Memory, Jesus, and the Synoptic Gospels (2011 McIver), book

Robert K. McIver, Memory, Jesus, and the Synoptic Gospels (Atlanta, GA : Society of Biblical Literature, 2011).

Abstract

"Before they were written in the Gospels, the teachings and deeds of Jesus were preserved in human memory—with all its frailties and strengths—for perhaps as long as 30 to 60 years. Much can happen to traditions preserved in memories for so long, and this groundbreaking work addresses the impact that the qualities of human memory would have had on the traditions of the historical Jesus found in the Synoptic Gospels. It uses the insights gained from over a century of psychological experimentation to investigate the qualities and potential reliability of individual and collective memories underlying the various elements that make up the Gospel traditions."--Publisher description.

Contents

Eyewitness memory -- Transience and the reliability of long-term human memory -- Personal event memories -- Collective memory -- Collective memory as an explanation of gospel origins -- Eyewitness memory and the gospel traditions -- Memory frailties and the gospel traditions -- Collective memory, Jesus as teacher, and the Jesus traditions -- Conclusions: Memory, Jesus, and the Gospels.