Links on the Historical Jesus

The World of the Historical Jesus

• Into His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus
  By Mahlon Smith. Background information on the world in which Jesus lived by means of well-organized Jewish primary texts and other material.
• The Jewish Roman World of Jesus
  By James Tabor. Essays, pictures and pieces of information on the Judaism in the first century, the New Testament and Christian origins.
• Palestine in the Time of Jesus
  By K. C. Hanson & Douglas E. Oakman. Website designed to accompany the book of the same name.

Academic or General Introductions to Historical Jesus Studies

• Perspectives on the Resurrection
  The web site of the ABC News 20/20 special by the same name, which explores the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus.
• From Jesus to Christ
  An extensive web site designed to accompany the PBS television program of the same name. Features interviews with several scholars specializing in early Christianity and the historical Jesus.
• Westar Institute and Jesus Seminar Home
  Official website of the Westar Institute, the home of the Jesus Seminar.
• Ancient Jewish Accounts of Jesus
  By Alan Humm. Information on Jesus from Josephus and other Jewish sources.
• The Search For Jesus
  A Beliefnet site in association with American television program "Peter Jennings Reporting" that aired on June 26 2000. The site provides some useful overview materials and articles from scholars (John Dominic Crossan, Marcus Borg, Robert Funk, Paula Fredriksen, Marvin Meyer, N. T. Wright etc.) including lots of bite-size quotations. A particularly useful site for the beginning student or the casually curious.
• Search for Jesus
  Web version of the program of the same name at ABCNews.com's site. Features video excerpts, maps, a historical timeline of Christianity, user surveys, links to related stories and a discussion board.
• The Meaning of Jesus
  Transcript of an event at the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting 1998 in Orlando, Florida, for Christianity Online. "Six scholars explain why they study the origins of Christianity--and why it matters": Marcus Borg, N. T. Wright, John Dominic Crossan, Elaine Pagels, Richard B. Hays and Karen King.
• Who is Jesus?
  "In Focus" feature in the magazine The Lutheran including short pieces by Mark Allan Powell, "Blackballing Jesus" on the Jesus Seminar and "Peasant, prophet or Spirit person?" on current Jesus research.
• Historical Jesus Theories
  By Peter Kirby, as part of his Early Christian Writings website. Outlines the views of 24 scholars on the historical Jesus, organized into nine categories like "Jesus the Myth" and "Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet." A useful introduction to the spectrum of contemporary theories on the identity of the historical Jesus.
• A Portrait of Jesus: From Galilean Jew to the Face of God
  By Cam Howard. An attractive and useful website based on the work of Marcus Borg and with Borg's permission.

Traditional Christian Perspective

• Articles by William Lane Craig on the Historical Jesus – Leadership University
  Several articles by William Lane Craig on the Jesus Seminar, the historical Jesus, the empty tomb and the resurrection.
• Articles about Jesus Christ – Worldwide Church of God
  Articles about Jesus' birth, life and death, including an article on Why the Historical Jesus Matters.
• Finding the Historical Jesus: An Interview with John P. Meier – American Catholic
  Transcript of an interview with the Catholic author of A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus in December 1997.

The "Jesus Did Not Exist" Perspective

• Did a Historical Jesus Exist? – Nobeliefs.com
  By Jim Walker. Lengthy essay arguing that there is no good evidence for the existence of Jesus.
• The Jesus Puzzle: Was There No Historical Jesus?
  By Earl Doherty. "Presenting the basic case for the non-existence of an historical Jesus and a different origin of Christianity."