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Rating: 
Summary: Saintly or Sinister?
Review: A Marginal Jew, volume 3! Another 650 pages to digest in John Meier's fated-to-be standard treatment of the historical Jesus. Those familiar with volumes 1 and 2 know what to expect. Thorough discussion of the issues, lots of footnotes and conclusions which aren't too surprising or too shocking. Are we being cynical if we suggest that Meier is out to give the definitive defense of a broadly traditional Jesus? Whether we are or not that is what his "Marginal Jew" project is delivering.But to volume 3 in particular. One immediate point is that his publishers have gone and messed up the colour scheme. Volumes 1 and 2 had the logos and the commissioned pictures all lined up and coordinated. Now the fonts change and some medieval picture is slapped on the front. This doesn't look good on the shelf guys! We move inside and get the expected précis of what has gone before and the regurgitation of what Meier is up to: strictly historical scholarship. The book is supposed to cover Jesus' "companions and competitors". But I have issues. The most abiding of these is the what can only be polemical exclusion of any group that is non-Jewish. Now I'm all for a Jewish Jesus. I support Meier's understanding of Jesus as an eschatological figure in the Jewish prophetic tradition. But come on John! Your polemics against your opponents have gone to far! In your desire to present a Jewish Jesus you've now set him in a context which is not just Jewish but ONLY Jewish. Is that your "unbiased history"? Is your historical presentation meant to suggest that Jesus is a Jew among Jews and without any wider context, any wider "competitor" or "companion"? The interested reader can only read this volume as a deliberate rebuff to John Dominic Crossan's "Jewish Mediterranean Peasant". That said, the book is once more thoroughly professional. Meier provides reams of material and is a reliable guide. I certainly recommend the book. No person interested in current historical Jesus scholarship can be without it and be credible. But I wonder if Meier himself is being credible. Its not so much what he writes about as what he doesn't. This is solid traditional scholarship. But is that good or bad?
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the effort.
Review: Consistent with the overall quality of the Anchor Bible Series, the "Marginal Jew" series impresses with the depth, honesty, and objectivity of its scholarship. It may be that nobody is completely impartial when it comes to assessing the historical Jesus, but John Meier comes far closer than most, and he documents every opinion he offers. (If you're into footnotes, and I mean thousands of them,is this ever the series for you!) I took on the challenge of this series when I read that Raymond E. Brown, the late great Catholic scholar and author, gave his highest marks to the first two volumes. Similar to Brown, Meier cooly and adeptly applies the tools of critical scholarship to his task of learning what we can of the historical Jesus. Fundamentalists will find his approach too liberal. Jesus Seminar types will find him too conservative. As a believing Christian who also wants to be intellectually honest in my faith, I think he's just right.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the effort.
Review: Consistent with the overall quality of the Anchor Bible Series, the "Marginal Jew" series impresses with the depth, honesty, and objectivity of its scholarship. It may be that nobody is completely impartial when it comes to assessing the historical Jesus, but John Meier comes far closer than most, and he documents every opinion he offers. (If you're into footnotes, and I mean thousands of them,is this ever the series for you!) I took on the challenge of this series when I read that Raymond E. Brown, the late great Catholic scholar and author, gave his highest marks to the first two volumes. Similar to Brown, Meier cooly and adeptly applies the tools of critical scholarship to his task of learning what we can of the historical Jesus. Fundamentalists will find his approach too liberal. Jesus Seminar types will find him too conservative. As a believing Christian who also wants to be intellectually honest in my faith, I think he's just right.
Rating:
Summary: In awe of scholarship...
Review: I must say all of the books in this series are excellent. Meier looks at the evidence and reaches very logical conclusions. I want to also say that one has to be extremely impressed with the depth of scholarship and thought that Meier puts into all his "Marginal Jew" books. This one is no exception.
Rating:
Summary: In awe of scholarship...
Review: I must say all of the books in this series are excellent. Meier looks at the evidence and reaches very logical conclusions. I want to also say that one has to be extremely impressed with the depth of scholarship and thought that Meier puts into all his "Marginal Jew" books. This one is no exception.
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat Disappointing
Review: I've commented on the first two volumes of John P. Meier's series A MARGINAL JEW. This series is a centrist (or perhaps slightly left of center) work on the historical Jesus. While Meier denies or suspects the historicity of parts of the New Testament (such as the infancy narratives) he also thinks that the Gospel presentation of Jesus (a miracle worker who preached a present and future Kingdom of God) is accurate to a large extent.
Volume three is something of a disappointment. Meier discusses Jesus' followers (the crowds, disciples & apostles) and also Jesus' Jewish "competitors" (Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, Essenes & Herodians). My concern centers on Meier's discussion of Jesus' competitors. It is evident from a casual reading of the NT that Jesus often came into dispute with the Jews of his day. As Meier notes, this is clear from an analysis of all the sources available. While Meier's discussion of these groups is interesting and informative, the issue of why Jesus disputed with them is not as detailed as one might expect. For example, the section entitled "Jesus and the Pharisees" is all of eight pages. Yet there are a great many statements of Jesus which are quite hostile to the Jews of his day that cry out for discussion. I realize that the at times shameful treatment of Jews by Western Christianity makes people reticent to discuss these issues, but I wonder if we are too accustomed to hearing about "Jesus the Jew" and "the Jewish roots of Christianity" to discusses these issues frankly. Meier promises that the fourth and final volume will tackle Jesus' view of the law, and I imagine that here Jesus' dispute with his contemporaries will figure prominently.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the effort!
Review: In this book Meier investigates Jesus' followers, disciples, and the other Jewish groups that Jesus interacted with. He wisely doesn't try to draw too many conclusions about Jesus' interaction with other Jewish groups because of the scarcity of sources. His treatment of Jesus' disciples is wonderfully done and brings insight into the nature of Jesus' disciples. I'm eagerly waiting the 4th book of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Another good book in the series
Review: In this book Meier investigates Jesus' followers, disciples, and the other Jewish groups that Jesus interacted with. He wisely doesn't try to draw too many conclusions about Jesus' interaction with other Jewish groups because of the scarcity of sources. His treatment of Jesus' disciples is wonderfully done and brings insight into the nature of Jesus' disciples. I'm eagerly waiting the 4th book of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the effort!
Review: Meier (Univ. of Notre Dame) examines the various groups of people around Jesus of Nazareth. The book is the third volume of a projected four-volume assessment of the historical Jesus. Part 1 of the book characterizes the Jewish followers of Jesus, including the crowds, the disciples, and the 12 apostles. Meier concludes that Jesus attracted large crowds, a middle circle of disciples, and an inner circle of the 12 apostles, who represented the renewal of all Israel. Part 2 examines the competitors of Jesus, including the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Samaritans, the Scribes, the Herodians, and the Zealots. Meier concludes that, in one sense, the relationship of Jesus to Mosaic law determined all his other relationships. The fourth volume in this series will examine that relationship, among other enigmas about Jesus. The book concludes by integrating Jesus' Jewish relationships into the broader historical context identified by volumes 1 (1991) and 2 (1994). This book is an outstanding scholarly accomplishment, unmatched in the English language. Highly recommended for all libraries supporting religion, theology, and ancient history.
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