The Familiar Stranger: An Introduction to Jesus of Nazareth

Familiar Stranger by Michael McClymond is a very readable introduction to that elusive figure known as “the historical Jesus” ― his life, his world, his sayings and doings, accounts of his death and resurrection, and his followers’ efforts to understand him.

Three features set Familiar Stranger apart from the many other available books on Jesus. First, it’s targeted to general readers but doesn’t dumb down in its attempt to inform them. Second, it’s ideologically balanced, exhibiting a refreshing lack of agenda or ulterior motive beyond the desire to genuinely present what we can and cannot know about Jesus today. Third, it brings together the two most fruitful models for understanding Jesus and his mission ― Jesus the “moral sage” and Jesus the “eschatological prophet.” The result is a truly well-rounded picture of Jesus.

Marked by concision, clarity, and thoroughness, McClymond’s Familiar Stranger is ideal for classrooms, study groups, and individuals in search of an up-to-date, trustworthy guide to the historical Jesus. Readers familiar with Jesus may well find him becoming stranger to them through these pages, and, conversely, those to whom Jesus is a stranger may well discover a growing familiarity with him.

 

Michael J. McClymond is professor of modern Christianity at Saint Louis University. His other books include The Devil's Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism.