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Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ
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Average Rating:  out of 23 Reviews
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Price: $18.99
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Sale: $9.65
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Manufacturer: Kregel Publications
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EAN (European Article Number): 9780825429835
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Number of Items: 1
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Binding: Paperback
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Author: Robert Bowman::J. Ed Komoszewski
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Publisher: Kregel Publications
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Dewey Decimal Number: 232.8
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Publication Date: 2007-08-31
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Reading Level: 392
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Description: The central theological distinctive of Christianity--that Jesus is God incarnate--has repeatedly come under fire from adherents to other religions and scholars who interpret Jesus as a prophet, angel, or guru. Putting Jesus in His Place is designed to introduce Christians to the wealth of biblical teaching on the diety of Christ. Using evidence from the New Testament, this book helps readers appreciate the significance of Christ's diety in a personal relationship with Him, and gives them the confidence to share the truth about Jesus with others. The book is divided into five chapters, each corresponding to Christ's divine attributes and the letters in HANDS: H-Honots (Jesus shares the honors that are due God) A-Attributes (Jesus shares the attributes of God) N-Names (Jesus shares the names of God) D-Deeds )Jesus shares the deeds that God does) S-Seat (Jesus shares the seat of God's eternal throne)
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Customer Reviews
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Review Summary: complete nonsense to fool the gullible |
Date: 2008-11-02 |
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Details: A few years ago, I asked Craig Hazen if I could debate someone at Biola. Hazen came up with a name. Rob Bowman. I thought Bowman was a grad student in Craig Hazen's program, but I never asked what their connection was. We debated at Biola for a few hours one evening, and I straightened him out. Or so I thought. After reading this book, I'm sorry to report he didn't learn anything that day.
BOWMAN: The book... proceeding on the assumption that the New Testament is the authoritative source of teaching on this question for Christians.
You see, Rob, you can't start from the "assumption" that the New Testament is credible. You have to PROVE it... and you can't. (At Biola, apologetics faculty make this mistake all the time. Doesn't play so well out here in the real world.)
Do you know WHY the Gospels are NOT credible? Pay attention.
In our society, we are plagued by something called an "End of the World cult." Heaven's Gate was one version, where Applewhite claimed that a spaceship was traveling behind Halley's Comet, and his followers had to commit suicide in order to move to the next level and hitch a ride with the aliens. There's no way to prove it didn't happen, but that's why we have intelligence. so we KNOW the difference between the ravings of a silly cult, and a history book.
From the comment section: Fred Sanders Biola University : You might be surprised to learn that the case for Christ's deity has actually become stronger during the past couple of decades.
That's a LIE. It's a lie designed to promote belief in an End of the World cult. Nothing more. There have been no new discoveries of ancient documents that would in any way make "the case for christ's deity" stronger. At Biola, grad students are taught to lie in this manner.
The truth is, anyone can lie about another person's alleged DEITY. You can always claim to be a god, or a son of god. Roman emperors used to have their own emperor cult. When a comet appeared in the sky, it was said to be Julius Caesar ascending to the heavens.
The early Christian church was a cult, based on the possibility that the world was about to end. Peter told his victims they were living in the last days. The one thing we know, absolutely, for a fact, is that the Son of Man did not appear in the clouds while some who heard Jesus preach were still alive. Bowman can play word games, and write entire books about why you should believe Jesus was someone or something other than a normal human being... but that's because he's dishonest. Bowman knows the evidence is not there, and he's trying to fool... well, himself. And every student who attends Biola (Bible Institute of Los Angeles, not a university in any sense, no matter what they call it.)
This book is designed to fool people. It never addresses the simple facts that would prove his premise is false. Jesus was NOT a deity, and there is no evidence that he was. None. |
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Review Summary: Scholarly Apologetics - Best of the Current Crop?? |
Date: 2008-07-13 |
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Details: In genre, this is an apologetic work. That means it is advocating a specific position and marshals the necessary evidence to support that position. The topic under consideration is the deity of Jesus of Nazareth as attested to by the New Testament. And, the preceding reader reviews here on Amazon have well made the point that this book is exceptionally successful in accomplishing its goals to the satisfaction of its target audience. And, its target audience is Christian laity. The authors, Bowman and Komoszewski, are professional apologists and, therefore, professional writers which is evident from their clean, to the point and accessible prose. The list of academic endorsements for this book is long and impressive. And, to the author's credit they spend no time excoriating their opponents.
That the target audience is the faithful and the perplexed speaks volumes about our postmodern era. Almost two thousand years ago, the original Christian apologetic works by Justin Martyr and his successors were aimed at those outside the faith who subscribed to a different "philosophy," polytheism or Judaism. This of course immediately raises the question of why the thrust of current Christian apologetics is almost exclusively inward looking. And quite simply put, Christian faith has been under assault from a variety of sources for the last fifty years or so. Rational skeptics, Jesus deniers, and surprisingly academics within the schools of theology and religious studies have raised doubts about Jesus and his deity and captured a wide audience and media attention . Their opinions range from outright denial of Jesus as a historical figure, to Jesus as a figure so surrounded by myth as to be unknowable, to Jesus as no more than a great teacher who was deified long after his death by his followers. It is probably this last opinion that has gained the most traction from academic sources such as the "Jesus Seminar" and fiction such as that of Dan Brown's, "De Vinci Code."
In a workmanlike, scholarly, and exhaustive fashion, "Putting Jesus in His Place" addresses the question of Jesus' deity as portrayed in the New Testament writings. What it finds is that the New Testament contains a myriad of references to the deity of Jesus and that these references in many instances are quite early. A well worked out typology is offered by the authors that divides these affirmations into five categories. Not only is this information convincing, but on numerous occasions, this book provides the reader with clear and insightful exegesis of N.T. passages. For example, the exposition of the concept of "coming" as a proof text for the pre-existence of the Son of God. End notes are extremely valuable and comprise nearly a quarter of the text. Advanced material as well as bibliographic references may be extracted from these notes if the reader wishes.
One star is duly subtracted because of dating issues regarding the composition of the N.T. books. Following J. A. T. Robinson, the authors date the entire New Testament prior to 70 C.E. While this is a tenable position, it is not the consensus scholarly view. Therefore, we may find the prayer of Stephen in Acts which almost certainly dates to within a decade of the crucifixion juxtaposed with a quote from the Revelation of John which may well date to circa 95 C.E. or 1 Peter which was probably written after 100 C.E. The books only deviation from conservative dating and authorship attributions is that Bowman and Komozewski state that the book of Hebrews was not an epistle of the apostle Paul. While this may be disconcerting to some, it in no way detracts from the authors' exposition of the many passages in the New Testament that date to within twenty-five years of Jesus' death, circa 33 C.E., and which attest to His divinity. Within the context of this books clearly stated objectives, the writers have provided a compelling document that is accessible to almost all. |
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Review Summary: Jesus put rightfully in his place |
Date: 2008-02-19 |
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Details: I am pleased with Robert Bowman and J. Ed Komoszewski's treatment on the deity of Jesus. I have read a number of books on the person of Jesus, but I have never read one as chock-full of biblical documentation as this. Of course, none of the information in this book will come as a surprise to the committed Christian, as the deity of Christ is the cornerstone of our faith. But when one considers ALL the evidence compiled in this book, it baffles me how the Jehovah's Witness (and those belonging to other faiths that claim to uphold biblical authority) can say this was a doctrine made up by Constantine and Co. in the 4th century. Jesus is not just "a god," He's not an angel, He not the spirit brother of Lucifer. No, this is the God-man, Immanuel, and how fortunate we are that He dwelt among us. All of this is there for anyone to see. I love the acronym "HANDS" and the many resources we've been given, including the appendix A that includes many dozens of verses to support the claims made in this book. One final note: Because this book is very thorough, it is not easy to skim through and get full benefit. I suggest you go slowly, absorb the many verses found within its pages, and remind yourself how Jesus is both Lord and God forevermore! |
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Review Summary: Essential Reading on the New Testament Picture of Christ |
Date: 2008-02-18 |
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Details: I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the entire book, but after working through a few of the chapters, taking notes, etc., I can say with confidence that this book is essential reading for anyone interested in how the New Testament describes the person of Jesus.
The book provides a window into the thinking of the New Testament authors, in particular, as they draw on their Jewish background and their common understanding of God Almighty, and then apply that same understanding to Jesus of Nazareth. For example, in the Old Testament, in passages devoted to describing God's uniqueness (Isa 44:6-7ff), Creation is an act ascribed only to God (Isa 44:24); then, in the New Testament, we find Jesus engaged in Creation (e.g. John 1:3; Col 1:16-17). The book is extensive and detailed in terms of pointing out the various ways that the New Testament declares that Jesus is indeed divine, on the level of the Father. The evidence is overwhelming, and the conclusion can only be avoided by distancing oneself from Jewish belief and practice.
This book would make for a fine Sunday School series. The material is well-researched and footnoted, but is also presented within the framework of an easy-to-remember acrostic (H-A-N-D-S). It is also a nice complement to a shorter work by theologian Richard Bauckham - God Crucified : Monotheism and Christology in the New Testament. I would recommend reading Bauckham's book first, then following it with this one.
Ed Komoszewski and Robert Bowman should be congratulated on their fine work. Christians should keep an eye out for both authors. Bowman is prolific, and relevant to the topic of this book, has written some excellent books discussing the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses (who deny the full deity of Jesus), e.g. Why You Should Believe in the Trinity: An Answer to Jehovah's Witnesses. Komoszewski is the director of Christus Nexus, an organization of scholars devoted to educating the church in a time when the Scriptures and the person of Christ are constantly under attack. Don't miss his Reinventing Jesus. |
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Review Summary: A Masterful Treatment of the Master |
Date: 2008-01-08 |
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Details: Putting Jesus In His Place (PJIHP) is perhaps the most accessible book on Christology to come along since Raymond Brown's "An Introduction to New Testament Christology" -- but this is more than a mere introduction. J. Ed Komoszewski and Robert Bowman, Jr. introduce the interested layperson to Jesus but then bring us into an intimate relationship with him through what the New Testament and current scholarship have to say about him.
The authors have developed the acronym H.A.N.D.S. in order to help the reader memorize the various themes discussed in this book which show forth the deity of Christ. As a student in general, I appreciate any pedagogical tool that will help me to retain useful information, but as a Charismatic-Pentecostal in particular (the Trinitarian kind) I very much appreciate this specific acronym. As a Charismatic, I am accustomed to lifting my hands in worship and adoration of the Lord Jesus. I'm also accustomed to clapping and waving my hands in praise of him. I take the New Testament at its word when it speaks of laying hands on the sick and praying the prayer of faith, so as you can see, HANDS are an integral part of my faith. So when the authors set forth this acronym as a way to instill the Biblical teaching of Christ's deity, it really hit home!
As other reviewers have noted, the H.A.N.D.S. acronym stands for:
Honors
Attributes
Names
Deeds
Seat
Jesus shares all of these things with the Father and the way in which Komoszewski and Bowman go about proving this is nothing short of remarkable. Both authors are extremely gifted writers who for quite some time have been producing top quality material for a lay-audience. They examine not only the major passages of Scripture that many of us are familiar with with regard to this debate, but they also bring to our attention some more obscure passages. We've all seen countless apologists cite John 1:1 or Titus 2:13 in defense of the deity of Christ, but when was the last time you saw someone draw attention to Luke 8:39 (p. 204)? When was the last time you took into account the vast Old Testament material that speaks of Yahweh and the way it is appropriated and applied to Jesus in the New Testament? Think about it... Exactly... It's been a while, maybe even never. It would be impossible to say that no stone was left unturned, but in reading this volume one gets the sense that if there are some stones that haven't been looked under, they're few and far between.
This is a book that needs to be in the hands of every Bible Study teacher, every Pastor, every counter-cult Apologist, and every person interested in theological and biblical studies. Why?, you ask. Because there's not a book on the market that is so easily accessible which dialogues with the best of current scholarship (names like Larry Hurtado, Richard Bauckham, James Dunn, R.T. France, etc.), interacts with the best of current arguments against the deity of Christ (names like Greg Stafford, Jason BeDuhn, etc.), and which takes into account the various points of study that these men have chosen to focus on. Sure, you can find a book that deals with one or two of these themes, but you won't find anything that deals with all of them, and even if you did, it wouldn't be as readable as this!
It's also worth noting that the book is lined with helpful charts that will aid in your memorization. There's detailed endnotes for anyone who wants to dig deeper than the text itself (and trust me, that deep all on its own!). A Scripture index is included and my favorite extra, a recommended reading list. This list reads like the top shelf of my main bookcase, so I can attest to how good it really is.
There's simply not enough positive things to say about this book, but I will say this... There are going to be people who read this book and take exception to it. They'll give it bad reviews and chide about how the authors haven't made their case or have misrepresented x or y. So this is what I say... Get your own copy and find out for yourself. It's that simple and at the price Amazon has it for, you can't afford not to get it!
If you'd like to read my full multi-part review of Putting Jesus in His Place then you can visit the following site:
[...]
B"H
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