An appointment famous and widely-recognized within the studies on the historical Jesus from the theologian and historian Albert Schweitzer, Nobel Peace prize (1952) and a pioneer in the modern research of the topic. In his classic work “The quest for the historical Jesus” (Geschichte der Leben-Jesu-ForschungIn 1906, wrote:

“The Jesus of Nazareth who appeared as the Messiah, preached the ethic of the Kingdom of God, founded the community of heaven on the earth and died to consecrate it, never actually existed. This Jesus is a figure created by rationalism, endowed with life by liberalism, and transfigured by modern theology in an ideal image.”
— Albert Schweitzer, 1906.

The phrase summarizes the critical Schweitzer reconstructions idealized Jesus “modern” and his insistence on a Jesus, apocalyptic, deeply jewish, whose mission it was understood in the horizon of the order of the impending world.

What can we know with high probability?

1) there was a jewish preacher and galileo named Jesus, who was active beginning of the first century, executed by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate. This “minimum biography” is based on sources of early christian and references to non-christian: Tacitus (c. 116 d.C.) mentions Christus executed by Pilate and his followers in Rome, Pliny the Younger (c. 112 d.C.) describes christian communities; Flavius Josephus (c. 93-94 d.C.) alludes to Jesus and the martyrdom of his brother James (passage undisputed in Ant. XX 9,1) and a witness about Jesus Ant. XVIII (core authentic finishing touches christians, according to majority consensus).

2) Context: judaism of the Second Temple, with apocalyptic expectations. Jesus was a jew rural Galilee, he preached about the “Kingdom of God”, is linked to John the Baptist and gathered disciples on the move. A good part of the research profiled as an eschatological prophet (line–Schweitzer E. P. Sanders–Dale Allison–Bart D. Ehrman–Paula Fredriksen): he announced the imminence of the divine intervention and called for the conversion of ethics.

3) Facts that are widely accepted by historians (high consensus):

• Baptism by John the Baptist.
• Proclamation of the Kingdom of God in parables and aphorisms memorable.
• Activity healer/exorcística perceived as “signs”.
• Choice of Twelve (symbol of the restoration of Israel).
• Incident symbolic in the Temple of Jerusalem.
• Arrest of Jesus and roman execution by crime political (the title on the cross: “King of the Jews”).
• Supporters argue experiences postmortem (visions/theophanic acts) that launched the movement.
  These arguments rest on multiple atestiguaciones, “criterion of continuity jewish”, “dissimilarity” and “a shame” (e.g., the baptism by John). For the passion and death, see the analysis of Meier, Fredriksen and Allison.

Sources and their dating (how close are we to the facts)

Authentic letters of Paul (years 50-60 d.C.). The 1st Corinthians it is usually dated c. 53-54 d.C.; contains the formula/tradition in 1 Cor 15,3–7 (“I... I passed...”) that the majority believes pre-pauline (above the letter), testifying to an early death, burial, and apparitions. There is No single date for this tradition, but consensus on its age; it is wise to say: prior to the mid 50's.

Canonical gospels. The sequence and dates commonly used in historical criticism:

• Mark: around 70 d.C. (on or shortly after the destruction of the Temple).
• Matthew and Luke: decade of 80-90 d.C.using Frames and other traditions.
• John: around 90-100 d.C.
  These dates are supported in reliance literary (Frames source of Mt/Lc), and in allusions to 70 d.C.; it is standard in the literature criticism.

Testimonials are not christians already cited (Tacitus, Pliny, Josephus) confirm basic data: the existence of the movement, execution of Jesus by Pilate, christian presence before 64-d.C. in Rome, and at the end of the century I in Bithynia-Pontus.

Historical profile of Jesus: core likely

Origin and language. Jewish galileo, speaker main aramaic, knower of the Hebrew Scriptures, with praxis religious jewish.

Message.

• Kingdom of God: sovereign rule of God imminent; it requires conversion, confidence, and an ethical program: mercy, forgiveness, purity, interior, defense of the poor/excluded.
• Parables: didactic provocative that reinterprets the Torah from the divine intention.
• Practices: food open as a symbol of inclusion; healings as signs of the Kingdom.

Relationship with the Law. Does not abrogate the Torah; re-sizing priorities (mercy over sacrifice), tolerate a more flexible standards rituals to the urgency of the Kingdom.

Charismatic authority. Acts “with its own authority”, convenes a Israel restored (Twelve), but does not lead an armed insurrection.

Destination. The gesture in the Temple and the impeachment (titre “king”) explains the cross roman.

What to hold to the disciples after his death

• Immediately (decade of 30-50) arise communities in Judea, Syria and the diaspora.
• Paul (50) transmits a tradition already formed on death, burial and appearances seen of Cephas, the Twelve, “more than five hundred”, and James and “all the apostles”, and his own. Historically, researchers classified as visionary experiences/teofánicas foundational, not verifiable by the historical method, but yes early and sincerely believed.

Methodology: how it reconstructs the historical Jesus

1. Criticism of the sources (author, date, genre). 2) Dependencies literary (priority of Frames). 3) Classic criteria (multiple attestation, discontinuity/a shame, coherence). 4) Social memory and oral tradition. 5) Jewish context of the Second Temple.

Warning honest: The “criteria of authenticity” have been questioned by its mechanical application; today, it is combined with approaches of memory and contexts socio historical (see Allison).

What is high consensus vs. discussed

High-consensus

• Historical existence of Jesus.
• Public activity in the Galilee/Judea.
• Baptism by John the proclamation of the Kingdom, a group of disciples, reputation healing.
• Conflict in Jerusalem and crucifixion under pontius Pilate (c. 30 d.C.).
• Start very early faith pascual (1 Cor 15).

Key Debates

• Self-understanding of Jesus: how prophet apocalyptic (majority view) or sage/mystic traveling with apocalyptic minimized?
• Historicity concrete episodes (e.g., details of the temple action”, such johannine long).
• Chronology fine (exact year of death: 30 or 33).
• Miracles: the historian describes perceptions/claims, may not certify “interventions” supernatural.

How to read critically the gospels without losing the thread

• Are biographies theological old, no news coverage. Seek to persuade about who Jesus is, in the light of Easter.
• Marcos offers the cage is more primitive; Matthew/Luke extend and sorted; John is the most theologically developed.
• The Passion demonstrates a greater convergence between traditions; there are supports as firm as the last section.

Conclusion

• Yes we can: profiling of Jesus as a teacher and prophet, a jew, with the message of the Kingdom, which clashed with authorities and died for an indictment of roman politics; his followers testified experiences paschal very early that sustained the expansion of the movement.
• We cannot: convert affirmations of faith (e.g., resurrection as a supernatural fact) in the “historical fact” verifiable. The historian can document what they believed and proclaimed very early those who knew him, not to settle metaphysical.
• The best practice is to read the texts as ancient literature, to control them among themselves and with their jewish context-roman, and distinguish with honesty between fact likely, inference solid and theological conviction.