Jesus Seminar

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The Jesus Seminar is a controversial research team of academic New Testament scholars founded in 1985 by the late Robert Funk under the auspices of the Westar Institute. The seminar's purpose is to determine what Jesus, as a historical figure, may or may not have said or done, continuing the "quest for the Historical Jesus" movement of the early 20th century.

The initial two hundred scholars has now dwindled to about seventy-four active members who meet periodically to debate newly presented or recently-circulated papers. [1]

These scholars attempt to reconstruct the life of Jesus. They try to answer who he was, what he did, what he said, and what his sayings meant using all extant evidence and available tools. The Seminar's approach, like that of Funk, is historical and critical, with a strongly sceptical view of traditional Christian belief.

Their reconstruction of Jesus is based on the triple pillar of social anthropology, history, and textual analysis. They use cross-cultural anthropological studies to set the general background; narrow in on the history and society of first-century Judea; and use textual analysis, anthropology and historical data to focus on Jesus himself.

Contents

[edit] Quotes

From Robert Funk at a keynote address in 1994 to the Jesus Seminar Fellows:

  • "Jesus did not ask us to believe that his death was a blood sacrifice, that he was going to die for our sins."
  • "Jesus did not ask us to believe that he was the messiah. He certainly never suggested that he was the second person of the Trinity. In fact, he rarely referred to himself at all."
  • "Jesus did not call upon people to repent, or fast, or observe the sabbath. He did not threaten with hell or promise heaven."
  • "Jesus did not ask us to believe that he would be raised from the dead."
  • "Jesus did not ask us to believe that he was born of a virgin."
  • "Jesus did not regard Scripture as infallible or even inspired."

[edit] Voting

Following each debate, colored beads have been used to "vote" on the authenticity of Jesus' words and deeds. For example:

[edit] Jesus' words

  • Red - Jesus undoubtedly said this or something very like it..
  • Pink - Jesus probably said something like this..
  • Gray - Jesus did not say this, but the ideas contained in it are close to his own. .
  • Black - Jesus did not say this; it represents the perspective or content of a later or different tradition.

[edit] The results

"Their voting conclusions: Over 80% of the statements attributed to Jesus in the Gospels are, by voting consensus, either gray or black. This means that only 20% of Jesus' statements are likely to have been spoken by Him. The other 80% are most assuredly, they say, unlikely to have ever been uttered by Jesus. They were published in a book referenced below." [2]

[edit] Jesus' deeds

  • Red - The historical reliability of this information is virtually certain. It is supported by a preponderance of evidence.
  • Pink - This information is probably reliable. It fits well with other evidence that is verifiable.
  • Gray - This information is possible but unreliable. It lacks supporting evidence.
  • Black - This information is improbable. It does not fit verifiable evidence; it is largely or entirely fictive

[edit] Most prominent members

[edit] Resources

[edit] Con

[edit] Pro

  • The results of their search for Jesus' words were published in The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus by Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar (ISBN 006063040X)
  • The results of their search for Jesus' deeds were published in The Acts of Jesus: What did Jesus Really Do? by Robert Funk and the Jesus Seminar (ISBN 0060629789)

[edit] Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/jesussem.html
  2. ↑ http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/jesussem.html

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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