Distributed for University of Scranton Press
People Who Knew Jesus
His Encounter with Friend and Foe
"People Who Knew Jesus is both an important achievement and delightful read. The book crackles with sudden insights, is deeply scholarly yet plainly written. It exhibits the author’s gentle humor, compassion, and faith. By simply telling the stories of dozens of biblical characters who interacted with Jesus, Somerville distills for the educated reader a hundred years of biblical scholarship to provide a deep appreciation of Jesus as a plausible human being. .."
-- Jim Marion, author of Putting on the Mind of Christ
"Using the unique approach of exploring biblical characters in their relationship to Jesus, James M. Somerville sleuths below the literary meaning of the text to mine the puzzles and silences encountered there. A scholarly yet accessible book that offers a provocative view of Jesus, understood through the prism of friends and foes alike."
-- Dana Greene, author of Evelyn Underhill: Artist of the Infinite Life and The Living of Maisie Ward
-- Jim Marion, author of Putting on the Mind of Christ
"Using the unique approach of exploring biblical characters in their relationship to Jesus, James M. Somerville sleuths below the literary meaning of the text to mine the puzzles and silences encountered there. A scholarly yet accessible book that offers a provocative view of Jesus, understood through the prism of friends and foes alike."
-- Dana Greene, author of Evelyn Underhill: Artist of the Infinite Life and The Living of Maisie Ward
Table of Contents
Preface
Part One: People in the Infancy Narratives
1. Mary the Mother of Jesus: Maria Avatara 2. Joseph the Husband of Mary: The Silent Sleeper 3. Herod the Great: “It’s safer to be Herod’s pig than his wife” 4. John the Baptist: Humble, Harsh, HurriedPart Two: Jesus of Nazareth
5. Jesus: A Man for Others: Mission to the DisinheritedPart Three: People Jesus Healed
6. The Centurion’s Servant: Action From a Distance 7. The Paralyzed Man: Israel Under Roman Rule 8. The Daughter of Jairus: Dead or Sleeping? 9. The Gerasene Demoniac: The Great Swine StampedePart Four: The Apostles
10. Peter: The Education of a Slow Learner 11. Thomas: Descartes’ Precursor 12. James and John: “What’s in it for us?” 13. Philip and Andrew: The Greek Connection 14. The Beloved Disciple: Did Jesus Have Favorites?Part Five: The Women
15. The Samaritan Woman: Waiting for Number Seven 16. The Syro-Phoenician Woman: The Lady with Chutzpah 17. Mary Magdalene: No, She Wasn’t a Prostitute 18. The Woman Taken in Adultery: Where Is the Man? 19. Martha and Mary: Two Sides of the Same CoinPart Six: The Passion
20. Pharisees and Sadducees: Piety and Power 21. Herod Antipas: Marrying Your Brother’s Wife Can Be Risky 22. Caiaphas: The “Yes, Man’s” Dilemma 23. Judas the Traitor: If Jesus Knew, Why Did He Choose Him? 24. Pontius Pilate: How a Rascal Became a Saint 25. Barabbas: Would Pilate Release an Insurrectionist Murderer? 26. Simon of Cyrene: A Surprising Day for a Common Man 27. Longinus: The Spearman: A Gentile Has the Last WorkPart Seven: Resurrection
28. Joseph of Arimathea: You Get What You Pay For 29. Clopas/Cleopas: The Jesus DynastyEpilogue: Jesus after the Resurrection
Bibliography
General Index
Index of Authors