Encounters with Jesus: The Man in His Place and Time

What was there in Jesus' person, behavior, and words that prompted not only much enthusiasm but also much hostility? This compelling portrait of the man Jesus of Nazareth by two pioneers of the anthropological study of early Christianity answers this vital question. They bring the fruit of years of scholarship to bear on a radical figure in Roman Galilee and on his encounters with others and the movement those encounters inspired. They give close attention to the everyday realities that shaped those encounters: the facts of travel, common meals, domestic space, and the interactions of bodies. The result is a refreshing new look at the man who proved so significant-and so controversial-in Western culture.

"Recent scholarship has provided numerous works that have opened up the discussion of the historical Jesus in fresh ways. In this exciting new work on Jesus, Destro and Pesce collaborate to investigate Jesus in terms of “lifestyle” or “existential praxis”—that is, by examining Jesus’ habitual actions that reveal the depths of his personality and intentions. They do this by looking at the concrete realities of Jesus’ relationships—not only to other people, but to the land as well. They explore his commensality, his emotions, and his body in ways that bring new focus to old questions. Every reader will be rewarded by engaging the work of these two veteran interpreters."

—K. C. Hanson
Co-author of Palestine in the Time of Jesus

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Encounters with Jesus: The Man in His Place and Time

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