The Historical Christ and the Jesus of Faith: The Incarnational Narrative as History - Softcover

Evans has made out a good case for Christianity's being logically coherent, even credible. (Church Times)

It requires no more than a basic philosophical training to find the argument both lucid and refreshingly free of dogma and presupposition. Evans has made out a good case for Christianity's being logically coherent, even credible. (Anthony Harvey, Church Times)

Evans has made out a good case for Christianity's being logically coherent, even credible. (Ven. A.E. Harvey, Church Times)

This is a remarkable book ... Unlike most works of its kind, it is written by a philosopher who has dabbled in Biblical Studies, not (as is so often the case) the other way round. The result is a profound and moving defence of the need to ground the life and work of Jesus in what would be recognized by others as 'history'. Those of a basically Reformed outlook will be inclined to share Dr Evans' views ... It certainly deserves to be widely read and studied in evangelical circles, where Dr Evans' robust convictions will warm the hearts of many. He is to be congratulated for producing such an outstanding work in a field which he admits is not his own. (Gerald Bray, Churchman)

This is an interesting and intriguing book, a clear and readable account of a thesis that is fundamentally problematic ... he offers a viable philosophical account of faith as a form of knowledge ... Evans has read widely and offers a careful and balanced view of various positions as he gradually unfolds the theme. (Theology Today)

He explores clearly and with considerable scope issues that have exercised biblical scholars, theologians, and philosophers for generations ... Evans's study is commendable for its analytical equilibrium and comprehensive grasp of the New Testament field's scholarly diversity. (Choice)

Evans questions and challenges the reader to acquire a new insight and respect for the validity of the core story of the gospel. (Review & Exposition)

The story of Jesus of Nazareth, as recounted in the New Testament, has always been understood by the church to be historically true. It is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of a real person, whose links with history are firmly signalled in the creeds of the early church, which affirm that Jesus `suffered under Pontius Pilate'. Contemporary historical scholarship has, however, called into question the reliability of the church's version of this story, and thereby raised the question as to whether ordinary people can know its historical truth.

This book argues that the historicity of the story still matters, and that its religious significance cannot be captured by the category of `non-historical myth'. The commonly drawn distinction between the Christ of faith and Jesus of history cannot be maintained. The Christ who is the object of faith must be seen as historical; the Jesus who is reconstructed by historical scholarship is always shaped by commitments of faith. A reconsideration of the Englightenment epistemologies that underlie much historical scholarship shows that historical knowledge of this story is still possible. Such knowledge can be inferential, based on historical evidence. A careful look at contemporary New Testament studies, and the philosophical and literary assumptions upon which it rests, shows that this scholarship should not undermine the confidence of lay people who believe that they can know that the church's story about Jesus is true.