SwoleMan

I've read Peter Kirby's book tips, but I still feel a bit insecure about which books dealing with the NT and Jesus to start with. I'm leaning towards Koester's "Intruduction to the New Testament" and J D Crossans "The Historical Jesus", the latter because I've heard Crossan doesn't believe everything in the gospels to be historical truth in spite of the fact he's a Christian (if the author of the book I'm in debates with Christians refering to is biased towards Christianity, it'll perhaps make my arguments look less suspect). I've also thought of buying Earl Doherty's "The Jesus Puzzle", but am hesitating a little because I didn't get too convinced by another MJ advocate, namely Alvar Ellegård. Is Doherty better? Of what I've read about Jesus so far, I like Richard Carrier's essays (those that are available here on II) best.

So, which books do you think I should spend my money on first?

Amaleq13

I think Koester is a good place to start to give you enough background to read the rest.

Personally, I liked Crossan's The Birth of Christianity and would suggest that before The Historical Jesus. Oddly enough, the former book by Crossan seems to me a pretty good precursor to Doherty's thesis.

gregor2

In all due respect, I think Koester is too much a college textbook to be your first foray into the area. You risk getting lost in the discussions of Epikorus and the monetary policies of the Persian Empire. Crossan's TBOC is great, but it's long and presupposes you know alot of the historicity debates. It's easy to be overwhelmed by it.

I'd start with smaller books - Randall Helms and Burton Mack first.
Then, I'd try Ehrman's Lost Christianities
Then I'd go for Crossan's TBOC and other Jesus' stories
Then I'd go for Koester and Robert Price
Stay away from James the Brother of Jesus for a few years.

Toto

Doherty is better, and makes more sense.

SwoleMan

Isn't TBOC a lot like Koester's two books about NT?

SwoleMan

By the way, thank you guys for your tips! It may be that I don't comment everything you write, but I read and ponder it.

Amaleq13

Koester is more about the texts while Crossan gives a more broad consideration of what we can conclude about the earliest Christians based on their texts but also incorporating what outsiders were saying. There is certainly overlap but I enjoyed the cultural context Crossan provides for early Christianity and I also found his discussion of the "great divide" in the earliest evidence (living ministry vs resurrected Christ) very interesting.

IMO, Koester describes and explains the facts while Crossan provides a context for those facts.

SwoleMan

Ok.

I read a review of TBOC, and I got the impression Crossan is a believer of a spiritual resurrection. Is this true, or did I get it wrong?l

Amaleq13

Yes. He believes that Jesus' body was most likely buried in a common grave, and scavanged by dogs, along with all the other crucifixion victims.

SwoleMan

Aha.

Hmm, I wonder if the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden, K G Hammar, has read Crossans works. Don't know what he thinks about the alleged resurrection, but he has stated clearly that he doesn't believe Jesus walked on water etc. .

You've convinced me to order TBOC. I think I'll wait with ordering Koester's books, though; they're rather expensive.