JWST 154 - Jesus: A Radical Life

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as RELI 154) Who was Jesus of Nazareth? Yeshua bar Yosef of the town of Nazaret in the Upper Galilee in the Roman-occupied territory Jews called “Eretz Yisrael” and the Occupation renamed “Palestine,” was a radical and extraordinary historical figure, and an even more fascinating literary figure. With the Gospels—not only the four that made it into the New Testament, but some of the hundreds of others—as our guide, we attempt to situate Jesus in his indigenous context at a crucial time in the history and development of Jewish thought, before there were either “Christians” or “Christianity.” Jesus himself asks, “Who do you say I am?” One might answer in terms we may think we understand: “Radical teacher, preacher, healer, political revolutionary.” But historically, the terms “Messiah, Son of God, God,” have also been applied to Jesus. What can we know historically? And when do we cross the line from history into theology? Marc Epstein.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS