Jesus remains a popular figure in contemporary culture
and Allison remains one of our best interpreters. He speaks around the country in a
variety of venues on matters related to the study of the Historical Jesus. In his new book,
he focuses on the historical Jesus and eschatology, concluding that the Jesus was not a
Hellenistic wonder worker or teacher of pious morality but an apocalyptic prophet. In an
opening chapter that is worth the price of admission, Allison astutely and engagingly
captures the history of the search for the historical Jesus. He observes that many
contemporary readings of Jesus shift the focus away from traditional theological,
Christological, and eschatological concerns. In provocative fashion, He takes on not only
the Jesus Seminar but also other Jesus interpreters such as N.T. Wright and Marcus Borg.