Jesus against the Scribal Elite: The Origins of the Conflict

Description

How did the controversy between Jesus and the scribal elite begin? We know that it ended on a cross, but what put Jesus on the radar of established religious and political leaders in the first place? Chris Keith argues this an answer to that question must go beyond typical explanations such as Jesus's alternative views on Torah or his miracle working and consider his status as a teacher. Keith examines Jesus' own likely educational background, and situates Jesus within his first-century context, showing readers that some of the tensions between Jesus and the scribal authorities may have originated in Jesus' own lack of formal education. Keith builds on his earlier work on Jesus' literacy and uses insights from memory theory and ancient media studies to consider how Jesus' actions and teachings may have specifically been seen to challenge an elitist scribal culture. Cover Praise for the First Edition Half-title Title Copyright Dedication Contents Preface to the Revised Edition Preface to the First Edition List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. Teachers in the Time of Jesus 2. Jesus as Teacher in the Gospels 3. Assessing the Texts 4. Jesus and Scribal Literacy 5. The Content of the Conflict 6. The Emergence of the Conflict Concluding Remarks Bibliography Scripture and Ancient Writings Index Author Index Subject Index