Conclusion
Conclusion
We have surveyed several approaches to Jesus with an emphasis on his Jewish context, and suggested that these offer a more satisfactory framework for understanding Jesus’ ministry. Although I have focused here on Borg’s early work and especially the approaches of Vermes and Sanders, many other scholars could have been named. My primary objective in this book is not to survey earlier literature, however, but to argue for a synthesis that also draws on some additional information offered in the following chapters. My point has been to illustrate the diverse range of views in Jesus scholarship and provide a sense of where this book will fit within that range.
Before I turn to various traditions about Jesus, I need to explore the written sources that have preserved them. What are the most dependable sources? That is, which ancient gospels or other works provide generally useful information about Jesus? To this question we turn in the following chapter.