Product Description

Many Christians are unclear on the details of events during the week leading up to Jesus's crucifixion. Here, top Jesus scholars Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan offer what they believe is the real story of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem; together they reveal a radical and little-known Jesus.Using the gospel of "Mark" as their guide, Borg and Crossan present a day-by-day account of Jesus' final week of life. "The Last Week" depicts Jesus giving up his life to protest power without justice and to condemn the rich who lack concern for the poor. In this vein, at the end of the week Jesus marches up Calvary, offering himself as a model for others to do the same when they are confronted by similar issues. Informed, challenged, and inspired, we not only meet the historical Jesus, but meet a new Jesus who engages us and invites us to follow him.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70253 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Review
"'If there is to be one book for the redemption of Holy Week, this is it. This is a "must read" for clergy and laity.' - Peter J. Gomes, Harvard University"

About the Author
Marcus J. Borg is Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion at Oregon State University and the author of many books, including Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary. John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at De Paul University, is widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus and Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography. He lives in Minneola, Florida.

Customer Reviews

Confronting authority
Borg and Crossan's book follows Mark's account of the days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday and takes a straightforward expository approach to the text. Their focus is on what Mark is telling us and why, placing the account firmly in its historical context, and drawing out Jesus' confrontation with the authority of Caesar and the compromised and corrupted temple authorities of the time. By taking this approach the authors have produced a highly accessible book which has an appeal beyond the liberal community of which they are part. At least until their account of Easter Sunday, and their treatment of the resurrection as metaphorical and labelling of Jesus' appearances as `apparitions'. A further weakness comes in their attempted application. Ironically their approach is critical of the imbalance they perceive between those who emphasise personal transformation and those who emphasise political transformation. In so doing they miss the crucial dimensions of God's transformation of the whole creation and the central role of community in Christian living.

This is a good book for all of that and recommended reading for Christians across the spectrum.