"Dale Allison has written another brilliant book. He manages to dissect technical, complicated subjects and then present them to his readers with remarkable clarity and simplicity. Constructing Jesus will be read with great benefit by scholars, pastors, students, and laity. Readers will find everywhere in this book mastery of the topic, judicious assessment of the options, and invariably sensible and compelling conclusions. If you are interested in learning more about the historical Jesus, then you must read this book.
-Craig A. Evans,
Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College
In Constructing Jesus, Dale Allison's erudite historical acumen is matched by the simple elegance of his compelling case. Rarely has reasoned judgment sounded so commonsensical. This book deserves to be one of the few to set the course for the next generation of historical-Jesus scholarship.
-Bruce W. Longenecker,
W. W. Melton Chair of Religion, Baylor University
"This is vintage Allison: masterful in his marshaling and exposition of sources, thorough in his interaction with contemporary and opposing views, and robust and persuasive in his argumentation.
-James D. G. Dunn,
Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, Durham University
Displaying jaw-dropping acquaintance with primary evidence and the oceanic body of scholarship on Jesus, a sweet reasonableness toward the complexities involved, and just plain good judgment time after time on controverted issues, Constructing Jesus is essential reading for anyone concerned with the scholarly approach to the Jesus of history.
-L. W. Hurtado,
professor of New Testament language, literature, and theology, New College, University of Edinburgh
Lucid, far-ranging, and quietly authoritative, Dale Allison's Constructing Jesus is required reading for scholars, students, and anyone who wants to understand where this most recent phase of the Quest has led us. Once I started, I could not put it down--nor could I stop thinking about its arguments once I finished. This is an important work.
-Paula Fredriksen,
Aurelio Professor of Scripture, Boston University
This book rightly presents Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet. Elaborating this definition into a more detailed portrait, Allison pushes the envelope by exploring new methods and ideas. These detailed conclusions may be controversial, but the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical Jesus.
-Adela Yarbro Collins,
Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, Yale Divinity School
Allison has written an innovative book on the historical Jesus based on the idea that general features and recurrent motifs are much better witnesses than particular words or deeds of Jesus. Allison's books on the historical Jesus are among my favorite books in Jesus research. I admire his erudition, sobriety, honesty, and creativity. I recommend this book to all students and colleagues.
-Gerd Theissen,
professor emeritus of New Testament, University of Heidelberg
Dale Allison has written an excellent new book on Jesus, applying a fresh approach based on modern knowledge of human memory and independent of the traditional criteria of authenticity. The basic idea is convincing: the general features were considered more important and are better preserved than the particulars. He identifies larger patterns across the sources and then searches for the best historical explanation. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to rethink the current debates on the historical Jesus.
-Annette Merz,
professor of culture and literature of earliest Christianity, department of theology, University of Utrecht
Dale Allison's Constructing Jesus is significant for a number of reasons. It frees those interested in historical Jesus research from the shackles of the less-than-useful 'criteria' that have dominated scholarship for so long. It boldly challenges many dogmas about how much we can and cannot know on the basis of the 'memories' of Jesus found in the Pauline literature, the Gospels, and associated literature. Allison humbly, but learnedly, applies the criterion of 'common sense' to the elements that may have had their origins in the life of Jesus himself. Anyone interested in historical Jesus research must be aware of Allison's approach, his impressive conclusions, and his counsel regarding the speculative nature of such historical research.
-Francis J. Moloney,
SDB, senior professorial fellow, Australian Catholic University