The Cambridge Companion to Jesus (Cambridge Companions to Religion)
Markus Bockmuehl
I borrowed this book expecting the usual academic skepticism and 'debunking'. What I found instead was a full, fair and reverent treatment of most of the major issues surrounding Jesus' life and his legacy which, surprisingly, almost amounts to a defense of Jesus' divinity. The introduction by Markus Bockmuehl and his essay on the resurrection are second to none. Having heard much more about N.T. Wright and his Jesus Seminar critics, I had completely overlooked this eloquent, learned British scholar, a firm Christian as well as immensely knowledgeable about the New Testament. It is simply amazing that whereas England is one of the most secular nations in Europe, it produces some of the finest orthodox scholars in religion-and-science (Denis Alexander, R.J. Berry, John Polkinghorne, etc.) as well as NT studies (Bockmuehl, N.T. Wright, etc.). Well worth reading.
