Historical Jesus : What We Can Know And How We Can Know It

This provocative little book addresses two primary questions: What does “historical” mean? and How should we apply this to Jesus?

Anthony Le Donne begins with the unusual step of considering human perception – how sensory data from sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell are interpreted from the outset by what we expect, what we’ve learned, and how we categorize the world. In this way Le Donne shows how historical memories are initially formed. He unpacks the nature of human memory and how it interacts with group memories. Finally he demonstrates how his definition and philosophy of history can be used to illuminate three dimensions of Jesus’ life: his dysfunctional family, his politics, and his final confrontation in Jerusalem.