Familiar Stranger: An Introduction to Jesus of Nazareth

Currents in Theology and Mission, April, 2005 by Graydon F. Snyder

Familiar Stranger: An Introduction to Jesus of Nazareth. By Michael J. McClymond (Eerdmans, $16). McClymond, professor of theological studies at Saint Louis University, has penned an excellent introduction to Jesus. He moves through methodological questions to historical and cultural background and then the life and teaching of Jesus. Though it is a small book, McClymond covers the subject quite well. Few issues regarding Jesus research are left untouched. Many differing opinions and secondary resources are mentioned, though few if any are cited as authoritative. The result is a fine introduction, useful for advanced lay groups, college students, and introductory seminary courses. The author has written a general introduction to Jesus, not a new proposal. As McClymond recognizes, though, it would be impossible to write anything about Jesus without finding there your own faith (p. 139). Yet he manages to avoid any noticeable bias. In fact, to counteract any such bias, in the last chapter, somewhat ironically, he describes some unacceptable, but legitimate, views of Jesus.

Graydon F. Snyder, Chicago, Illinois