The Son Of Man Tradition

"This book should be mandatory reading for all scholars concerned with Christian origins ... nothing of comparable importance has been written for at least a decade." - Freethinker For more than a century scholars have been examining the Gospels and other traditions about the life of Jesus to determine their historical accuracy. Although the results of these scholarly efforts are sometimes controversial, the consensus among researchers today is that the four Evangelists'' accounts cannot be taken at face value. In fact, a team of more than 100 scholars called the Jesus Seminar has come to the conclusion that on average only about 18 percent of the four Gospels is historically accurate.An active member of the Jesus Seminar, Dr. Robert M. Price presents the fruits of this important historical research in this fascinating discussion of early Christianity. As the title suggests, Price is none too optimistic about the reliability of the Gospel tradition as a source of accurate historical information about the life of Jesus. Indeed, he feels that his colleagues in the Jesus Seminar are much too optimistic in their estimate of authentic material in the Gospels. After an introduction to the historical-critical method for nonspecialists and a critique of the methods used by the Jesus Seminar, Price systematically discusses the narrative and teaching materials in the Gospel, clearly presenting what is known and not known about all of the major episodes of Jesus'' life. He also examines the parables for authenticity as well as Jesus'' teachings about the Kingdom of God, repentance, prayer, possessions and poverty, the Atonement, and many other features of the Gospels.Written for the general reading public in a lively and accessible style, Dr. Price''s highly informative discussion will be of interest to anyone who has wondered about the origins of Christianity.

Andrew Angel briefly reviews the work of Old Testament scholars on the mythological motif of God's battle with the dragon and the chaos waters. He also reviews works that touch on the existence of the motif in the period 515 BCE to 200 CE, noting the need for thorough survey of the motif in Hebrew literature of this period. There follows a study of forty-two Jewish and Christian texts (in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin), which establishes the fact that this mythological motif was well known in this period. Angel makes suggestions as to how this might offer fresh insights into the meaning of apocalyptic visions and texts that appear to refer to a 'son of man' figure in this period.

Distinguished in the field of Enochic studies, Gabriele Boccaccini led the way in June 2005 at the Third Enoch Seminar, entirely devoted to the Book of Parables in light of Second Temple Judaism and Christian origins. The unusual and compelling collection of essays found here reflects the spirit of sharing and dialogue that has made these seminars so popular and intriguing to scholars throughout the world.This third collection of essays from these historic meetings contains the observations and contemplations of forty-four scholars, includes a helpful introduction by Boccaccini detailing the history of the movement, and ends with likely prospects for future research and an extensive bibliography compiled by associate editor Jason von Ehrenkrook for further study.Enoch and the Messiah Son of Man will be a significant contribution for the understanding and discussion of ancient Judaism.

Leading biblical scholar Stanley Porter critiques the state of research regarding the New Testament's use of the Old Testament and sacred traditions. He provides needed orientation for readers interested in New Testament references to themes such as "son of man" and "suffering servant" as well as the faith of Abraham and the Passover. Porter explains that examining scriptural traditions is fundamental to understanding central ideas in the New Testament regarding Jesus. He sheds light on major themes in New Testament Christology and soteriology, offering fresh, constructive proposals.

The opening chapter surveys the history of scholarship regarding the problematic use of the phrase 'son of man' in the New Testament. It also explains why this problem could not be solved until recently. Casey then presents the relevant Aramaic evidence. He offers a careful discussion of the use of the Aramaic term 'son of man' in the light of over 30 examples of the use of this term by speakers who are referring to themselves. Chapters 4-9 discuss authentic examples of this idiom in the teaching of Jesus, with Aramaic reconstructions of each saying. All but one of these sayings is found in Mark or 'Q'. There is then a full discussion of secondary sayings in the Synoptic Gospels. The first ones dependent on Daniel 7.13 belong to the earliest Gospel, which also contains the results of translating genuine sayings of Jesus from Aramaic into Greek. There is a discussion of the transition process between authentic Aramaic sayings of Jesus and Greek 'son of man' sayings in the synoptic Gospels. This argument builds on work in the field of translation studies, and the work of ancient translators, especially of the Septuagint. Casey argues that Gospel translators deliberately translated both literally and creatively to produce a new Christological title. It is this tradition that is evident in the Fourth Gospel: its 'son of man' sayings fit perfectly into Johannine theology. The final chapter draws together a complete solution to this difficult problem.

The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave

The expression 'Son of Man', used in the Gospels almost exclusively by Jesus, has been the object of intensive study since the Protestant Reformation, yet scholars have come to no agreement on its origin or meaning. Research in this area has been described as 'a veritable mine field' and 'a can of worms'. Because of the scope and complexity of the literature, no comprehensive survey of the subject has been written in the twentieth century. Delbert Burkett's book fills this need. It provides a comprehensive historical overview of the debate from the patristic period to 1996, and gives an evaluation of that research and a summation of the present state of the question. Burkett concludes that despite nineteen centuries of 'Son of Man' study there is no consensus concerning the meaning or origin of the expression; the debate is therefore a prime example of the limits of New Testament scholarship.

""Borsch has not answered all the questions, of course. Who can? But his view of the Man tradition makes more sense to me than, for example, Perrin's rather cavalier dismissal of the evidence, and it not only enlightens but also enlivens the discussion. As against the extreme skeptics, Borsch is also convincing to me in arguing the case for a large measure of authenticity in the Son of man tradition in the Gospels. If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the book constantly calls me back to its pages for insight regarding the problem, both in its historical dimension and in its bearing upon the meaning of Jesus of Nazareth for faith today. --'Theology' ""The author is well aware of the difficulties involved in entering a field wherein so much investigation has been done. And of this, with the positive and negative conclusions, he gives an excellent survey, crisp and critical . . . . The lines opened up will engage the attention of a new and more positive chapter in the form-critical argument. --'London Quarterly and Holborn Review' Frederick H. Borsch is the retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and Professor of New Testament and Chair of Anglican Studies at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He is also the former Dean of the Chapel at Princeton University. His other books include 'The Spirit Searches Everything: Keeping Life's Questions', 'The Bible's Authority in Today's Church', 'Introducing the Lessons of the Church Year: A Guide for Lay Readers and Congregartions', and 'The Christian and Gnostic Son of Man'.

The problem of the term "Son of Man" is agreed to lie at the heart of Gospel studies, and Dr. Todt's examination of the evidence is recognized as one of the most important, although controversial, books in the post-Bultmann phase of Biblical scholarship. Now for the first time a detailed analysis is made of the three groups of sayings in the synoptic tradition concerning the parousia, the earthly activity, and the passion and resurrection of the Son of Man. The author shows how the dispute over the messianic self-consciousness of Jesus obstructed the independent problem about the meaning of the Son of Man sayings. He endeavors to establish for each of the three groups of sayings their essential significance and their roots in the history of the tradition, in order to elucidate the Christological meaning of the designation "Son of Man" in the Synoptic Gospels. Here follows a detailed analysis of the "Son of Man" sayings as found in the Marcan Gospel, in Q, in the Matthean Gospel, and in the Lucan Gospel. In each case, the actual Biblical references are given. The author argues that the term "Son of Man" denotes the transcendent sovereignty celebrated in apocalyptic literature, and was not applied by Jesus to himself. It was only the Easter revelation that persuaded at a very early stage, before the oral tradition developed into Q and Mark. This study has led Dr. Todt to conclude that on the one hand the passion-kerygma and on the other hand the "Son of Man" and the Christology of his supreme authority are together the two sources of the Christological discover. "We have arrived at the conclusion," he says, "that there is a Christology in the synoptic tradition the basis of which is not a Christological concept of Jesus' person. This Christology conceives of Jesus' authority on earth. It does not conceive of a transcendent person, the Son of Man as immanent in Jesus." Another valuable contribution of the book is its many references to other scholarly literature, including a new appendix covering recent British work in this field. It also confronts the minister with a challenge: Does his preaching express the spiritual relationship to Jesus' authoritative word which the earliest collection of the Lord's sayings demands? -Publisher