work. He is a little bit severe on the Seminar's critics, like Luke Johnson above and N. T. Wright. Gowler reveals: that some of his personal colleagues were founding members of the "Jesus Seminar" . . . that he himself joined and participated (albeit, lightly) in the "Jesus Seminar," when he was a graduate student . . . that he was part of a group assembled by Robert Funk, the Seminar's creator, to do some project -- he doesn't say what -- which was later disbanded. So, Gowler has several connnections to the "Jesus Seminar," its members, and its work. Yet, he chooses to reveal of this information in an endnote for the chapter, for which one has turn all the way to the back of the book to discover. Information such as this is NOT in my humble opinion: "endnote material." Gowler's connection to the "Jesus Seminar" needed to be stated upfront and at the beginning of the Chapter. His connection to it helps contextualize for me some of the defensiveness and negativity towwards critics which runs throughout the chapter.Still, an excellent volume, which I still highly recommend!

Heavy reading.

Great introduction to the history of scholarly dialogue and the ongoing scholarly dialogue about the historical Jesus. Really great introduction that sends you reading many other good books about it. It goes over the main areas of interest in such dialogue, as well. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the historical Jesus!Gowler is also a very good writer. He uses plain language and is easy to read even when discussing complex scholarly matters.

Needed it for a class. My professor was the proof reader of this book and a good friend of Mr. Gowler. The detail and content is amazing.

This book certainly explain the meanings of the codes that may appear unclear in our readings of proverb, it is very clear and easy to read.

Gowler is a genial writer, and this short book is a pleasant and interesting read.For such a complex topic it's also quite short--not even 200 pages. That's because he doesn't try to cover everything. The search for the historical Jesus has held scholars in a thrall for well over two hundred years, starting with Reimarus and Strauss.The theory held that the actual historical Jesus needed to be teased out of layers of faith. "Foundational to the Liberal Quest was the belief that one could establish through historical-critical methodology the authentic teaching and historical person of Jesus" (p 9).Gowler only briefly sketches the early part of the historical quest. Most of his book deals only with the major, and most recent scholarship.There is a very long section on the Jesus Seminar, whom Gowler appears to admire. And then there is a section on the critics of the Jesus Seminar.This is where the book gets especially entertaining and personal. Luke Timothy Johnson, a foe of the Jesus Seminar, points out that Funk is best known for his "'grandiosity and hucksterism" (p 43) and he also "questions the academic credentials" (p 43) of some members of the Seminar.I had to take off a star because Gowler insists, against massive evidence to the contrary, that looking into the historical Jesus will "lead to a more authentic, robust and mature faith" (p144). Oh, come on. How will reading Crossan state that Jesus was never resurrected strengthen faith?Besides, the search for the historical Jesus looks like it is finally coming to a close, with every one of the major tenets refuted. Time and again, the historical method has only revealed...the critics themselves. Otherwise, why did the liberal von Harnack supposedly historical Jesus look like exactly like the liberal gentleman von Harnack and why did Crossan's Jesus, in the midst of social revolution and hippies, look like yet another social revolutionary hippie?

Personally I find the What are they Saying About, series to be very useful short overviews of biblical scholarship that are accessible to the general reader.In terms of format, endnotes are used instead of footnotes, the later which I prefer so that one does not have to flip constantly to the back of the book.Lacks an index, but it does have a very small annotated bibliography though no bibliography of sources cited.Though published by a Roman Catholic Press, Paulist Press, I found this to be relatively free from sectarian bias, the bias I suspect some might complain about is that of the "academy" which for some people undermines people's faith - not a view I share or about which I am really that concerned.There are seven chapters 1 Modern Quest 2. Continuing Quest 3. Jesus Seminar and its critics 4. Eschatological Prophet 5. Mediterranean Jewish Peasant and borderless Kingdom 6. Elijah-like Eschatological prophet 7. Eschatological Prophet of Social ChangeGreat as an overview of the thinkers, but maybe not so strong on Jesus and general history writing. Still a highly recommended book as a brief overview of the issue, highly recommend the series in fact