Jesus’ Attitude Towards the Law: A Study of the Gospels

This book provides a critical reassessment and fresh analysis of Jesus’ attitude towards the Law as portrayed in each of the canonical Gospels, Q, Thomas, and the apocryphal Gospels. Representing William Loader’s definitive work on the subject, this comprehensive study presents a clearer picture of Jesus and his message. A special feature of this book is its textually sequential analysis of the theme of the Law. By taking this unique approach, Loader lets Jesus’ stance towards the Law emerge directly out of the Gospel narratives themselves, at the same time highlighting important similarities and differences between the texts. Comparing the canonical Gospels with each other and with crucial noncanonical sources allows Loader to probe behind the tradition in the search for Jesus’ true relationship with the Judaism of his day. Despite its focused theme, this is not a book about the historical Jesus. Instead, it works with the ancient materials we actually have before us and so offers a more secure basis for the less certain task of reconstructing the history behind the texts. In treating each Gospel, Loader begins with a substantial engagement of current and previous research before presenting his own perspectives. As a result, Jesus’ Attitude towards the Law will be valued both as an original scholarly contribution and as an unrivaled sourcebook for studying Jesus, Second Temple Judaism, and the origins of Christianity.