Jesus: A Life in Class Conflict

Among the countless attempts at reconstructing the historical Jesus, there are a few works which, from their specific vantage point and using their specific methodology, allow readers to think of the historical Jesus in fresh and compelling ways; Jesus: A Life in Class Conflict by James Crossley and Robert Myles is one of those works. Their historical materialist approach to the historical Jesus has proven to fit very well with the material—a Galilean peasant artisan with millenarian and apocalyptic views, proclaiming a kingdom of God, with teachings and parables full of political and class language—yet their historical materialist approach is a minority one, making their approach fresh and welcome. Overall, the work is modest and sober, focusing on what seems plausible and possible and situating the earliest traditions within the political, economic, and class dynamics of first century Palestine. Although the volume is written in a way that is readable to non-specialists, it still maintains a high level of scholarly care.