In __Scripting Jesus__, Michael White, famed scholar of early Christian history, reveals how the gospel stories of Jesus were never meant to be straightforward historical accounts, but rather were scripted and honed as performance pieces for four different audiences with four different theological agendas. As he did as a featured presenter in two award-winning PBS Frontline documentaries (“From Jesus to Christ” and “Apocalypse!”), White engagingly explains the significance of some lesser-known aspects of The New Testament; in this case, the development of the stories of Jesus—including how the gospel writers differed from one another on facts, points of view, and goals. Readers of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, and Bart Ehrman will find much to ponder in __Scripting Jesus__. Preface Prologue Scripting Jesus The Storyteller's Art Act I Casting Characters ---Chapter One Acting the Part Messiah ---Chapter Two Logos and Wisdom's Child ---Chapter Three Divine Man ---Chapter Four Savior Act II Crafting Scenes ---Chapter Five Orality,Memory,and Performance ---Chapter Six Heralding the Crucifixion ---Chapter Seven Marking the Passion ---Chapter Eight Casti ng Spells ---Chapter Nine Spinn ing Parables ---Chapter Ten Plotting the Nativity Act III Staging Gospels ---Chapter Eleven The Misunderstood Messiah The Gospel of Mark ---Chapter Twelve The Righteous Teacher of Torah The Gospel of Matthew ---Chapter Thirteen The Martyred Sage The Gospel of Luke ---Chapter Fourteen The Man from Heaven The Gospels of John and Thomas ---Chapter Fifteen Gospels and More Gospels Epilogue Tales of Fancy, Acts of Faith Appendices A. The Geography of Jesus's World B. Solving the Synoptic Problem C. The Gospel of Peter D. A "Transcript" of Q E. Mapping the Narrative World of Luke Notes Ancient Writings Index Subject Index In Scripting Jesus , Michael White, famed scholar of early Christian history, reveals how the gospel stories of Jesus were never meant to be straightforward historical accounts, but rather were scripted and honed as performance pieces for four different audiences with four different theological agendas. As he did as a featured presenter in two award-winning PBS Frontline documentaries (“From Jesus to Christ” and “Apocalypse!”), White engagingly explains the significance of some lesser-known aspects of The New Testament; in this case, the development of the stories of Jesus—including how the gospel writers differed from one another on facts, points of view, and goals. Readers of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, and Bart Ehrman will find much to ponder in Scripting Jesus .
