Birth of Jesus: Biblical and Theological Reflections

Description

What is the significance of the birth of Jesus for us today? In this book some of the sharpest and most discerning New Testament scholars offer their frank assessment. Philip Alexander, Gerald Downing, Elaine Graham, Grace Jantzen, Todd Klutz, Barry Matlock, Arthur Peacocke, and Graham Ward consider issues ranging from Jesus' circumcision and his DNA, to the power of the nativity stories and their symbolic efficacy.

George J. Brooke is Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis, University of Manchester (UK).

"It has all the excitement of a smart wine-tasting party - or one of those buffets where everything on the tables is lovely and quite delightfully exotic, but oh so small."--Methodist Recorder "The articles in this slim volume are the papers read at a Conference organised by the Department of Religions and Theology at the University of Manchester to mark the year 2000. The purpose of the day's symposium was to address the topic of the birth of Jesus from different disciplines..."--Proceedings of the Irish Biblical Association, 23 (2000) "Anyone who thinks that there is little new to be said about Jesus's birth should prepare to be roundly refuted by The Birth of Jesus...These essays encompass a variety of approaches and perspectives - textual, philosophical, theological, and biological. Most a re highly accessible, drawing their examples from everything from high culture to popular religion...this is an interesting and illuminating collection."--The Expository Times, September 2001