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A Marginal Jew: 3. Companions and Competitors (2001) is a book by John P. Meier.

~ Volume Three of A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus (1991 Meier), book series.

Abstract

The third volume in the series seeks to locate the "marginal Jew" Jesus in relation with the other Jews (either companions or competitors) and to highlight his distinctive teaching.

"The first two volumes of John Meier's monumental series, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, attracted the attention of The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Christianity Today, and Commonweal, and are among the most popular and bestselling books in the Anchor Bible Reference Library. Employing the same meticulous scholarship and critical approach, John Meier continues his quest for authentic answers to questions about the historical Jesus in Volume III: Companions and Competitors. Meier widens the spotlight from Jesus himself to encompass both his followers and such rival groups as the Pharisees and the Zealots. He shows that contrary to the popular image of Jesus as an egalitarian leader indifferent to structure, Jesus shaped his ministry with great care and consciously competed against rival religious and political movements. Focusing on the Jewish nature of Jesus, Meier provides an important corrective to recent portraits that present Jesus in the sometimes dubious setting of Greco-Roman culture and clarifies Jesus' vision of preserving the identity of Israel and fulfilling its destiny. Like the previous books in the series, it will spark much discussion among scholars and general readers alike ... No man is an island, not even Jesus, as John Meier writes in Companions and Competitors, the third installment of his four-part series, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus. The first volume, an overview of Jesus' background, chronology, and early years, was followed by a second that analyzed Jesus' most important messages and deeds. Here, Meier explains his conviction that "No human being is adequately understood if he or she is considered in isolation from other human beings." He leads readers through the concentric circles of companions (including the followers who became his disciples and apostles) and competitors (such as Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Samaritans) that shaped Jesus' life in first-century Palestine. Meier, a priest and New Testament scholar at Notre Dame, writes in the engaging, methodical style of an astringently avuncular professor: chapters are carefully outlined, with straightforward headings such as "Points of Comparison and Contrast," "Caveats on Comparisons," and "The Sheer Oddness of Jesus"). His findings, particularly his explanation of "the essentially Jewish nature" of Jesus' relationships, are a valuable addition to the field of Historical Jesus scholarship."--Publisher description.

Editions

Published in New York, NY: Doubleday, 2001.

• A Marginal Jew: 1. The Roots of the Problem and the Person (1991 Meier), book
• A Marginal Jew: 2. Mentor, Message, and Miracles (1994 Meier), book
• A Marginal Jew: 4. Law and Love (2009 Meier), book
• A Marginal Jew: 5. Probing the Authenticity of the Parables (2016 Meier), book

Translations

• Un judío marginal: 3. Companeros y competidores (200? Meier / Fuente, Barrado), book (Spanish ed.)

• Un ebreo marginale: 3. Compagni e antagonisti = A Marginal Jew: 3. Companions and Competitors (2003 @2001 Meier / Dalla Vecchia), book (Italian ed.)

• Jésus, un certain juif: 3. Attachements, affrontements, ruptures (200? Meier / Degorce, Ehlinger, Lucas), book (French ed.)

Table of contents

External links

• [ Google Books]