The Familiar Stranger: An Introduction to Jesus of Nazareth

Familiar Stranger by Michael McClymond is a very readable introduction to that elusive figure known as "the historical Jesus" -- his life, his world, his sayings and doings, accounts of his death and resurrection, and his followers' efforts to understand him.

Three features set Familiar Stranger apart from the many other available books on Jesus. First, it's targeted to general readers but doesn't dumb down in its attempt to inform them. Second, it's ideologically balanced, exhibiting a refreshing lack of agenda or ulterior motive beyond the desire to genuinely present what we can and cannot know about Jesus today. Third, it brings together the two most fruitful models for understanding Jesus and his mission -- Jesus the "moral sage" and Jesus the "eschatological prophet." The result is a truly well-rounded picture of Jesus.

Marked by concision, clarity, and thoroughness, McClymond's Familiar Stranger is ideal for classrooms, study groups, and individuals in search of an up-to-date, trustworthy guide to the historical Jesus. Readers familiar with Jesus may well find him becoming stranger to them through these pages, and, conversely, those to whom Jesus is a stranger may well discover a growing familiarity with him.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Published: 03/22/2004
ISBN: 9780802826800
Pages: 212
Weight: 0.69lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.06w x 0.59d
Award: Christianity Today Book Award - Award of Merit

Review Citations: Booklist 04/15/2004 pg. 1407
Choice 12/01/2004 pg. 679
Christianity Today 02/01/2005 pg. 89