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Searching for Jesus
For more than a century, Bible scholars and university researchers have been systematically debunking what ordinary Christians believed about Jesus of Nazareth. But what if the most recent Biblical scholarship actually affirmed the New Testament? What if Jesus was not a Zealot revolutionary, or a Greek Cynic philosopher, or a proto-feminist Gnostic, but precisely what he claimed to be: the divine Son of Man prophesied in the Book of Daniel who gave his life as a ransom for many? What if everything the Gospels say about Jesus of Nazareth--his words, his deeds, his plans--turned out to be true? Searching for Jesus changes "what if?" to "what is," debunking the debunkers and showing how the latest scholarship supports orthodox Christian belief.
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2015
70 people are currently reading
711 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Hutchinson
12 books48 followersRobert J. Hutchinson is the author of
What Really Happened: The Death of Hitler
(Regnery History, August 2020), which settles the question once and for all about whether Hitler escaped to live in Argentina, and
What Really Happened: The Lincoln Assassination
(Regnery History, April 2020), a step-by-step recreation of the final week of Abraham Lincoln's life. Hutchinson is also the author of
The Dawn of Christianity,
(Thomas Nelson, 2017), a journalistic retelling of the last week of Jesus’ life and the twenty years that followed;
Searching for Jesus: New Discoveries in the Quest for Jesus of Nazareth
(Thomas Nelson, 2015), a pioneering work that challenges older scholarly ideas about who Jesus was and what he was trying to achieve;
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible
(Regnery, 2008) which argues that the ideas embedded in the ancient Biblical texts gave rise to such developments as modern science, the recognition of universal human rights and constitutional government;
When in Rome: A Journal of Life In Vatican City
(Doubleday, 1998) which recounts the adventures of his family when they lived in Rome and Hutchinson researched the inner workings of the Vatican; and
The Book of Vices: A Collection of Classic Immoral Tales
(Putnam, 1996) which is a light-hearted attempt to poke fun at William Bennett's The Book of Virtues and is full of excerpts from ribald classics.
Hutchinson has been a professional writer and author his entire adult life, working both for Christian publications, such as Christianity Today and U.S. Catholic, and for secular magazines and newspapers. He was once the managing editor of Hawaii Magazine and the Hawaii Bureau Chief for The Hollywood Reporter. Hutchinson attended Catholic schools, studied philosophy and French as an undergraduate, moved to Israel to learn Hebrew, and earned a graduate degree in New Testament studies in 2004. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.
Hutchinson has been a professional writer and author his entire adult life, working both for Christian publications, such as Christianity Today and U.S. Catholic, and for secular magazines and newspapers. He was once the managing editor of Hawaii Magazine and the Hawaii Bureau Chief for The Hollywood Reporter. Hutchinson attended Catholic schools, studied philosophy and French as an undergraduate, moved to Israel to learn Hebrew, and earned a graduate degree in New Testament studies in 2004. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 26, 2019
Since I'm not going to church with Dennis very often, I resumed going with him to the long-running seminar on the historical Jesus at the local Unitarian church. We read this book last year. It purports to be critical scholarship, but of the type that supports the historicity of the New Testament by citing the New Testament. In short, it's circular. The group leader selected it because he wanted the group to study a more conservative viewpoint. But the author repudiates all kinds of bible scholars from liberal to conservative. I don't remember learning anything from this book.
January 4, 2016
I’ve always been skeptical by nature. I want to believe, but belief doesn’t always come naturally to me. I want to see the possibilities or probabilities of something before I commit belief. So, when I saw Robert J. Hutchinson’s newest book, Searching for Jesus: New Discoveries in the Quest for Jesus of Nazareth—and How They Confirm the Gospel Accounts, I was highly interested in giving it a read.
Hutchinson is an “educated layman” who admits to growing up with a fascination with the character of Jesus. He could see possibilities, a hero, and eventually he became drawn deeper into the gospel message, especially as he spent time in Israeli culture and came away with a thirst to learn more.
This desire for more knowledge and learning has culminated at this point in a book that takes both conservative Christian scholars and liberal scholars and looks at where these scholars provide evidence to support the accounts in the New Testament. However, this is not a work of apologetics, as many who pick up this book might be expecting. This is really a work of New Testament studies made accessible for the layman.
For most of us, unless we’ve taken courses in college or read New Testament studies books, the only items that we hear from the work of scholars are the sensational claims that we hear each Christmas and Easter of new research that challenges orthodox Christian belief. If this book does nothing else, I hope that it reminds people that these “shocking claims” are not truly based on the newest research or even the majority thought of scholars. In this, Hutchinson does an excellent job of debunking that popular thought.
Hutchinson divides his book into eleven chapters. Ten of these chapters are framed as questions, such as “Is there Eyewitness Testimony in the Gospels?” and “Did Jesus have a Secret Message?”. The final chapter is a mini examination of when Jesus began to be considered as divine instead of just man. Hutchinson paints broad strokes of each question, giving particular consideration to the conservative viewpoints, yet managing not to draw definitive conclusions, only to point to the viewpoints that support a more Biblical answer.
I think the best summation of his work comes in the chapter on whether or not there is proof for the resurrection. In this chapter, Hutchinson admits that “Doubt and hope are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they go together. If you have no doubts, then you probably don’t need hope.” He points out several times in this chapter that even though the gospels record the disciples as seeing the proof of the resurrection and other miracles, the gospels also record that the disciples experienced doubt. And I think it’s important to understand that those doubts are not only normal, but they’re okay. I think that skeptics and other seekers that are looking for answers may find some answers here, but I also think that as people of faith, we live in tension with the miraculous and with occasional doubts. That’s just something all of us natural skeptics just have to learn to deal with and do decide whether we’re going to let faith and doubt rule in our lives.
If there’s an area that I would have liked for Hutchinson to address further, it’s the penal substitution theory and it’s main competitors. He touches on this subject several times and is bumping up against it often in his treatment of his questions, but I feel like his examination of the argument is a little lacking.
One of my favorite things about the book is Hutchinson’s use of endnotes and further reading references. Although I’ve read several of the books, Hutchinson’s book has had me to add several new books to my reading list. This is great book for the layman who’s searching in an honest way for answers answers and for what theologians and Biblical archaeologists are thinking about the subjects that Hutchinson addresses. I plan on keeping it on my shelf for further reference and reflection.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the BookLook Bloggers Program in exchange for an honest review.
Hutchinson is an “educated layman” who admits to growing up with a fascination with the character of Jesus. He could see possibilities, a hero, and eventually he became drawn deeper into the gospel message, especially as he spent time in Israeli culture and came away with a thirst to learn more.
This desire for more knowledge and learning has culminated at this point in a book that takes both conservative Christian scholars and liberal scholars and looks at where these scholars provide evidence to support the accounts in the New Testament. However, this is not a work of apologetics, as many who pick up this book might be expecting. This is really a work of New Testament studies made accessible for the layman.
For most of us, unless we’ve taken courses in college or read New Testament studies books, the only items that we hear from the work of scholars are the sensational claims that we hear each Christmas and Easter of new research that challenges orthodox Christian belief. If this book does nothing else, I hope that it reminds people that these “shocking claims” are not truly based on the newest research or even the majority thought of scholars. In this, Hutchinson does an excellent job of debunking that popular thought.
Hutchinson divides his book into eleven chapters. Ten of these chapters are framed as questions, such as “Is there Eyewitness Testimony in the Gospels?” and “Did Jesus have a Secret Message?”. The final chapter is a mini examination of when Jesus began to be considered as divine instead of just man. Hutchinson paints broad strokes of each question, giving particular consideration to the conservative viewpoints, yet managing not to draw definitive conclusions, only to point to the viewpoints that support a more Biblical answer.
I think the best summation of his work comes in the chapter on whether or not there is proof for the resurrection. In this chapter, Hutchinson admits that “Doubt and hope are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they go together. If you have no doubts, then you probably don’t need hope.” He points out several times in this chapter that even though the gospels record the disciples as seeing the proof of the resurrection and other miracles, the gospels also record that the disciples experienced doubt. And I think it’s important to understand that those doubts are not only normal, but they’re okay. I think that skeptics and other seekers that are looking for answers may find some answers here, but I also think that as people of faith, we live in tension with the miraculous and with occasional doubts. That’s just something all of us natural skeptics just have to learn to deal with and do decide whether we’re going to let faith and doubt rule in our lives.
If there’s an area that I would have liked for Hutchinson to address further, it’s the penal substitution theory and it’s main competitors. He touches on this subject several times and is bumping up against it often in his treatment of his questions, but I feel like his examination of the argument is a little lacking.
One of my favorite things about the book is Hutchinson’s use of endnotes and further reading references. Although I’ve read several of the books, Hutchinson’s book has had me to add several new books to my reading list. This is great book for the layman who’s searching in an honest way for answers answers and for what theologians and Biblical archaeologists are thinking about the subjects that Hutchinson addresses. I plan on keeping it on my shelf for further reference and reflection.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the BookLook Bloggers Program in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2023
4.5/5
Again, this was well-written, but I disagree with a few things. The main point in this book I don't agree with is that Jesus didn't die as a penal substitution for our sins, but as a martyr. Hutchinson's view is that Jesus' death is not our salvation, but that He died simply because of His message and that His death had no ultimate purpose.
Other than that and a few other minor details, I think this book would be better if it had firmer conclusions. I understand Hutchinson writing in a way that examined all points of view; I just wish there were some clearer explanations and in some cases interpretations regarding all the different opinions he mentioned. :)
Again, this was well-written, but I disagree with a few things. The main point in this book I don't agree with is that Jesus didn't die as a penal substitution for our sins, but as a martyr. Hutchinson's view is that Jesus' death is not our salvation, but that He died simply because of His message and that His death had no ultimate purpose.
Other than that and a few other minor details, I think this book would be better if it had firmer conclusions. I understand Hutchinson writing in a way that examined all points of view; I just wish there were some clearer explanations and in some cases interpretations regarding all the different opinions he mentioned. :)
April 8, 2020
2020 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge-a book with a 3 word title.
December 29, 2016
This book does a great job addressing the criticisms and conjectures of liberal theologians and academics attempting to cast doubt on the account of Jesus Christ's life and ministry. Robert Hutchinson does this both logically and factually, and then shows these critics' own logical fallacies and intellectual inconsistencies in their own positions -- which often are as much products of their biases more than they are derived from a rational, objective examination of all of the facts and evidence. I enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone interested in apologetics or in learning more about the historical facts and evidence surrounding the life of Jesus Christ.
March 30, 2016
A superb and balanced overview of the current state of New Testament Studies. While the author is a Christian - a fact he is very clear on - he writes and reports in the even handed, objective, manner of a skeptic. This is not a partisan or apologetic book.
Highest recommendation.
Highest recommendation.
August 23, 2016
Hutchinson reviews currently controversies in New Testament and Jesus studies and demonstrates that there is nothing that controverts a conservative position on many of these issues. He includes an interesting survey of many archaeological finds that bear on the Gospels.
November 1, 2024
I thought this was a very well researched and thought out book. The author did a phenomenal job of highlighting key archaeological and historical pieces of evidence confirming Jesus and many of the things that he did. Furthermore it also addressed a lot of the historical criticism that has arisen related to Christianity. In this way, I thought the author did a phenomenal job. The book is also phenomenally well written and such an easy read. I was thoroughly impressed by the ability of the author to condense so much information into an easy to read and easily accessible book. Although there are certain aspects that does keep it from receiving the full five stars that I would like to give it.
First, one of my complaints is that the author really doesn't do a thorough job of debunking claims made by people like Bart Ehrman and Reza Aslan. Yes, the author does address these and debunk them but it feels like there's something missing. It feels like there should be something more to the arguments against these. The other spends long amounts dedicated to their arguments and what I personally feel like very little time debunking them. Sometimes it's not even clear if the author is about to debunk or explain the view of one of these new testament critics.
Second, it is clear that the author has his own personal biases and opinions regarding modern-day christianity. I would not necessarily say that he is an Evangelical in any sense but does maintain some sense of orthodox Protestant christianity. This becomes clear in a few of the ways that he addresses certain things. But there's also however can work in his favor when he addresses a few Christian New testament scholars and their views on things such as the atonement of Christ.
Overall, this is not necessarily an apologetics. In fact I would argue that this book does not seek to be an apologetic of any sort. But rather this book seems to specifically analyze the historical criticism as well as the historical evidence of Jesus christ. This came out in the same year as evidence that demands a verdict: the updates and expanded edition and I think there's probably a lot of crossover between the two. Nonetheless it was a well-written, thoroughly researched but at some times disappointing book.
First, one of my complaints is that the author really doesn't do a thorough job of debunking claims made by people like Bart Ehrman and Reza Aslan. Yes, the author does address these and debunk them but it feels like there's something missing. It feels like there should be something more to the arguments against these. The other spends long amounts dedicated to their arguments and what I personally feel like very little time debunking them. Sometimes it's not even clear if the author is about to debunk or explain the view of one of these new testament critics.
Second, it is clear that the author has his own personal biases and opinions regarding modern-day christianity. I would not necessarily say that he is an Evangelical in any sense but does maintain some sense of orthodox Protestant christianity. This becomes clear in a few of the ways that he addresses certain things. But there's also however can work in his favor when he addresses a few Christian New testament scholars and their views on things such as the atonement of Christ.
Overall, this is not necessarily an apologetics. In fact I would argue that this book does not seek to be an apologetic of any sort. But rather this book seems to specifically analyze the historical criticism as well as the historical evidence of Jesus christ. This came out in the same year as evidence that demands a verdict: the updates and expanded edition and I think there's probably a lot of crossover between the two. Nonetheless it was a well-written, thoroughly researched but at some times disappointing book.
February 4, 2018
Several months ago I read a thick time by John Dominick Crossan on early Christianity. Using insights gleaned from the behavioral sciences, Crossan object was to demonstrate how untrustworthy the received text of the New Testament was.
In the same spirit that I read Crossan, I approached Hutchinson's book. They are similar in that they passionately believe in his approach, but differ in that Crossan is an academic scholar, while Hutchinson is a layman. Crossan, a former RC priest who was laicized over 50 years ago, says he is still a Christian, but not committed to any flavor of Christianity. Hutchinson is a fideist, a Believer, who seems committed to every flavor of Christianity.
Hutchinson is clearly widely read in the academic literature and pits opposing views against one another... Except in his case, the deck is stacked in favor of the Believers.
At no point does Hutchinson take the low road, sink to ad hominem attacks, or raise his voice.
His voice is genuinely irenic. He clearly respects those who do not share his views, nor is he smug in his beliefs.
I found it a very pleasant read, a book that an open, inquiring mind should enjoy.
In the same spirit that I read Crossan, I approached Hutchinson's book. They are similar in that they passionately believe in his approach, but differ in that Crossan is an academic scholar, while Hutchinson is a layman. Crossan, a former RC priest who was laicized over 50 years ago, says he is still a Christian, but not committed to any flavor of Christianity. Hutchinson is a fideist, a Believer, who seems committed to every flavor of Christianity.
Hutchinson is clearly widely read in the academic literature and pits opposing views against one another... Except in his case, the deck is stacked in favor of the Believers.
At no point does Hutchinson take the low road, sink to ad hominem attacks, or raise his voice.
His voice is genuinely irenic. He clearly respects those who do not share his views, nor is he smug in his beliefs.
I found it a very pleasant read, a book that an open, inquiring mind should enjoy.
August 2, 2017
This is an extremely accessible, fun-to-read, and surprisingly well-balanced summary of decades of scholarship. Hutchinson manages to cover a wide swath of topics, introducing the reader to textual criticism, the history of biblical manuscripts, biblical archaeology, the "Jesus Quests" of the 19th and 20th centuries, all the while offering balanced critique and explanation of various perspectives.
Hutchinson's tone throughout this book is probably what impressed me the most. He is sensitive to skeptics and doubters, and gives virtually every perspective a fair hearing, offering gentle and confident critiques where necessary.
All in all, it's simply a fun book to read, and I would recommend this to honest skeptics/seekers without reservation. Hutchinson dives into the most contentious of the recent debates and scholarship with a remarkably confident and self-assured stance, without making "questioners" feel silly or out-of-place for having doubts. The "further reading" lists are also helpful, and as a resource alone, this is going to stay on my shelf for a long time.
Hutchinson's tone throughout this book is probably what impressed me the most. He is sensitive to skeptics and doubters, and gives virtually every perspective a fair hearing, offering gentle and confident critiques where necessary.
All in all, it's simply a fun book to read, and I would recommend this to honest skeptics/seekers without reservation. Hutchinson dives into the most contentious of the recent debates and scholarship with a remarkably confident and self-assured stance, without making "questioners" feel silly or out-of-place for having doubts. The "further reading" lists are also helpful, and as a resource alone, this is going to stay on my shelf for a long time.
January 7, 2021
As a follower of Christ that is constantly reading through scripture, I found that many of the problems I find myself running into/questioning were answered in this collection and discussion of mostly archeological finds. I feel that before reading this I already had a very good grasp of Christian apologetics and that was confirmed by the fact that many of the arguments in this collection I already knew of and had a good understanding of, but still, Robert J. Hutchinson brought up so many new topics that hadn’t heard of or understood well previously!
All of his information is obviously studied well, throughout most of his life and basically his entire adult life! He also cited his topics and arguments very well to original authors which is very helpful!
Most importantly he kept true to what he believes throughout his entire writing, that Jesus is king and that he is the author and perfecter of our faith in Him!!
All of his information is obviously studied well, throughout most of his life and basically his entire adult life! He also cited his topics and arguments very well to original authors which is very helpful!
Most importantly he kept true to what he believes throughout his entire writing, that Jesus is king and that he is the author and perfecter of our faith in Him!!
April 24, 2020
This book it’s an excellent introduction to the historical research of Jesus and the New Testament.
There is a lot of things in this book, and the author it’s Christian so his perspective it’s clear in favor of a Christian interpretation of the Bible.
I think the more interesting points are the New Jewish research of Jesus. Definitely all the Jesus mob it’s not something out of nothing, as the author said, it was in the air the arrival of a messiah.
Was possible a resurrection? Surely not, but it’s not the point, because the resurrection it’s something more communitarian than miraculous.
Nice read, excelente book.
There is a lot of things in this book, and the author it’s Christian so his perspective it’s clear in favor of a Christian interpretation of the Bible.
I think the more interesting points are the New Jewish research of Jesus. Definitely all the Jesus mob it’s not something out of nothing, as the author said, it was in the air the arrival of a messiah.
Was possible a resurrection? Surely not, but it’s not the point, because the resurrection it’s something more communitarian than miraculous.
Nice read, excelente book.
March 6, 2019
This is a very good read. I enjoyed Hutchinson's exploration and wish there were more investigative journalists like him. Hutchinson did take a surprising turn in terms of his beliefs near the end of the book and he can not be deemed as an evangelical Christian. Nevertheless, I commend this book to everyone's library. It is an invaluable resource in comparing the findings of both Christian and non-Christian scholars, commentators, reporters, professors, etc.
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June 23, 2025Only probably read about 1/2-2/3 for my class, but largely quite good. Hutchinson is a little more liberal in his theology, especially of the Resurrection, but still very thoughtful and good at engaging with all the myriad criticisms of Christianity.
May 20, 2018
Solid read! Good for the Skeptic who is seeking or for the Christian who wants to understand how strong our faith is under girded by various fields!!!
December 13, 2018
Hutchinson did a great job of presenting the views and evidence of different biblical scholars.
October 21, 2016
In Searching for Jesus Robert Hutchinson introduces readers to the latest developments in researching the historical background of Jesus. Hutchinson throughout the book interacts with previous assumptions regarding Jesus found in academia and demonstrates how the latest research gives greater credence to the veracity of the New Testament description of Jesus over and against the revisionist understandings of Jesus held by many in academic circles.
I was initially excited about this book and the possibility of recommending it to others. However after careful reading I think he makes statements which would seem to pit the Synoptic gospels and the gospel against each other as portraying a different Jesus from each other. This is seen when he says, “Even more profoundly, the Jesus depicted in the Synoptics—a very human Jesus who suffers pain, hunger, fear, and even doubt—differs radically from the portrait in John, where Jesus appears as a virtually omniscient, fearless divine being (45).” Such a statement overstates any difference in emphasis between the gospels. John presents in John 4 a Jesus who was hungry and tired, in John 10 Jesus weeps at the tomb of Lazarus. In the Synoptics you have Jesus who knows the thoughts of men’s hearts and can command a storm to cease. An odd statement is made concerning Paul and Barnabas of page 42 where he refers to Barnabas as Paul’s Gentile companion. I have reached out to the author for clarification and have received none. Acts states Barnabas was a Levite from Cypress, not a Gentile. At times he bolsters the historicity of the New Testament and at others he seems to indicate he’s not fully convinced of their truthfulness such as when he says, “I believe that the historical Jesus was very close to being what the New Testament describes him as being (268).” There is too much skepticism in that statement for my liking. While not necessarily related to his research into Jesus I am also put off by the fact that he refers to Nadia Bolz-Weber as an evangelical on page 217.
This might be helpful to some, but I would hesitate recommending this book to the average reader.
Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson through the BookLook Bloggers program for providing this review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
I was initially excited about this book and the possibility of recommending it to others. However after careful reading I think he makes statements which would seem to pit the Synoptic gospels and the gospel against each other as portraying a different Jesus from each other. This is seen when he says, “Even more profoundly, the Jesus depicted in the Synoptics—a very human Jesus who suffers pain, hunger, fear, and even doubt—differs radically from the portrait in John, where Jesus appears as a virtually omniscient, fearless divine being (45).” Such a statement overstates any difference in emphasis between the gospels. John presents in John 4 a Jesus who was hungry and tired, in John 10 Jesus weeps at the tomb of Lazarus. In the Synoptics you have Jesus who knows the thoughts of men’s hearts and can command a storm to cease. An odd statement is made concerning Paul and Barnabas of page 42 where he refers to Barnabas as Paul’s Gentile companion. I have reached out to the author for clarification and have received none. Acts states Barnabas was a Levite from Cypress, not a Gentile. At times he bolsters the historicity of the New Testament and at others he seems to indicate he’s not fully convinced of their truthfulness such as when he says, “I believe that the historical Jesus was very close to being what the New Testament describes him as being (268).” There is too much skepticism in that statement for my liking. While not necessarily related to his research into Jesus I am also put off by the fact that he refers to Nadia Bolz-Weber as an evangelical on page 217.
This might be helpful to some, but I would hesitate recommending this book to the average reader.
Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson through the BookLook Bloggers program for providing this review. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
December 25, 2015
We've seen the television specials that claim Jesus is a mythical figure and what Christians believe about Him is not true. But what if everything the Bible says about Him is, in fact, true?
This book is about new discoveries and recent developments on the reality of Jesus. They are showing that Jesus as He is portrayed in the Bible is much more plausible than reconstructions made by skeptics.
Hutchinson looks at recent manuscript discoveries, new research results and new conclusions from scholars. Some of the topics covered: writers of the gospels and eyewitness accounts, dates of the gospels, alternative portraits of Jesus and models from Christian scholars, manuscript evidence and reliability, recent archaeological discoveries, whether the “suffering” Messiah image was created by the church, whether Jesus was orthodox or a zealot, whether there are lost sayings of Jesus or secret information in the Gnostic gospels, whether Jesus' crucifixion was rigged or faked, if there is any proof for the resurrection.
There is a great deal of background information in this book. Hutchinson gives good reviews of popular skeptical books written in the last decades. He also gives good evidence in response to the ones critical of the biblical Jesus. This is a good introductory book for those new to the issue and good update for those who have read popular books published in the last several years.
This is an excellent book for Christians who want to reaffirm their belief in the biblical Jesus. It is very readable and very informative. Hutchinson explains well how scholars come to conclusions. He gives plenty of evidence, some from non-Christians scholars, that what the Bible says is worth accepting. He also corrects much of the hype recent television programs have generated.
This would also be a good book for skeptics who are willing to revisit their view of Jesus. It would also help them understand why we Christians value our beliefs so much. For those desiring further study, Hutchinson provides a list of books at the end of each chapter as well as a bibliography at the end.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
This book is about new discoveries and recent developments on the reality of Jesus. They are showing that Jesus as He is portrayed in the Bible is much more plausible than reconstructions made by skeptics.
Hutchinson looks at recent manuscript discoveries, new research results and new conclusions from scholars. Some of the topics covered: writers of the gospels and eyewitness accounts, dates of the gospels, alternative portraits of Jesus and models from Christian scholars, manuscript evidence and reliability, recent archaeological discoveries, whether the “suffering” Messiah image was created by the church, whether Jesus was orthodox or a zealot, whether there are lost sayings of Jesus or secret information in the Gnostic gospels, whether Jesus' crucifixion was rigged or faked, if there is any proof for the resurrection.
There is a great deal of background information in this book. Hutchinson gives good reviews of popular skeptical books written in the last decades. He also gives good evidence in response to the ones critical of the biblical Jesus. This is a good introductory book for those new to the issue and good update for those who have read popular books published in the last several years.
This is an excellent book for Christians who want to reaffirm their belief in the biblical Jesus. It is very readable and very informative. Hutchinson explains well how scholars come to conclusions. He gives plenty of evidence, some from non-Christians scholars, that what the Bible says is worth accepting. He also corrects much of the hype recent television programs have generated.
This would also be a good book for skeptics who are willing to revisit their view of Jesus. It would also help them understand why we Christians value our beliefs so much. For those desiring further study, Hutchinson provides a list of books at the end of each chapter as well as a bibliography at the end.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
July 23, 2016
Finding Jesus in the New Testament -
I must admit I started this book with doubts. Not doubts about the integrity of the Bible but rather doubts as to what the author meant by Searching for Jesus. From my layman’s point of view it seems that far too often “scholarship” is used as a tool to undermine reasonable faith with convoluted arguments and over analyzation of the minutia.
Frankly, after the first few chapters it seemed my doubts were confirmed. It appeared to me that the author was almost apologetic concerning his arguments for the veracity of the New Testament. Almost like a referee trying to moderate an important disagreement but unwilling to make the game changing call.
In any case I stuck with the book because I love to learn about the history of the Bible. Even if the book seemed to get off on the wrong foot (from my perspective) Mr. Hutchinson provided such a wealth of information about Biblical archeology and Biblical textual criticism that I couldn’t help but read on.
Gradually, I found myself seeing the subject through Mr. Hutchinson’s eyes. To my surprise my appreciation for the authors approach grew. I realized he was taking his reader on a personal journey in search of the New Testament Jesus. A journey characterized by lifelong scholarship and a faith which fought and ultimately concerned reasonable doubts.
I like to be challenged and Searching for Jesus surely did that. To be sure I didn’t agree with all of Mr. Hutchinson’s conclusions but in the end this book strengthen my faith in the Bible and gave me a new appreciation for many of the complicated issues involved in Biblical textual criticism.
I must admit I started this book with doubts. Not doubts about the integrity of the Bible but rather doubts as to what the author meant by Searching for Jesus. From my layman’s point of view it seems that far too often “scholarship” is used as a tool to undermine reasonable faith with convoluted arguments and over analyzation of the minutia.
Frankly, after the first few chapters it seemed my doubts were confirmed. It appeared to me that the author was almost apologetic concerning his arguments for the veracity of the New Testament. Almost like a referee trying to moderate an important disagreement but unwilling to make the game changing call.
In any case I stuck with the book because I love to learn about the history of the Bible. Even if the book seemed to get off on the wrong foot (from my perspective) Mr. Hutchinson provided such a wealth of information about Biblical archeology and Biblical textual criticism that I couldn’t help but read on.
Gradually, I found myself seeing the subject through Mr. Hutchinson’s eyes. To my surprise my appreciation for the authors approach grew. I realized he was taking his reader on a personal journey in search of the New Testament Jesus. A journey characterized by lifelong scholarship and a faith which fought and ultimately concerned reasonable doubts.
I like to be challenged and Searching for Jesus surely did that. To be sure I didn’t agree with all of Mr. Hutchinson’s conclusions but in the end this book strengthen my faith in the Bible and gave me a new appreciation for many of the complicated issues involved in Biblical textual criticism.
April 4, 2016
"Searching for Jesus" is a look at what secular and skeptical scholars are currently saying about the "historical Jesus." The underlying assumption was that the New Testament was written purely by men and with political agendas. The author surveyed what skeptics have proposed about Jesus in the past, some modern archeological findings and arguments that have changed these positions, and their latest proposals. At the end, the author concluded that the Gospels and Acts "could be much closer to what actually happened than...we ever realized" (from page 265).
The new evidence wasn't new to me and I don't agree with the underlying assumptions, so I didn't find this book interesting or inspiring. I'd only recommend it to people who've read Jesus Seminar or similar pronouncements who want to see how opinions have changed over the last few years.
The book covered questions like: Were the gospels written by eyewitnesses? What was the "historical Jesus" really trying to achieve? Can we even know what the authors originally wrote? What did first century Jews expect of a messiah (and is the suffering messiah a Christian invention)? What are current Jewish views about Jesus? What about the "lost gospels"? Was Jesus a political revolutionary? Did Jesus plan, fake, or survive his crucifixion? Was the resurrection a hoax, hallucination, or what? Was the idea of a God-man in first century Jewish thought or was that a later pagan addition?
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through BookLook.
The new evidence wasn't new to me and I don't agree with the underlying assumptions, so I didn't find this book interesting or inspiring. I'd only recommend it to people who've read Jesus Seminar or similar pronouncements who want to see how opinions have changed over the last few years.
The book covered questions like: Were the gospels written by eyewitnesses? What was the "historical Jesus" really trying to achieve? Can we even know what the authors originally wrote? What did first century Jews expect of a messiah (and is the suffering messiah a Christian invention)? What are current Jewish views about Jesus? What about the "lost gospels"? Was Jesus a political revolutionary? Did Jesus plan, fake, or survive his crucifixion? Was the resurrection a hoax, hallucination, or what? Was the idea of a God-man in first century Jewish thought or was that a later pagan addition?
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through BookLook.
February 14, 2017
I liked all of the archaeological information in this book. Very well written.
July 22, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author presents a summary of attitudes toward Christ from Jewish and Christian biblical scholars over the years. He includes a huge bibliography for those who might want to do further research, but this one is written for non-experts. I learned a lot about bible scholarship and agree with his conclusion that Jesus was exactly who he said he was, though we might disagree in some details. I wanted to say, "So many of these questions are answered in the Book of Mormon," but then, Hutchinson is a Catholic and might not be open to that idea.
August 31, 2016
A well balanced look at the New Testament in relation to archeology. The author does a great job of presenting it in a way that is intriguing and makes you want to keep reading. If you want to learn the archeology, but some of the other books are a bit to dry for you, give this a shot
September 26, 2019
I think it's more of an introductory book. The author writes a lot about what other authors say, referencing plenty of books to read if one wants to dig deeper on a certain topic. I like the book, but it seems more like various book reviews rather than the author's own thoughts on certain things.
February 5, 2016
Very good book well argued. Well written. It was very thought provoking.
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