Jesus Seminar

A team of north American academic NT scholars founded in 1985 by Robert Funk under the auspices of Westar Institute as part of the so-called 'quest for the historical Jesus.' Convinced that the Christian Gospels are neither inspired nor inerrant, the Seminar set as their ("fundamentally antifundamentalist") goal and purpose "to produce a more-thoroughgoing history of the Synoptic tradition, including extracanonical material. At another level, they are clearly convinced that such study, particularly if it demolishes the heroic Jesus beloved of some modern American Christianity, will be of great benefit to the world; so the seminar's results are announced in press conferences . . ." (N. T. Wright, ABD, III.799). Among the more notable members of the Seminar may be named Robert Funk, John Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg. Almost all of their findings are quite contrary to those of traditional historic Christianity, and while they may be stimulating for theological students seeking to clarify his/her own thoughts about Jesus, they are of no use whatever to the preacher of the Gospel.

Further Reading & Resources:

☰ Michael H. Burer, "A survey of Historical Jesus Studies: From Reimarus to Wright"

☰ Gwamna Dogara Je'Adayibe, "The challenge of the Jesus Seminar to biblical scholarship in Africa," Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 21.1 (2002): 77-87.