Religion and Theology

Biographical Sketch
According to biographical information provided by Baylor University, Ben Witherington III is both a theological professor and a literary champion, having penned more than thirty books over the course of his career (Baylor). Witherington has been educated all around the world, first receiving his bachelor degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974. He graduated from UNC with a degree in English, but started with his passion for theology there with a minor in philosophy and religious studies. From there, he went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and later earned his Ph.D. from the University of Durham, in England. At the current time, Witherington is employed as a professor of New Testament studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, located in Kentucky. He has become something of an authority in the theological world, routinely showing up on radio programs, television shows, and making speaking appearances across the country. Witherington is especially well versed on the subject of Jesus, as he personally published two different works on that very topic. Those were the 1990 book The Christology of Jesus and the 1994 book entitled Jesus the Sage The Pilgramage of Wisdom. These things combine to allow him to speak with certain authority on the subject, especially in his criticisms of other studies about Jesus (Baylor).

Summary
In his book, Witherington attempts to break down many of the most prominent studies about the identity of Jesus that have popped up over the last few decades. Because so many recent studies have sought to answer questions about Jesus, Witherington took on the role of shedding some light on those individual studies. He did not so much add to the studies as he gave a general overview of their premises, offering critical evaluations of their strengths and of their weaknesses.

Much of what Withering does is chronological, as he guides the reader through almost a centurys worth of searching for the truth about Jesus. He spends much time breaking down the specifics of each study, but Witheringtons work is about much more than that. Additionally, he paints a picture and helps the reader understand the development of this search for the true picture of Jesus. From the early part of the twentieth century leading right up to a few years before Witheringtons book was published, different types of thinkers have published studies with different focuses. He attempts to diagraph the movement from more sociological studies to the purely scientific and archeological studies and back again. What one might take from the work is Witheringtons intentional and obvious critical eye, as he views each study with a pinch of skepticism. He is not shy about pointing out the problems not only with individual studies, but also with entire movements of study about Jesus, which may seem like a drastic step to many readers.

While the first part of his book provides a basic overview of the studies that have been done, the latter parts of Witheringtons book take on a different face. They dig deeper into each individual Jesus theory, with each one broken down by category, according to how Jesus is depicted in the studies. With each different theory and depiction of Jesus, the author spends the majority of his time explaining to readers how the various studies came to find that conclusion. He offers some explanations for the support offered within each individual argument, but that is not without his own personal edge. It is during these mini critiques that Witherington asserts his own positions, opting to disagree with any study that does not stand in line with his view of Christ as a representative figure in New Testament writings. He takes issue with the notion that Jesus is anything but what is stated in the Bible, as he feels that all representations of Christ should come from there. Additionally, he sets forth something of a final opinion on each study, often voicing his own displeasures with either the findings or the methods employed to reach the conclusions in each of the studies that he presents.

Withering ties all of the different works together towards the end of his book. While there are some things that he openly agrees within in the studies and some things that he seems to abhor, he closes the work with a hypothesis that represents his view of the true Jesus. The book presents itself as a quest for the answer, and one finds that the first pages were little more than a meandering trip to the ultimate answer, which belongs to Witherington. His final argument acts as a counter to the arguments posed in other studies, as he theorizes about the level of self-understand that Jesus actually had during his time on earth. He offers the opinion that Jesus consciously understood himself to be the living embodiment of Gods wisdom, which is a view that stands in direct contrast to many of the previous studies that the book took the time to overview in the beginning.

Critical Evaluation
In evaluating Witheringtons work, one must look toward his ability to achieve his purpose and also his ability to provide appropriate value to the informed reader. The purpose of the book seemed to be two-fold. On one hand, it was meant to be an informative look at many of the previous works done on a subject that the author was very qualified to theorize about. In that sense, the book was quite shallow, and read almost like a summary. Though it did offer an appropriate chronology and it did frame the debates about Jesus in a useful way, it provided very little depth on each individual approach to studying Jesus. This may have been the result of its survey feel, as the author decided to go with an approach that took on many different studies, instead of diving head first into just a few interesting studies. Additionally, its purpose was to provide individual critiques and criticisms for the studies at hand, often juxtaposing those studies with the authors own theories on the subject. In this, the work was edgy and it was especially provocative. Though one must consider the authors critiques with his own inherent biases in mind, it is useful to view his critical eye at work throughout the book.

The book is valuable, not only for its informative nature, but also for its provocative themes. It is the type of book that sets the reader to thinking about his or her own thoughts on the subject of exactly who Jesus was. Though the survey feel was previously mentioned as something of a weakness, it does succeed in one way. It succeeds in showing a clear representation of just how varied the prevailing thought is on this particular issue. Though the author has his own views on the representation of Jesus and they seem to be set in stone, he does great work in providing the depiction of Christ in a number of different ways. What is interesting about this is that the reader also gets to see how individuals came to their conclusions on the matter. Since most of the early studies on Jesus all had slightly different methodologies, they can be viewed in the context of how the information was collected by those doing the studies. Additionally, it is a book that provides great value for its skeptical, harsh nature. The edginess is something that pours through the pages, and the authors willingness to unabashedly offer his own interjections is something that the reader can mimic. He is not shy about questioning many theories that had previously been widely accepted among the theological community, and he also has no problem presenting his own somewhat controversial opinion as if it were the final word on the matter. If the reader is able to get past this and really dig into the material for himself or herself, some interesting conclusions can be drawn.

Approaching this book in a critical manner requires one to be fully aware of the idea of bias. Though many theological works of this kind contain bias based upon ones denomination, this particular work is full of bias based mostly on the authors previous works. Though he was not the only scholar writing books about what Jesus was during his lifetime, the author obviously saw himself as something of an authority on the matter. At times, he was overly protective of his own philosophies and casually dismissive of anything that might have disagreed with him, regardless of merit. At times, he took steps to counter historical claims using just his theological weight, which did not seem to be a fair method of evaluation. This is one of the weaknesses of the book, as it might have helped if the author put more time and consideration into some of the excellent insights that others might have had. Though this would have required some bending on his part, it would have served the book well and a more complete picture of Jesus may have been gained as a result. Additionally, readers must be careful not to dismiss the author in is his own right, since many of his assertions throughout the work might put off those readers who do not share his exact views. His tone is at times haughty and though it is not directed at the reader, it is the type of tone that comes out of the pages right into ones face if they are not prepared for that sort of thing. Acknowledging the biases that are present within this work will enable the reader to truly take in all of the material, while still keeping a balance view of what Jesus might have been like at that point in time. At the very least, it will allow readers to not follow in the authors footsteps in his dismissive ways pertaining to previous studies.

Considering the audience that this book may have been intended for is a bit of a challenge, since it is so complex in its layers. The early part of the work, with its explanations and its willingness to break down aspects of previously completed studies, seems to indicate that this work might be right for the person who only casually follows theology. As the book goes along, it becomes deeper and more complex. The author himself may have designed it this way, as it seems like a book that might have something to offer for everyone. For those who are deep into the theological conversation and want to deeply study claims made by the author, that opportunity exists. Many might take issue with his assertion that all the world needs to know about Jesus can be found in his stories and in the recollections of him in the New Testament. There is room for disagreement in the work that makes it a somewhat interesting read for those people who find themselves on an advanced level with the material. Still, individuals who are looking to get a base knowledge of the theology about Jesus can find value in this, as well. It will not go over their head, which is an important element to consider when deciding whether or not to invest the time in reading this work. Though its survey-based nature might fail to provide the kind of depth that a truly advanced theologian would demand, it can still be provocative at times, which is a great service to readers.

In all, the book presents a host of new ideas, countering some and furthering those that fit a pre-determined agenda. It has some inherent strengths and some obvious weaknesses, but overall provides the reader with enough value to make it a worthy read. The author might have cleaned the work up at parts and his insistence to shove his own theories down the readers throat can grow tiresome in segments, but overall it is an intriguing study.