Contributors -- ix

Preface -- xv

Acknowledgments -- xix

Surveying the Quest of the Historical Jesus -- pg. 1 Robert B. Stewart

1. The Message of Jesus -- pg. 33 A Dialogue
John Dominic Crossan and Ben Witherington III

2. The Place of Jewish Scripture in Jesus’ Teaching -- pg. 79
Craig A. Evans

3. Standard and Poor -- pg. 95
The Economic Index oj the Parables
Amy Jill Levine, Myrick C. Shinall Jr.

4. Everything in Parables -- pg. 117 On Jesus’ Style
Stephen J. Patterson

5. How Matthew Helped Jesus Fulfill Prophecy -- pg. 127
Robert J. Miller

6. Faith and the Historical Jesus -- pg. 143
Does A Confessional Position and Respect for the Jesus
Tradition Preclude Serious Historical Engagement?
Darrell L. Bock

7. The Historical Jesus from the Synoptics and the Fourth Gospel? -- pg. 165 Jesus the Purifier
Craig L. Bloomberg

8. Critical Blindness, Wise Virgins, and the Law of Christ -- pg. 183
Three Surprising Examples of Jesus Tradition in Paul
David Wenham

Index -- pg. 205

This volume explores points of agreement and disagreement on the quest for Jesus and his message. The dialogue partners in the discussion are John Dominic Crossan, emeritus professor of religious studies at DePaul University and former co-chair of the Jesus Seminar (1985-1996), and Ben Witherington III, Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. A transcript of the February 2010 Point- Counterpoint event between Crossan and Witherington allows the reader to see how each presents his position in light of the other’s, as well as their responses to selected audience and panel questions.