{"product_id":"the-gospels-are-reliable-history-eyewitnesses-to-the-ministry-of-jesus-9780802886132","title":"The Gospels Are Reliable History: Eyewitnesses to the Ministry of Jesus","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLearn what makes the Gospels trustworthy historical sources.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor anyone who wonders how much can we really know about the historical Jesus, the answer hinges on a crucial question: can we trust the Synoptic Gospels as historical sources?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScholar Craig S. Keener explores this question using methods accessible to believers and non-believers alike. Setting aside theological questions about divine inspiration, he asks: How do historians evaluate ancient texts' reliability? What did first-century readers expect from contemporary biographies? And what could Jesus's followers still remember about him when Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on cutting-edge research in genre and memory studies, Keener demonstrates that the Synoptic Gospels function as ancient biographies--accounts deeply concerned with preserving historical information about a real person. By understanding how ancient biography worked and how early communities transmitted memories, readers gain powerful tools for assessing the reliability of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKeener previously explored this subject matter in \u003ci\u003eChristobiography\u003c\/i\u003e, an in-depth, fully documented study for advanced scholars. Now in \u003ci\u003eThe Gospels Are Reliable History\u003c\/i\u003e, he makes this vital research readable and engaging for seminary students, pastors, and general readers. Here, readers will discover why the Synoptic Gospels deserve serious consideration as historical sources--and what that means for learning about Jesus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/22\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802886132\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 152","brand":"Craig S. Keener","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53024668418229,"sku":"9780802886132","price":21.24,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/9780802886132.jpg?v=1787667866","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-gospels-are-reliable-history-eyewitnesses-to-the-ministry-of-jesus-9780802886132","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}