Bibliography on Historical Jesus Studies

Andrews, Edward D. The Quest for the Historical Jesus: Are Doubts About Jesus Justified? Christian Publishing House, 2022.

Allison, Dale C. Jr. “How to Marginalise the Traditional Criteria of Authenticity.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 3–30. Brill, 2009.

Allison, Dale C. Jr. Interpreting Jesus. Eerdmans, 2025.

Allison, Dale C. Jr. Jesus of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet. Fortress Press, 1998.

Archer, Joel. “Consensus, Disagreement, and the Criteria of Authenticity.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 23, no. 1 (2024): 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1163/17455197-bja10037

Baasland, Ernst. “Fourth Quest? What Did Jesus Really Want?” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén, and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 31–56. Brill, 2011.

Back, Sven-Olav. “Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ of Faith: Approaches to the Question in Historical Jesus Research.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén, and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 2, 1021–1054. Brill, 2011.

Baird, William. History of New Testament Research. 3 vols. Fortress Press, 1992, 2003, 2013.

Barnett, Paul. Finding the Historical Christ.Eerdmans, 2009.

Barnett, Paul W. Jesus and the Logic of History. Apollos, 1997.

Barton, Stephen C., and Todd Brewer, eds. The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Bauckham, Richard. Jesus: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2011. 125 pages. ISBN-10: 0199575274. ISBN-13: 978-0199575275.

Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. 2nd ed. Grand Rapid, MI: Eerdmans, 2017. xiii + 704 pp. $50.00 USD. ISBN 0802874312. First ed 2006.

Becker, Eve-Marie. “Historiographical Literature in the New Testament Period (1st and 2nd Centuries CE).” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén, and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 2, 1787–1817. Brill, 2011.

Beilby, James K. and Paul R. Eddy, eds. The Historical Jesus: Five Views. InterVarsity Press, 2009.

Bird, Michael F. The Gospel of the Lord: How the Early Church Wrote the Story of Jesus. Eerdmans, 2014.

Bird, Michael F. Whispers of Revolution: Jesus and the Coming of God as King. Baker Academic, 2025.

Blomberg, Craig. Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel. InterVarsity Press, 2001.

Blomberg, Craig L. “Jesus of Nazareth: How Historians Can Know Him and Why It Matters.” The Gospel Coalition. Christ on Campus Initiative. 2008. 29 pages. Available at: http://tgc-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/cci/Blomberg.pdf http://legacy.thegospelcoalition.org/publications/cci/jesus_of_nazareth_how_historians_can_know_him_and_why_it_matters

Blomberg, Craig. Who Is Jesus of Nazareth? Questions for Restless Minds. Lexham Press, 2021. ISBN: 9781683595298

Bock, Darrell L. Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods. Baker, 2002.

Bock, Darrell L. Who Is Jesus? Linking the Historical Jesus with the Christ of Faith. Howard Books, 2012.

Bock, Darrell L. and Robert L. Webb, eds. Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus. Eerdmans, 2010.

Bockmuehl, M. ed. The Cambridge Companion to Jesus. Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Bond, Helen K. The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed. T&T Clark, 2012.

Brinks, C. L. “On Nail Scissors and Toothbrushes: Responding to the Philosophers’ Critiques of Historical Biblical Criticism.” Religious Studies 49, no. 3 (2013): 357–376. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43658421

Brown, Colin. “Quest for the Historical Jesus.” In Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. 2nd ed., edited by Joel B. Green, Jeannine K. Brown, and Nicholas Perrin, 718–756. InterVarsity Press, 2013.

Brown, Colin. “The Quest of the Unhistorical Jesus and the Quest of the Historical Jesus.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, vol. 2, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, 855–886. Brill, 2011.

Brown, Colin, and Craig A. Evans. A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus, Volume 1: From the Beginnings of Christianity to the End of World War II. ‎ Zondervan Academic, 2022.

Brown, Colin, and Craig A. Evans. A History of the Quests for the Historical Jesus, Volume 2: From the Post-War Era through Contemporary Debates. ‎ Zondervan Academic, 2022.

Bruce, F. F. The New Testament Documents, Are They Reliable? 5th ed. Bottom of the Hill Publishing, 1959. 98 pages.

Burr, Kevin B. Authenticating Criteria in Jesus Research and Beyond: An Interdisciplinary Methodology. Biblical Interpretation Series 219. Brill, 2023.

Burridge, R. What are the Gospels: A Comparison with Graeco-Roman Biography. Cambridge University Press, 1992.

Byard, Roger W. “Forensic and Historical Aspects of Crucifixion.” Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology 12, no. 2 (2016): 206–208.

Casey, Maurice. “The Role of Aramaic in Reconstructing the Teaching of Jesus.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 2, 1343–1375. Brill, 2011.

Chapman, David W., and Eckhard J. Schnabel. The Trial and Crucifixion of Jesus: Texts and Commentary. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 344. Mohr Siebeck, 2015.

Charlesworth, J. H. The Historical Jesus: An Essential Guide. Abingdon Press, 2008.

Charlesworth, James H., and Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski, eds. Jesus Research: The Gospel of John in Historical Inquiry. T&T Clark, 2019.

Chilton, Bruce D. “Method in a Critical Study of Jesus.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 129–158. Brill, 2011.

Chilton, Bruce D., and Craig A. Evans, eds. Authenticating the Words of Jesus. Brill, 2002.

Chilton, Bruce D., and Craig A. Evans, eds. Authenticating the Activities of Jesus. Brill Academic Publishers, 2002.

Cook, John Granger. Crucifixion in the Mediterranean World. 2nd ed. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 327. Mohr Siebeck, 2019.

Crossan, John Dominic. “Context and Text in Historical Jesus Methodology.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 159–181. Brill, 2011.

Crossan, John Dominic. The Historical Jesus. Harper San Francisco, 1991.

Crossan, John Dominic. “The Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection.” In The Search for Jesus: Modern Scholarship Looks as the Gospels, edited by Hershel Shanks, 109–134. Biblical Archeological Society, 1994.

Crossley, James, and Chris Keith, eds. The Next Quest for the Historical Jesus. Eerdmans, 2024.

Crossley, James, and Robert J. Myles. Jesus: A Life in Class Conflict. Winchester, Zer0 Books, 2023.

Dawes, Gregory W., ed. The Historical Jesus Quest: Landmarks in the Search for the Jesus of History. Westminster John Knox, 1999.

Dawes, Gregory W. The Historical Jesus Question: The Challenge of History to Religious Authority. Westminster John Knox, 2001.

Dawes, Gregory W. “‘A Certain Similarity to the Devil’: Historical Criticism and Christian Faith.” In Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Authority of Scripture, edited by Carlos Bovell, 354–370. Pickwick Publications, 2011.

Dunn, James. Jesus Remembered. William B. Eerdmans, 2003.

Dunn, James D. G. Beginning from Jerusalem: Christianity in the Making, vol. 2. Eerdmans, 2009.

Dunn, James D. G. Neither Jew nor Greek: A Contested Identity. Christianity in the Making, Volume 3. Eerdmans, 2015.

Ehrman, Bart D., and Hugo Méndez. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 8th ed. Oxford University Press, 2023.

Evans, Craig A. Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels. IVP Academic, 2008. 290 pages.

Evans, Craig A., ed. Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus. Routledge, 2007.

Evans, Craig A., ed. The Historical Jesus: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies. Vol. 3: Jesus’ Mission, Death, and Resurrection. Routledge, 2004.

Ewen, Pamela Binnings. Faith on Trial: Analyze the Evidence for the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Broadman & Holman Publishing, 2013. 227 pages.

Ferda, Tucker S. Jesus and His Promised Second Coming: Jewish Eschatology and Christian Origins. Eerdmans, 2024. ISBN: 9780802879905

Fernandes, Phil., Coombe, Matthew., Larson, Kyle. Hijacking the Historical Jesus: Answering Recent Attacks on the Jesus of the Bible. Createspace Indie Pub Platform, 2012.

Førland, Tor Egil. “Historiography Without God: S Reply to Gregory.” History and Theory 47, no. 4 (2008): 520–532. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2303.2008.00473.x

Fredriksen, P. Jesus of Nazareth: King of the Jews. Vintage Books, 1997.

Freyne, S. Jesus, a Jewish Galilean: A New Reading of the Jesus-Story. T&T Clark, 2005.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. Yeshua: The Life of Messiah from a Messianic Jewish Perspective (4 vols.). Ariel Ministries, 2016.

Foreman, Benjamin A. “Locating Jesus’ Crucifixion and Burial.” In Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels, edited by Barry J. Beitzel and Kristopher A. Lyle, 504–517. Lexham Geographic Commentary. Lexham Press, 2016.

Gathercole, Simon J. The Gospel and the Gospels: Christian Proclamation and Early Jesus Books. Eerdmans, 2022.

Goswell, Gregry. “Authorship and Anonymity in the New Testament Writings.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 60.4 (2017): 733–749. https://etsjets.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/files_JETS-PDFs_60_60-4_JETS_60_4-733-749_Goswell.pdf

Green, Joel B. “The Death of Jesus.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 3, 2383–2408. Koninklijke Brill NV, 2011.

Greenleaf, Simon. The Testimony of the Evangelists: The Gospels Examined by the Rules of Evidence. Kregel Publications, 1995. 128 pages.

Gregory, Brad S. “No Room for God? History, Science, Metaphysics, and the Study of Religion.”

History and Theory 47, no. 4 (2008): 495–519. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2303.2008.00472.x

Gregor, Kamil, and Brian Blais. “Is Name Popularity a Good Test of Historicity?: A Statistical Evaluation of Richard Bauckham’s Onomastic Argument.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 21, no. 3 (2023): 171–202. https://doi.org/10.1163/17455197-bja10023

Gregor, Kamil, and Brian Blais. “Re-Examining Richard Bauckham’s Argument from Name Popularity in Light of Apocryphal and Talmudic Evidence.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 47, no. 2 (2024): 271–296. https://doi.org/10.1177/0142064X241257350

Habermas, Gary R. The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ. College Press Publishing Company, 1996.

Habermas, Gary R. Evidence for the Historical Jesus: Is the Jesus of History the Christ of Faith. 2nd ed. Lynchburg, Virginia: Liberty University, 2015. http://www.garyhabermas.com/Evidence/?

Habermas, Gary, and Benjamin C. Shaw. “Crucifixion in the Ancient World: A Historical Analysis.” Eleutheria 5, no. 1 (2021): 5–17. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/eleu/vol5/iss1/3

Harvey, Van A. The Historian and the Believer: The Morality of Historical Knowledge and Christian Belief. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1996.

Hengel, Martin. Crucifixion in the Ancient World and the Folly of the Message of The Cross, translated by John Bowden. Fortress, 1977.

Henige David P. Historical Evidence and Argument. University of Wisconsin Press, 2006.

Holmén. Tom, and Stanley E. Porter, eds. Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, 4 vols. Brill, 2011. 3652 pages.

Horsley, R. A. The Prophet Jesus and the Renewal of Israel: Moving Beyond a Diversionary Debate. Eerdmans, 2012.

Horsley, R. A., and T. Thatcher. John, Jesus, and the renewal of Israel. Eerdmans, 2013.

Hultgren, Arland J. “Form Criticism and Jesus Research.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 649–671. Brill, 2010.

Hurlbut, Buck. The Crucifixion of Jesus: Was it Really Friday? Does it Really Matter? Synergy Books, 2020.

Hurtado, Larry W. At the Origins of Christian Worship: The Context and Character of Early Christian Devotion. Carlisle: Paternoster, 1999; Eerdmans, 2000.

Jeremias, J. New Testament Theology (vol.1): The Proclamation of Jesus. SCM, 1971.

Kee, Howard Clark. What Can We Know about Jesus? Understanding Jesus Today. Cambridge University Press, 1990.

Keener, Craig S. Christobiography: Memories, History, and the Reliability of the Gospels. Eerdmans, 2019.

Keener, Craig S. The Historical Jesus of the Gospels. William B. Eerdmans, 2009.

Keith, Chris, and Anthony Le Donne, eds. Jesus, Criteria, and the Demise of Authenticity. T&T Clark, 2012.

Kloppenborg, John S. “Sources, Methods and Discursive Locations in the Quest for the Historical Jesus.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 241–290. Brill, 2010.

Köstenberger, Andreas J., and Michael J. Kruger. The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Contemporary Culture’s Fascination with Diversity Has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity. Nottingham: Apollos, 2010. 256 pages

Kroll, Woodrow Michael. The Trials, Crucifixion, and Burial of Jesus of Nazareth: Grasping the Impact of Every Event the Day Jesus Died. Resource Publications, 2024.

Licona, Michael R. “Historians and Miracle Claims.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 12, no. 1–2 (2014): 106–129. https://doi.org/10.1163/17455197-01202002

Licona, Michael R. “Is the Sky Falling in the World of Historical Jesus Research?” Bulletin for Biblical Research 26, no. 3 (2016): 353–368. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26371455

Licona, Michael R. “Jesus’s Resurrection, Realism, and the Role of the Criteria of Authenticity.” In Jesus, Skepticism, and the Problem of History: Criteria and Context in the Study of Christian Origins, edited by Darrell L. Bock and J. Ed Komoszewski, 285–302. Zondervan, 2019.

Limbaugh, David. Jesus on Trial: A Lawyer Affirms the Truth of the Gospel. Regnery Publishing, 2014. 406 pages.

Loke, Andrew Ter Ern. Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach. Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies series. Routledge, 2020.

Loke, Andrew Ter Ern. Studies on the Origin of Divine and Resurrection Christology. Studies in Early Christology 2. Cascade, 2023.

Maier, Paul L. The Genuine Jesus: Fresh Evidence from History and Archaeology. 3rd ed. Kregel Publications, 2021.

Malbon, Elizabeth Struthers. “New Literary Criticism and Jesus Research.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 777–808. Brill, 2009.

Marshall, I. Howard. I Believe in the Historical Jesus. Hodder & Stoughton; Eerdmans, 1977; Vancouver: Regent, 2001.

McDowell, Josh, and Bill Wilson. He Walked Among Us: Evidence for the Historical Jesus. San Here’s Life Publishers, 1988.

McGrath, James F. Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist. Eerdmans, 2024.

McGrath, James F. John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer. Eerdmans, 2024.

Meier, John P. The Roots of the Problem and the Person. Vol. 1 of A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The Anchor Bible Reference Library. Doubleday, 1991.

Meier, John P. Mentor, Message, and Miracles. Vol. 2 of A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The Anchor Bible Reference Library. Doubleday, 1994.

Meier, John P. Companions and Competitors. Vol. 3 of A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The Anchor Bible Reference Library. Doubleday, 2001.

Meier, John P. Law and Love. Vol. 4 of A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The Anchor Bible Reference Library. Doubleday, 2009.

Meier, John P. Probing the Authenticity of the Parables. Volume 5 of A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The Anchor Bible Reference Library. Yale University Press, 2016.

Meier, John P. “Basic Methodology in the Quest for the Historical Jesus.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, Vol. 1, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 291–332. Brill, 2011.

Meyer, B. The Aims of Jesus. Pickwick, 2002.

Nadeau, Nathan J. “The Philosophy of History and New Testament History: A Survey of the Former with Some Implications for the Latter.” Biblical Interpretation 30, no. 3 (2021): 374–397. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685152-20211596

Nash, Ronald H. The Gospel and the Greeks: Did the New Testament Borrow from Pagan Thought? 2nd ed. Presbyterian & Reformed Pub Co., 2003. 296 pages. Formerly titled Christianity and the Hellenistic World.

Pippin, Tina. The Actual Jesus. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2025.

Pitre, Brant. Jesus and the Last Supper. Eerdmans, 2015.

Pitre, Brant. The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ. Image, 2016. 252 pages

Porter, Stanley E. “The Criteria for Authenticity.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley Porter, vol. 1, 695–714. Brill, 2011.

Powell, Mark Allan. Jesus as a Figure of History: How Modern Historians View the Man from Galilee, 2nd ed. Westminster John Knox Press, 2013.

Rutledge, Steven. The Death of Christ: The Bible and Popular Culture vs Archaeological and Historical Evidence. Pen and Sword History, 2022.

Roberts, Mark D. Can We Trust the Gospels?: Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007. 202 pages.

Sanders, E. P. Jesus and Judaism. Fortress Press, 1985.

Schröter, Jens. Jesus of Nazareth: Jew from Galilee, Savior of the World. Baylor University Press, 2014.

Schröter, Jens, and Christine Jacobi, eds. The Jesus Handbook. Translated by Robert L. Brawley. Eerdmans, 2022.

Schellenberg, Ryan S., and Heidi Wendt, eds. T&T Clark Handbook to the Historical Paul. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022.

Stanton, Graham. Gospel Truth? New Light on Jesus and the Gospels. Harper Collins; Trinity Press International, 1995.

Stanton, Graham. The Gospels and Jesus, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 2002.

Stegemann, Ekkehard W. “Background III: The Social and Political Climate in which Jesus of Nazareth Preached.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 3, 2291–2314. Brill, 2011.

Stein, Robert H. The Method and Message of Jesus’ Teachings, rev. ed. Westminster John Knox, 1994.

Stevenson, Austin. The Consciousness of the Historical Jesus: Historiography, Theology, and Metaphysics. Bloomsbury, 2024.

Theissen, G., and A. Merz. The Historical Jesus: A Comprehensive Guide. Fortress Press, 1998.

van de Weghe, Luuk, de. “Name Recall in the Synoptic Gospels.” New Testament Studies 69.1 (2023): 95–109. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0028688522000170.

van de Weghe, Luuk, and Jason Wilson. “Why Name Popularity is a Good Test of Historicity: A Goodness-of-Fit Test Analysis on Names in the Gospels and Acts.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 22, no. 2 (2024): 184–214. https://doi.org/10.1163/17455197-bja10035

Van Voorst, Robert E. Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Eerdmans, 2000. 262 pages.

Vermes, G. Jesus the Jew: A Historian’s Reading of the Gospels. Collins, 1973.

Webb, Robert L. “The Historical Enterprise and Historical Jesus Research.” In Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus: A Collaborative Exploration of Context and Coherence, edited by Darrell L. Bock, and Robert L. Webb, 9–93. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 247. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2009.

Webb, Robert L. “The Rules of the Game: History and Historical Method in the Context of Faith: The Via Media of Methodological Naturalism.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 9, no. 1 (2011): 59–84. https://doi.org/10.1163/174551911X601135

Wells, George A. “How Destructive of Traditional Christian Beliefs is Historical Criticism of the Bible Today Conceded to Be?” Think 10, no. 29 (2011): 91–109. doi:10.1017/s1477175611000303

Wilkins, Michael J. and J. P. Moreland. Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus. Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.

Williams, Peter. Behold the Man: Essays on the Historical Jesus. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2024.

Winter, Dagmar. “The Burden of Proof in Jesus Research.” In Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, edited by Tom Holmén and Stanley E. Porter, vol. 1, 843–851. Brill, 2009.

Witherington III, Ben. What Have They Done with Jesus?: Beyond Strange Theories and Bad History–Why We Can Trust the Bible. HarperOne, 2006. 352 pages.

Wright, N. T. The New Testament and the People of God. Volume 1 of Christian Origins and the Question of God. Fortress Press, 1992.

Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Volume 2 of Christian Origins and the Question of God. SPCK, 1996.

Wright, N. T. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Volume 3 of Christian Origins and the Question of God. Fortress Press, 2003.

Wright, N. T. The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is. InterVarsity Press, 2015.

Wright, N. T. Who Was Jesus? Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014.

Zolondek, Michael Vicko. The Quest for a Historical Jesus Methodology: Graeco-Roman Biographies, the Gospels, and the Practice of History. Pickwick Publications, 2023.

Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus https://brill.com/view/journals/jshj/jshj-overview.xml

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top