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Scripting jesus the gospels in rewrite

In Scripting Jesus, famed scholar of early Christianity L. Michael White challenges us to read the gospels as they were originally intended'as performed stories of faith rather than factual histories. White demonstrates that each of the four gospel writers had a specific audience in mind and a specific theological agenda to push, and consequently wrote and rewrote their lives of Jesus accordingly'in effect, scripting Jesus to get a particular point across and to achieve the desired audience reaction. The gospel stories have shaped the beliefs of almost two and a half billion Christians. But the gospel writers were not reporters'rather, they were dramatists, and the stories they told publicly about Jesus were edited and reedited for the greatest effect. Understanding how these first-century Christians wanted to present Jesus offers us a way to make sense of the sometimes conflicting stories in the gospels. One gospel's version of events will be at odds with another. For instance, in Jesus's birth narrative, there is no mention of a stable in Matthew or Luke, but then there are no wise men in Luke and no shepherds in Matthew. Jesus has brothers in some gospel accounts, and sisters in others, and their naming is inconsistent. Depending on which gospel you are reading, the disciples shift from bumbling morons to heroes of faith. Miracles alter or disappear altogether, and whole scenes get moved around. Such changes from one gospel to the next reveal the shaping and reshaping of the basic story in the living world of the first followers of Jesus. With his usual engaging style, White helps us read the gospels with fresh eyes, giving us a clearer idea of what the gospel stories meant to people in ancient times, and offering insight for how we can understand Jesus's story today.

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  • ""The gospel writers were storytellers, and the stories they told about Jesus and his followers have shaped the beliefs of almost two-and-a-half billion people. Scripting Jesus explains how the gospel writers "honed their pitch" about the life of Jesus and the birth of Christianity for the greatest dramatic effect. For centuries, in their attempt to discover the real, historical Jesus, people have wrestled with the contradictory stories in the Gospels. For instance, in Jesus' birth narrative, there is no mention of a stable in Matthew and Luke, there are no wise men in Luke, and no shepherds in Matthew. In several gospels and Pauline letters, Jesus has brothers (and sometimes sisters), but to preserve the virginity of Mary, the Catholic Church insists James was only the "half-brother" of Jesus--and the Protestants snicker. These sorts of questions and confusions are addressed in Scripting Jesus, arguing that not only do we moderns read into Jesus's story what we want to see, but even the ancient gospel writers, like any circuit preacher or stand-up comedian, saved the material that got the best response, and cut whatever fell flat--essentially retelling Jesus's story to serve their own theological agenda and for greatest effect. With his usual engaging style which he perfected on several PBS series, Early Christianity scholar L. Michael White uses all the tools of criticism for better understanding all four gospels. In his previous, successful book From Jesus to Christianity, the author offered an introduction to the New Testament and the historical and cultural background of a burgeoning religious movement. In Scripting Jesus, White focuses on the gospels, revealing the agendas of the "handlers" who made a man into a messiah"--Provided by publisher."
  • "For centuries, in their attempt to discover the real, historical Jesus, people have wrestled with the contradictory stories in the Gospels. The gospel writers were storytellers, and the stories they told about Jesus and his followers have shaped the beliefs of almost two and a half billion people. This book explains how the gospel writers "honed their pitch" about the life of Jesus and the birth of Christianity for the greatest dramatic effect. The ancient gospel writers, like any circuit preacher or stand-up comedian, saved the material that got the best response, and cut whatever fell flat--essentially retelling Jesus' story to serve their own theological agenda and for greatest effect. Early Christianity scholar L. Michael White uses all the tools of criticism to reveal the agendas of the "handlers" who made a man into a messiah, leading to a better understanding of all four gospels.--From publisher description."
  • "In Scripting Jesus, famed scholar of early Christianity L. Michael White challenges us to read the gospels as they were originally intended'as performed stories of faith rather than factual histories. White demonstrates that each of the four gospel writers had a specific audience in mind and a specific theological agenda to push, and consequently wrote and rewrote their lives of Jesus accordingly'in effect, scripting Jesus to get a particular point across and to achieve the desired audience reaction. The gospel stories have shaped the beliefs of almost two and a half billion Christians. But the gospel writers were not reporters'rather, they were dramatists, and the stories they told publicly about Jesus were edited and reedited for the greatest effect. Understanding how these first-century Christians wanted to present Jesus offers us a way to make sense of the sometimes conflicting stories in the gospels. One gospel's version of events will be at odds with another. For instance, in Jesus's birth narrative, there is no mention of a stable in Matthew or Luke, but then there are no wise men in Luke and no shepherds in Matthew. Jesus has brothers in some gospel accounts, and sisters in others, and their naming is inconsistent. Depending on which gospel you are reading, the disciples shift from bumbling morons to heroes of faith. Miracles alter or disappear altogether, and whole scenes get moved around. Such changes from one gospel to the next reveal the shaping and reshaping of the basic story in the living world of the first followers of Jesus. With his usual engaging style, White helps us read the gospels with fresh eyes, giving us a clearer idea of what the gospel stories meant to people in ancient times, and offering insight for how we can understand Jesus's story today."@en

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  • "Electronic books"@en
  • "Criticism, interpretation, etc"

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  • "Scripting Jesus : the Gospels in rewrite"
  • "Scripting jesus the gospels in rewrite"@en
  • "Scripting Jesus : the gospels in rewrite"
  • "Scripting jesus : the gospels in rewrite"@en

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