Knowledge About Jesus

What can we know factually about the historical Jesus? What are the limitations placed upon our knowledge? How can historical and critical study aid us in a more complete understanding of the Jesus tradition? Do you think it is possible that Christ was not a real person? If there are things about his life that are not historically true is the Jesus narrative that has been handed down to us enough? (Look at one of the Part I, segments: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the online version or one from Part I: Who was Jesus, Jesus’ Social Class, Jesus and Judaism, Jesus the Preacher in the video version.)

Additional Materials, where you can find most of the data and what to do necessarily!
In Sacred Readings:

Infancy Gospel of Thomas
http://www.gnosis.org/library/inftoma.htm

Didache
http://www.thedidache.com/

Obviously, you will not have to do all of these readings to answer the required questions and certain questions may require additional outside research. However, make sure to watch at least a segment of the From Jesus to Christ series. If I do not see you have used it I will take off points.

Learners will be required to watch various segments of: From Jesus to Christ (a PBS documentary on early Christianity). You may watch the online version by going to: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion or you may borrow or rent the video. Since this is a four-hour series, students will obviously not be required to watch the entire video. Choose a segment or two that relate to the essays you will write. To get full credit for week 8 you will need to respond to the prompts in light of the information in the video or in Embarking Upon the Study of Religion ( see pp. 46- 54) addressing elements of historical/critical methods of scholarship.