Themelios
"Certainly one of the most constructive and original books about Jesus to have been written in recent years. There is also a great deal of fresh and valuable detailed exegesis...an illuminating perspective on Jesus in the social context of his day (and) an important contribution to an important ongoing debate."


Choice
"Belongs to the forefront of recent study on the politics of Jesus. Remarkably free from religious bias, this superb historical analysis combines thorough familiarity with the scholarly literature and an unusually lucid expository style...A must for research libraries, the book will have as primary audience seminary students, graduate students, and research specialists."


Catholic Biblical Quarterly
"...a significant attempt to ascertain the programmatic character of Jesus' ministry within the political, social, and cultural crisis of Israel's resistance to Roman rule...This study presents a productive framework for re-examining the content, goals and material consequences of Jesus' ministry and sets a pressing agenda for future research."


Biblical Theology Bulletin
"Full of wise judgments and fresh insight...The argument is crisp; the perspective is fresh and ground breaking; the judgments are sound and serious. On balance, this is an excellent study, of exceptional insight and coherence."


Journal of Biblical Literature
"This book is a first rate achievement and marks the advent on the scene of gospel studies of an author with a fine critical mind...a model of scholarship...a brilliant conceptional contribution to the discussion."


Choice
Belongs to the forefront... Remarkably free from religious bias... superb historical analysis... a must for research libraries...


Catholic Biblical Quarterly
... productive framework for re-examining the content, goals and material consequences of Jesus' ministry... sets a pressing agenda for future research.


The Counselor newsletter
I wish so much that this would have been a book close at hand at the beginning of my ministry...


Biblical Theology Bulletin
Full of wise judgments... fresh insight... crisp... fresh... ground breaking... sound and serious... excellent study, of exceptional insight and coherence.


Journal of Theological Studies
A convincing account of the relation between the political and mystical dimensions of the renewal movement inaugurated by Jesus.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Originally published in 1984, this extraordinary work has until now been available only in an expensive library edition. The present edition has been completely updated and redesigned, and includes an extended new introduction by Marcus Borg that relates the book's central arguments to subsequent Jesus scholarship. A foreword by N.T. Wright characterizes the book as one of the foundational works in the "third quest" for the historical Jesus.