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title: "The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ"
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# The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ

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“This book will prove to be a most effective weapon… against the debunking and skeptical attitudes toward the Gospels that are so prevalent, not only in academe, but also on the street, among young people who, sadly, are leaving the Churches in droves.”—Robert Barron, author of Catholicism For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine. In The Case for Jesus , Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist , goes back to the sources—the biblical and historical evidence for Christ—in order to answer several key questions, including: • Were the four Gospels really anonymous? • Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? • Were the four Gospels written too late to be reliable? • What about the so-called “Lost Gospels,” such as “Q” and the Gospel of Thomas? • Did Jesus claim to be God? • Is Jesus divine in all four Gospels? Or only in John? • Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? • Why was Jesus crucified? • What is the evidence for the Resurrection? As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context.

Review: Well researched, solidly faithful; undoes the harm of decades of scholars' attempts to debunk the Gospels - Lots of reviewers have written great reviews, so this one will be fairly brief. Brant Pitre's books, this one included, are an example of what is best in the new scriptural studies emerging today. His research is solid and meticulous - no sloppiness here! - and he writes with a refreshingly strong Catholic faith. This book carefully and effectively undoes the harm of decades of scholars' attempts to debunk the Gospels. He very effectively rebuts 20th century scholars' claims that we don't know who wrote the Gospels, and that they were written so long time after Jesus' time on earth that they lack credibility as eyewitness, historical accounts. Step by step, with each chapter building on the next, Pitre shows the opposite to be true. Christians who have been disturbed by the debunkers will be strengthened, confirmed, and given much joy by this book. I've just purchased three more copies to give to friends - one of them a Catholic high school teacher and two, Catholic priests. But I think Christians of any denomination will welcome this book. Pitre's writing style is a joy to read: lucid, clear, and very easy to understand (even when I'm tired at the end of the day), without being annoyingly clever (as some popularizers can be) or pushy (as some apologists are). (I see Pitre as neither a popularizer nor an apologist; he is a scripture scholar who also is a fantastic communicator.) Without any attempt on his part to be "entertaining," Pitre has written a cliff-hanger - I couldn't put the book down! His insights - and now I'm speaking of the insights in all three of his books that I've read so far - Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, Jesus the Bridegroom, and this book, The Case for Jesus - are profound and deeply enriching spiritually. Although I've questioned a few of his insights, most of them have moved me profoundly, with a sense of wonder, and deep love and gratitude to Our Lord. Reading his books is, for me, a real form of prayer. I am looking forward to reading Jesus and the Last Supper (borrowed from the library to see whether I'll want to buy my own copy); this last book, per its reviewers, is aimed at a scholarly audience and different in tone from the three very accessible books I named above, but I'm expecting this book to be a treasure, too. In all of his books, Brant Pitre's lucid writing style, coupled with his solid scholarship, deep faith, and beautiful love for Our Lord, makes for a very special reading experience. I appreciate his respect for and great knowledge of Judaism, and the way he helps us to see the rich continuity between the Jewish and Christian faiths. Brant Pitre’s books are a real gift to us all.
Review: Who is Jesus: A Case for Jesus’ Divinity - I thoroughly enjoyed reading Brant Pitre’s “The Case for Jesus.” The New Testament scholar’s contribution to Catholic popular literature on the identity of Jesus stands well above much of the plethora of material available to Christian readers today. Pitre (mostly) convincingly builds his case through careful, fact-based argumentation--even if one could draw different conclusions from the same evidence. What case is Pitre trying to make? In effect, he makes several cases leading up to his central point of who Jesus was and is. In the first part of this slim volume, he treats the authorship of the Gospels. In this matter, as in most of the book, his principle foil seems to be Bart Ehrman, a former Fundamentalist Christian-turned-apostate scholar whose popular works attempt to undermine the validity of the Gospels as meaningful historical documents and specifically the claim that Jesus is the Son of God. Contrary to Ehrman, Pitre argues for the traditional authorship of the Gospels. As two significant pieces of evidence, Pitre points out that even the earliest Gospel manuscripts and secondary references to the Gospels include the writers’ names by which we know them. The Gospels, then, were never really “anonymous.” This leads Pitre to challenge the scholarly consensus on the dating of the Gospels, and the more controversial hypothesis that Matthew and Luke were based in part on a hypothetical, now lost (and, as Pitre points out, never referenced) book of Jesus sayings denoted by scholars as the “Q” source. As for the so-called lost or apocryphal gospels, Pitre shows that they were never really lost, that most of them were known by early Christian writers, who regarded them as forgeries. In the case of the apocryphal gospels, then, even though the internal evidence suggests that they were written by the apostles to whom they were ascribed, the attributions were never accepted. Ehrman has argued that the apocryphal gospels were not accepted by mainstream or orthodox Christianity, but were embraced by the communities, such as the Gnostics, for whom they were written. In a way, Pitre and Ehrman aren’t in contradiction here, but they just interpret the data differently. In other words, if you accept that the Church Fathers are espousing the correct version of Christianity, then Pitre’s point stands; if you hold on to the view that the Church Fathers represented one view of Christianity among many, all to be regarded equally, then the criticism of the (orthodox) Church Fathers matters less. Pitre, while not dismissing the validity of literary criticism, argues for the historical value of the Gospels. He wants to treat the Gospels as biographies of Jesus. Their inconsistencies and apparent contradictions stem not, as Ehrman would have it, from a “telephone game”-like process of accretions and alterations over time, or even so much from the requirements of the communities for which they were written, as from the different perspectives and life experiences of their writers. Pitre notes the similarities between the Gospels and ancient Greco-Roman biographies in countering the ideas of Ehrman and before him, Rudolf Bultmann, in thinking of the Gospels as akin to folktales, fairy stories, and myths. Pitre stands for the literal truth of the Gospels as far as they will allow in part because two of the four Gospels tell us that they are true (Lk 1:1-4; Jn 19:35, 21:24-25). There’s a bit of circularity in that argument. The main case for Jesus that Pitre wants to make is for His divinity. The Gospels, as Luke Timothy Johnson and other scholars have explained, try to answer, however obliquely, the question Jesus himself poses to Peter: “But who do you say that I am?” (Mk 8:29). Pitre makes the case that the Gospels--even the synoptic Gospels--speak to Jesus’ being God. Pitre makes a lively, even entertaining, argument, using some passages, e.g., the reference to the sign of Jonah, in ways I certainly hadn’t thought of before. Even though as a Catholic I accept Jesus’ divinity, I am willing to allow that others may look at Pitre’s argument and reasonably come to different conclusions. One train of thinking might be this: Pitre notes that Jesus speaks in parables and riddles, and so His claims to divinity are indirect. Moreover, an outright and indeed blasphemous claim to His divinity might have put an even earlier end to Jesus’ three years of ministry. But the Gospel writers should not have been constrained by either Jesus’ particular application of rhetoric or his need to be circumspect; why did the Gospel writers not forthrightly declare that Jesus was God? I think the proper response to this is that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wanted the person encountering the Gospels to answer for themselves who Jesus was and is. In other words, by transmitting the way Jesus conveyed who He was to His disciples perhaps they, too, would draw in and win over later followers of Christ. It’s much more efficacious to engage the potential convert that way than simply to assert that Jesus is God. Brad Pitre has written a wonderful and engaging book. Even if you don’t agree with all of his conclusions, you will appreciate his logical and engaging discussion. This book is meant for the general reader, although it does have a scholarly apparatus by way of careful notes. An index would have been nice but this is a short book of a couple hundred pages. If you’re on a long flight, this book would be the perfect company.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #14,184 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #8 in Jesus, the Gospels & Acts (Books) #23 in Christology (Books) #35 in Christian Apologetics (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,941 Reviews |

## Images

![The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/816JZL2f6jL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well researched, solidly faithful; undoes the harm of decades of scholars' attempts to debunk the Gospels
*by R***Y on January 27, 2017*

Lots of reviewers have written great reviews, so this one will be fairly brief. Brant Pitre's books, this one included, are an example of what is best in the new scriptural studies emerging today. His research is solid and meticulous - no sloppiness here! - and he writes with a refreshingly strong Catholic faith. This book carefully and effectively undoes the harm of decades of scholars' attempts to debunk the Gospels. He very effectively rebuts 20th century scholars' claims that we don't know who wrote the Gospels, and that they were written so long time after Jesus' time on earth that they lack credibility as eyewitness, historical accounts. Step by step, with each chapter building on the next, Pitre shows the opposite to be true. Christians who have been disturbed by the debunkers will be strengthened, confirmed, and given much joy by this book. I've just purchased three more copies to give to friends - one of them a Catholic high school teacher and two, Catholic priests. But I think Christians of any denomination will welcome this book. Pitre's writing style is a joy to read: lucid, clear, and very easy to understand (even when I'm tired at the end of the day), without being annoyingly clever (as some popularizers can be) or pushy (as some apologists are). (I see Pitre as neither a popularizer nor an apologist; he is a scripture scholar who also is a fantastic communicator.) Without any attempt on his part to be "entertaining," Pitre has written a cliff-hanger - I couldn't put the book down! His insights - and now I'm speaking of the insights in all three of his books that I've read so far - Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, Jesus the Bridegroom, and this book, The Case for Jesus - are profound and deeply enriching spiritually. Although I've questioned a few of his insights, most of them have moved me profoundly, with a sense of wonder, and deep love and gratitude to Our Lord. Reading his books is, for me, a real form of prayer. I am looking forward to reading Jesus and the Last Supper (borrowed from the library to see whether I'll want to buy my own copy); this last book, per its reviewers, is aimed at a scholarly audience and different in tone from the three very accessible books I named above, but I'm expecting this book to be a treasure, too. In all of his books, Brant Pitre's lucid writing style, coupled with his solid scholarship, deep faith, and beautiful love for Our Lord, makes for a very special reading experience. I appreciate his respect for and great knowledge of Judaism, and the way he helps us to see the rich continuity between the Jewish and Christian faiths. Brant Pitre’s books are a real gift to us all.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Who is Jesus: A Case for Jesus’ Divinity
*by M***N on October 28, 2016*

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Brant Pitre’s “The Case for Jesus.” The New Testament scholar’s contribution to Catholic popular literature on the identity of Jesus stands well above much of the plethora of material available to Christian readers today. Pitre (mostly) convincingly builds his case through careful, fact-based argumentation--even if one could draw different conclusions from the same evidence. What case is Pitre trying to make? In effect, he makes several cases leading up to his central point of who Jesus was and is. In the first part of this slim volume, he treats the authorship of the Gospels. In this matter, as in most of the book, his principle foil seems to be Bart Ehrman, a former Fundamentalist Christian-turned-apostate scholar whose popular works attempt to undermine the validity of the Gospels as meaningful historical documents and specifically the claim that Jesus is the Son of God. Contrary to Ehrman, Pitre argues for the traditional authorship of the Gospels. As two significant pieces of evidence, Pitre points out that even the earliest Gospel manuscripts and secondary references to the Gospels include the writers’ names by which we know them. The Gospels, then, were never really “anonymous.” This leads Pitre to challenge the scholarly consensus on the dating of the Gospels, and the more controversial hypothesis that Matthew and Luke were based in part on a hypothetical, now lost (and, as Pitre points out, never referenced) book of Jesus sayings denoted by scholars as the “Q” source. As for the so-called lost or apocryphal gospels, Pitre shows that they were never really lost, that most of them were known by early Christian writers, who regarded them as forgeries. In the case of the apocryphal gospels, then, even though the internal evidence suggests that they were written by the apostles to whom they were ascribed, the attributions were never accepted. Ehrman has argued that the apocryphal gospels were not accepted by mainstream or orthodox Christianity, but were embraced by the communities, such as the Gnostics, for whom they were written. In a way, Pitre and Ehrman aren’t in contradiction here, but they just interpret the data differently. In other words, if you accept that the Church Fathers are espousing the correct version of Christianity, then Pitre’s point stands; if you hold on to the view that the Church Fathers represented one view of Christianity among many, all to be regarded equally, then the criticism of the (orthodox) Church Fathers matters less. Pitre, while not dismissing the validity of literary criticism, argues for the historical value of the Gospels. He wants to treat the Gospels as biographies of Jesus. Their inconsistencies and apparent contradictions stem not, as Ehrman would have it, from a “telephone game”-like process of accretions and alterations over time, or even so much from the requirements of the communities for which they were written, as from the different perspectives and life experiences of their writers. Pitre notes the similarities between the Gospels and ancient Greco-Roman biographies in countering the ideas of Ehrman and before him, Rudolf Bultmann, in thinking of the Gospels as akin to folktales, fairy stories, and myths. Pitre stands for the literal truth of the Gospels as far as they will allow in part because two of the four Gospels tell us that they are true (Lk 1:1-4; Jn 19:35, 21:24-25). There’s a bit of circularity in that argument. The main case for Jesus that Pitre wants to make is for His divinity. The Gospels, as Luke Timothy Johnson and other scholars have explained, try to answer, however obliquely, the question Jesus himself poses to Peter: “But who do you say that I am?” (Mk 8:29). Pitre makes the case that the Gospels--even the synoptic Gospels--speak to Jesus’ being God. Pitre makes a lively, even entertaining, argument, using some passages, e.g., the reference to the sign of Jonah, in ways I certainly hadn’t thought of before. Even though as a Catholic I accept Jesus’ divinity, I am willing to allow that others may look at Pitre’s argument and reasonably come to different conclusions. One train of thinking might be this: Pitre notes that Jesus speaks in parables and riddles, and so His claims to divinity are indirect. Moreover, an outright and indeed blasphemous claim to His divinity might have put an even earlier end to Jesus’ three years of ministry. But the Gospel writers should not have been constrained by either Jesus’ particular application of rhetoric or his need to be circumspect; why did the Gospel writers not forthrightly declare that Jesus was God? I think the proper response to this is that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wanted the person encountering the Gospels to answer for themselves who Jesus was and is. In other words, by transmitting the way Jesus conveyed who He was to His disciples perhaps they, too, would draw in and win over later followers of Christ. It’s much more efficacious to engage the potential convert that way than simply to assert that Jesus is God. Brad Pitre has written a wonderful and engaging book. Even if you don’t agree with all of his conclusions, you will appreciate his logical and engaging discussion. This book is meant for the general reader, although it does have a scholarly apparatus by way of careful notes. An index would have been nice but this is a short book of a couple hundred pages. If you’re on a long flight, this book would be the perfect company.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A wonderful book for all Christians who wish to defend the credibility of our bible
*by C***D on May 18, 2020*

Brant Petrie is a wonderful Catholic Bible Scholar, having both a deep love and understcanding of his own faith and the faith of Jesus of Nazareth, Judaism. Everyone of his books and videos provide deeper insight who is Jesus, the ancient faith He handed on and even why it grew as swiftly as it did...always using the Old Testament to enlighten our understanding of the New. He couldn't do this if he wasn't completely convinced himself of Who Jesus is and the credibility of the Scriptures that reveal Him to us. That is what this book is about. Petrie takes you point by point through the arguments that modern scripture scholars and atheists put forth about the New Testament, that we have no idea who wrote the Gospels, they were written anonymously, they are myth or folktale etc. The most stunning reality is that these people literally ignore the facts; they ignore common sense The second topic he tackles is the assertion that Jesus wasn't divine because He never claimed to be God. They dismiss John's gospel, saying the idea that Jesus was God, was a later development and clearly not believed from the beginning as witness by the fact that no where in the Synoptic Gospels does Jesus claim divinity. Petrie, again using his understanding of Judaism and how ideas are expressed in the culture, clearly demonstrates that while, Jesus never stands up pounding his chest saying, "I am God", He very distinctly, even explicitly makes His divinity known. If He hadn't, the high priest would not have rend his garments and there would never have been a crucifixion. The case is made simply and in a straight forward manner. Arguments that all of us can use, with love, when the credibility of scripture is questioned. He also has a pleasant writing style. He has a wonderful sense of humor in his videos and while it is less obvious in the book, his gentle strength is quite evident. If you love scripture and the Christian faith, this is a book you will want to read.

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