Book Description
The death of Jesus is one of the most hotly debated questions in Christianity today. In his massive and highly publicized The Death of the Messiah, Raymond Brown -- while clearly rejecting anti-Semitism -- never questions the essential historicity of the passion stories. Yet it is these stories, in which the Jews decide Jesus' execution, that have fueled centuries of Christian anti-Semitism.
Now, in his most controversial book, John Dominic Crossan shows that this traditional understanding of the Gospels as historical fact is not only wrong but dangerous. Drawing on the best of biblical, anthropological, sociological and historical research, he demonstrates definitively that it was the Roman government that tried and executed Jesus as a social agitator. Crossan also candidly addresses such key theological questions as "Did Jesus die for our sins?" and "Is our faith in vain if there was no bodily resurrection?"
Ultimately, however, Crossan's radical reexamination shows that the belief that the Jews killed Jesus is an early Christian myth (directed against rival Jewish groups) that must be eradicated from authentic Christian faith.
Customer Reviews:
Crossan Calls Us to a Mature Faith.......2007-03-29
Crossan compares and contrasts the Passion Narratives (written to explain the crime, arrest, trial and abuse, execution, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) in the four Gospels and includes a fifth, the Gospel of Peter. With uncompromising scholarship, Crossan contrasts the stories with the history of first century Palestine, and discuses the origins of the Passion of Jesus in the Old Testament. While readers must be prepared to let go of myth and miracle, we are left with the sense that something even more powerful existed in the person of Jesus. He was a rebel in the truest sense, fighting against the 'normalcy of civilization,' i.e., empire/domination as usual. God's Kingdom--available here and now, not somewhere hereafter--directly opposed the rule of Rome. As was typical in those times, any troublemaker was quickly dealt with via execution.
I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Crossan at a seminar this past February. He calls us to a mature Christian faith, a faith which strives to restore justice (equality) through service to an unjust world. This is not 'new' Christianity, but original Christianity.
An extended book review.......2006-10-03
John Dominic Crosson's 1995 book is written in response to Raymond Brown's 1994 book The Death of the Messiah. Crosson systematically takes Brown's positions apart, one by one, closely examining the gospels with a special focus on the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Peter (which appears in an appendix). Crosson demonstrates what is most likely historical and what is literary, and his analyses are very impressive. His focus on the death of Jesus provides ample opportunity to accumulate some formidible information about this facet of the life of Jesus.
Despite the obvious scholarship and Crosson's easy to read writing style, the book never gets beyond the "Brown said, I say..." level of exposition. Moreover, Crosson has an annoying habit of opening up a topic and then telling the reader to "stay tuned" because he is really going to discuss it later.
There is value in this book, but not as much if Crosson had simply written his own book instead of trying to critique Brown's book. To get the full value from this book, one has to read Brown's original book.
I feel sorry for him........2006-04-17
JD Crossan is an ex-priest and product of the 1960s who left his vocation. Time and time we see this associated with a pathological sense of guilt as is sadly shown by this book. Though clearly talanted, Crossan's personal sense of shame/guilt cloud his reason. His drivel continues in his other works. Look to other writers on Jesus to get healthier analysis of Jesus.
Important Book.......2005-09-12
This is a thought provoking look at the first century c.e. It is important to separate myth from reality when reading Religous documents as history.
Wonderful book.......2005-01-28
Some of the other reviews need to be ignored by people unfamiliar with the topic. To say, as one of the reviewers did, that Christianity has never claimed that the Jews killed Christ is either ignorant or naive. As I don't know the person, I cannot comment either way. The Gospels are an infamous source of anti-semetism and anyone who has studied theology in an academic setting knows this to be fact.
As for the book being "another angle on Mel Gibson's film," well of course the Gibson film is flawed in many resepcts, particularily historicity. And Crossan's book is an "angle" on the Bible, not a film.
The book is exceptional and I would recommend it without hesitation.
Book Description
William I. Brustein provides a systematic comparative and empirical examination of anti-Semitism in Europe before the Holocaust. Brustein studies the evolution of the four principal roots of anti-Semitism--religious, racial, economic, and political--and demonstrates how these roots became ignited in the decades before the Holocaust. The book explains the epidemic rise of modern anti-Semitism, societal differences in anti-Semitism, and how anti-Semitism varies from other forms of prejudice. The book draws upon an extensive body of data from Europe's leading newspapers and the American Jewish Year Book.
Customer Reviews:
Scholarly...but is something missing?.......2005-06-15
The methodolgy adopted by the study involved sampling newspapers in five European countries for anti-Semitism in the forty years before WWII. Four roots of anti-Semitism are identified for analysis: racial, religious, economic and political. Contra Goldhagen, Brustein concludes that anti-Semitism was not an axiom of 19th century German nationalism. His other arguments are directed towards the impact of Jewish immigration from the East into Europe (pogroms and the Russian revolution) and the perceived involvement of Jews in the rise of leftwing politics. Race and religious practice served to further create a uniqueness for the group and a social opacity. There are a large number of challenging theses and arguments in this book. Facile certainties about anti-Semitism are explored in detail and some of the conclusions are controversial, e.g. about the relatively benign nature of Europe towards the Judaism in the 19th century. However, this is an exceptionally intelligent book in that it analyses anti-Semitism against a background of general European upheaval in the late 19th century and post WWI. The book argues that unlike other migrant minorities in search of labour, Jews were both disliked and feared (due to economic prejudices). The methodology of newspaper sampling over such a long period of time is debatable. The conclusion reached is that by and large the newspapers (the 'broadsheets') were neutral towards Jews. There is something missing here and that is a explanation of the potency of anti-Semitism in the political arena. Some element9s) of popular culture have not been caught in the trawl.
In Germany the 'fork' in media coverage came with the rise of the Nazis in 1933. What the book does not explain however, at least to my satisfaction, is how the step from mutterings about anti-Semitism to the Holocaust was accomplished. In other words, the various layers of social fabric and the vernacular ideology of the 'street' that enabled the rolling out of the extermination program are not satisfactorily explained. Whether the flaw lies in the data sampling, the methodology in general or at the level of testing the wrong hypotehses is beyond the remit of this review. Nevertheless, this is a book worth reading in its entirety. It is never strident or reliant upon a tacit acceptance of pre-existing anti-Semitism to force its claims. I must admit in conclusion that it while it clarifies several of the ideological and structural properties of anti-Semitism, it did not provide me with a 'logic of anti-Semitism' sufficient to explain the Holocaust.
Average customer rating:
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The Roots of Anti-Semitism: In the Age of Renaissance and Reformation
Heiko Augustinus Oberman
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Reformation
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ASIN: 0800607090 |
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant and Honest.......2001-11-29
I have never read a better book on Anti-Semitism. Ruether is a well-known Christian theologian, whose original thinking has both spawned and solved great questions.
This book is a study of the phenomena behind anti-Semitism, but it is unlike any other study of this subject. The author traces the history of Jewish/Christian conflicts back much further than the early churches of Paul, where most authors begin. Ruether looks all the way back to the division of Christian Jews from other Jews over disputes in interpreting the Torah, and books of prophecy.
The study considers the social pressures of the early church to balance somehow the connection to Judaism, and the pressures from the burgeoning state of Rome, but she strips this question entirely of apologetics, demonstrating that deliberate choices were made, not out of desperation, but often for personal gain.
Reuther doesn't pull her punches. When there is blame to be laid, she lays it squarely on the head of the guilty party. But don't think that this is some kind of book of grudges. Ruether is an highly qualified historian and theologian who crosses all her t's and dots her i's. Before she makes any statements of guilt, she builds an extraordinarily strong case, that will have you sadly nodding your head.
Ruether writes with a light touch, never belaboring a point, so the book moves quickly; there is something fascinating on every page. This is a difficult book to put down. It's not often that such an academic subject is turned into a book read for pleasure, but Ruether has done so. Despite squirming sometimes just over the thought of the injustices inflicted on Jews, the joy of discovery ran deep, and I couldn't put this book down.
deconstructing the myth.......2000-12-13
This is an important book worthy of great exposure. Exploring the development of anti-semitic attitudes of the church and its early leaders,the author reveals how the condemnation of the Jewish faith became an integral part of early Christianity.The idea that the Jews rejection of Jesus began two thousand years of persecution is a concept which should be directed towards the mainstream of religious thought. It is from this seed that the myth of the Jewish people's responsibility for everything from the black plague to control of international banking developed. As these sterotypes became ingrained in the Christian consciousness over the centuries they gradually shifted from a religious to a racial form of hatred resulting in the destruction of European Jewry by the Nazis in the 20th century.For anyone interested in discovering the truth about the roots of anti-semitism there is no better place to begin than with this book.
Average customer rating:
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Anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union: Its Roots and Consequences
Manufacturer: Anti Defamation League of Bnai
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0884640515 |
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The Pileated Woodpecker (Dillon Remarkable Animals Book)
Seliesa Pembleton
Manufacturer: Dillon Pr
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ASIN: 0875183921 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on September 1, 2002. The length of the article is 3689 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the author: Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) cause damage to Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) cavity trees in the form of cavity enlargement or other excavations on the surface of the pine tree. However, it is not known whether Pileated Woodpeckers excavate more frequently on Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavity trees than on noncavity trees or how stand structure is related to the frequency of Pileated Woodpecker excavation. Also, it is unclear whether the cavity itself provides the stimulus to Pileated Woodpeckers to excavate or whether the presence of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and their activities are attracting them. We surveyed all of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavity trees (n = 202) and 110 control trees in the loblolly (Pinus taeda)-shortleaf (P. echinata) pine habitat on the Angelina National Forest for recent Pileated Woodpecker excavation and found that approximately 7.4% of all cavity trees were damaged while no control trees showed any evidence of Pileated Woodpecker damage. The rate of Pileated Woodpecker excavation was negatively associated with hardwood midstory height and density. Pileated Woodpeckers appeared to focus most of their excavations on Red-cockaded Woodpeckers cavity entrances. We suggest that Pileated Woodpeckers may be attracted to Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavity trees, especially the cavity, and that midstory removal used to improve Red-cockaded Woodpecker habitat may increase the incidence of damage to the cavity trees by Pileated Woodpeckers in the current fragmented landscape. Received 24 January 2002, accepted 12 August 2002.
Citation Details
Title: Are Pileated Woodpeckers attracted to Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavity trees?
Author: Daniel Saenz
Publication:
Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2002
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 114
Issue: 3
Page: 291(6)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on June 1, 2001. The length of the article is 2170 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Interactions between nesting Pileated Woodpeckers and Wood Ducks.(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Richard N. Conner
Publication:
Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2001
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 113
Issue: 2
Page: 250(4)
Article Type: Statistical Data Included
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on June 1, 2003. The length of the article is 4552 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the author: Individuals in a number of bird species have the opportunity to maintain contact with their mates during nonbreeding periods. This contact may be important to synchronize the partners' reproductive cycles before breeding begins. As a first step toward exploring the function of pair bond maintenance in non-breeding birds, I studied the behavior of three pairs of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) and an unpaired male at roost sites during autumn. At dawn and dusk, paired individuals exchanged visual, vocal, and other acoustical signals identical to those given during the breeding season. Demonstration tapping away from a nest is reported here for the first time. The possible function of these behaviors may be related to monitoring the partner's condition and investing in the pair bond to enhance future reproductive success. Received 19 September 2002, accepted 01 March 2003.
Citation Details
Title: Pair bond maintenance in Pileated Woodpeckers at roots sites during autumn.
Author: James S. Kellam
Publication:
Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2003
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 115
Issue: 2
Page: 186(7)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on September 1, 1998. The length of the article is 3293 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the author: We surveyed all known Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) cavity trees (n = 514) in the Angelina National Forest in eastern Texas for Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) damage. We compared the frequency of Pileated Woodpecker damage to Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavity trees in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) habitat to damage in loblolly (P. taeda)-shortleaf (P. echinata) pine habitat. We also examined the effectiveness of restrictor plates in deterring Pileated Woodpecker enlargement of Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavities. Pileated Woodpecker damage was significantly greater in longleaf pine habitat than in the loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat in spite of census results showing similar abundance levels of Pileated Woodpeckers in the two forest types. We suggest that limited numbers of snags in the longleaf habitat may focus Pileated Woodpecker excavation on Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavity trees, whereas a greater amount of mid-story vegetation in the loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat may serve to reduce visibility, thereby lowering Pileated Woodpecker detection and destruction of Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavities. Restrictor plates were very effective in preventing Pileated Woodpecker enlargement of cavities. While restrictor plates are useful for protecting Red-cockaded Woodpecker cavities, they should be used only in small populations when cavities are in short supply. The Pileated Woodpecker plays an important role, especially in the longleaf ecosystem which is a relatively cavity-barren environment, by providing nesting sites for larger secondary cavity users, such as American Kestrels (Falco sparverius), Eastern Screech-Owls (Otus asio), and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger).
Citation Details
Title: Pileated woodpecker damage to red-cockaded woodpecker cavity trees in eastern Texas.
Author: Daniel Saenz
Publication:
Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 1998
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: v110
Issue: n3
Page: p362(6)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wilson Bulletin, published by Wilson Ornithological Society on June 1, 2001. The length of the article is 977 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Pileated Woodpecker scavenges on a Carcass in Missouri.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Author: Jorge Servin
Publication:
Wilson Bulletin (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2001
Publisher: Wilson Ornithological Society
Volume: 113
Issue: 2
Page: 249(2)
Article Type: Brief Article, Statistical Data Included
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Texas Journal of Science, published by Texas Academy of Science on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 5312 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The red-cockaded woodpecker: interactions with fire, snags, fungi, rat snakes and pileated woodpeckers.
Author: Richard N. Conner
Publication:
The Texas Journal of Science (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Texas Academy of Science
Volume: 56
Issue: 4
Page: 415(12)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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