The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus (What Did Jesus Really Say?), by Robert Funk, Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar (oversize TPB, 553 pages, 1993, $5)
Have you heard of the Jesus Seminar? For six years, bible scholars of the Jesus Seminar "inventoried all the surviving ancient texts for words attributed to Jesus. They then examined those words in the several ancient languages in which they have been preserved. They produced a translation of all the gospels, known as the Scholars Version. And, finally, they studied, debated, and voted on each of the more than 1,500 sayings of Jesus in the inventory. The Five Gospels is a color-coded report of the results of those deliberations. It answers the question 'What did Jesus really say?' within a narrow range of historical probabilities."
The critics of all this complain the Seminar scholars were all liberals, of similar opinions. Whatever, this is quite an accomplishment.
For those unacquainted with liberal scholarship, the inclusion of Gospels Q and Thomas may be a new idea, perhaps even offensive. The idea of voting to determine what Jesus really might by itself be offensive. As I always say, read about it and make up your own mind. Look for this in the religion section. Avail. 2/22.
