Richard A. Horsley

Richard A. Horsley was the Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and the Study of Religion at the University of Massachusetts Boston until his retirement in 2007.

He described his view of the historical Jesus in these words (Jesus and the Spiral of Violence, pp. 207–208):

The focal concern of the kingdom of God in Jesus’ preaching and practice, however, is the liberation and welfare of the people. Jesus’ understanding of the "kingdom of God" is similar in its broader perspective to the confident hopes expressed in then-contemporary Jewish apocalyptic literature. That is, he had utter confidence that God was restoring the life of the society, and that this would mean judgment for those who oppressed the people and vindication for those who faithfully adhered to God’s will and responded to the kingdom. That is, God was imminently and presently effecting a historical transformation. In modern parlance that would be labeled a "revolution."Historical Jesus Theories: Richard Horsley

Horsley has a PhD from Harvard and previously taught at Wesleyan University.Professor Richard A. Horsley

Bibliography 1970. "Paul and the Pneumatikoi: First Corinthians Investigated in Terms of the Conflict between Two Different Religious Mentalities." PhD diss., Harvard University. 1985. With John S. Hanson. Bandits, Prophets, and Messiahs: Popular Movements in the Time of Jesus. Minneapolis: Winston. Reprint, Harrisburg, PA: Trinity, 1999. 1987. Jesus and the Spiral of Violence: Popular Jewish Resistance in Roman Palestine. San Francisco: Harper & Row. Reprint, Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993. 1988. Sociology and the Jesus Movement. New York: Crossroad. 1989. The Liberation of Christmas: The Infancy Narratives in Social Context. New York: Crossroad. Reprint, Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2006. 1995. Galilee: History, Politics, People. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity. 1996. Archaeology, History, and Society in Galilee: The Social Context of Jesus and the Rabbis. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity. 1997. And Neil Asher Silberman. The Message and the Kingdom: How Jesus and Paul Ignited a Revolution and Transformed the Ancient World. New York: Grossett/Putnam. Reprint, Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002. 1997. Editor. Paul and Empire: Religion and Power in Roman Imperial Society. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity. 1998. 1 Corinthians. Abingdon New Testament Commentaries. Nashville: Abingdon. 1999. With Jonathan A. Draper. Whoever Hears You Hears Me: Prophets, Performance, and Tradition in Q. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity. 2001. Hearing the Whole Story: The Politics of Plot in Mark's Gospel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox. 2003. Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2003. And Tom Thatcher. John, Jesus, and the Renewal of Israel. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 2003. Religion and Empire: People, Power, and the Life of the Spirit. Facets. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2004. Editor. Hidden Transcripts and the Arts of Resistance: Applying the Work of James C. Scott to Jesus and Paul. Semeia Studies 48. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature. 2004. Paul and the Roman Imperial Order. New York: Trinity. 2005. Editor. Christian Origins. A People's History of Christianity 1. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2006. Editor. Oral Performance, Popular Tradition, and Hidden Transcript in Q. Semeia Studies 60. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature. 2007. Scribes, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judea. Louisville: Westminster John Knox. 2008. Jesus in Context: Power, People, and Performance. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2008. Wisdom and Spiritual at Corinth: Studies in First Corinthians. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books. 2009. Covenant Economics: A Biblical Vision of Justice for All. Louisville: Westminster John Knox. 2010. Revolt of the Scribes: Resistance and Apocalyptic Origins. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2011. Jesus and the Powers: Conflict, Covenant, and the Hope of the Poor. Minneapolis: Fortress. 2012. With Patrick A. Tiller. After Apocalyptic and Wisdom: Rethinking Texts in Context. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books. 2012. The Prophet Jesus and the Renewal of Israel: Moving beyond Diversionary Debate. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 2013. Jesus and the Politics of Roman Palestine. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press. 2013. Text and Tradition in Performance and Writing. Biblical Performance Criticism Series 9. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books. 2014. Jesus and Magic: Freeing the Gospel Stories from Modern Misconceptions. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books.

Publications by Richard A. Horsley by year

1976 Horsley, Richard A. “Pneumatikos vs. Psychikos: Distinctions of Spiritual Status among the Corinthians.” Harvard Theological Review 69 (1976): 269-88. ——. Review of Property and Riches in the Early Church: Aspects of a Social History of Early Christianity, by Martin Hengel, Journal of the American Academy of Religion 44.3 (1976): 568-9.

1977 ——. “Wisdom of Word and Words of Wisdom in Corinth.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 39 (1977): 224-39.

1978 ——. “Consciousness and Freedom among the Corinthians: 1 Corinthians 8-10.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 40 (1978): 574-89. ——. “The Background of the Confessional Formula in 1 Kor 8:6.” Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche 69 (1978): 130-35. ——. “The Law of Nature in Philo and Cicero.” Harvard Theological Review 71 (1978): 35-59. ——. “How Can Some of You Say That There is No Resurrection of the Dead: Spiritual Elitism in Corinth.” Novum Testamentum 20 (1978): 203-31.

1979 ——. “Josephus and the Bandits.” Journal for the Study of Judaism 10 (1979): 37-63. ——. “The Sicarii: Ancient Jewish ‘Terrorists’.” The Journal of Religion 59 (1979): 435-58. ——. “Reflections on Witchcraft and European Folk Religion.” History of Religions 19 (1979): 71-95. ——. “Spiritual Marriage with Sophia.” Vigiliae Christianae 33 (1979): 30-54. ——. “Who Were the Witches? The Social Roles of the Accused in the European Witch Trials.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 9 (1979): 689-715.

1981 ——. “Ancient Jewish Banditry and the Revolt against Rome, A.D. 66-70.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 43 (1981): 409-32.

1984 ——. “Popular Messianic Movements around the Time of Jesus.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 46 (1984): 471-95.

1985 ——. “‘Like One of the Prophets of Old’: Two Types of Popular Prophets at the Time of Jesus.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 47 (1985): 435-63. ——. “Menahem in Jerusalem: A Brief Messianic Episode among the Sicarii – Not ‘Zealot Messianism’.” Novum Testamentum 27 (1985): 334-48.

1986 ——. “The Zealots. Their Origin, Relationships, and Importance in the Jewish Revolt.” Novum Testamentum 28 (1986): 159-92. ——. “High Priests and the Politics of Roman Palestine. A Contextual Analysis of the Evidence in Josephus.” Journal for the Study of Judaism 17 (1986): 23-55. ——. “Popular Prophetic Movements at the Time of Jesus. Their Principal Features and Social Origins.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 26 (1986): 3-27. ——. “Ethics and Exegesis: ‘Love Your Enemies’ and the Doctrine of Nonviolence.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 54 (1986): 3-31. Repr., pages 72-101 in The Love of Enemy and Nonretaliation in the New Testament. Edited by Willard M. Swartley. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1992.

1987 ——. “'Apiru and Cossacks: A Comparative Analysis of Social Form and Historical Role.” Pages 3-26 in Religion, Literature, and Society in Ancient Israel, Formative Christianity and Judaism. Ancient Israel and Christianity. Edited by Jacob Neusner, Peder Borgen, Ernest S. Frerichs, and Richard A. Horsley. Vol. 2 of New Perspectives on Ancient Judaism. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1987. ——. Jesus and the Spiral of Violence: Popular Jewish Resistance in Roman Palestine. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1987. Repr., Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993.

1988 ——. “Bandits, Messiahs, and Longshoremen: Popular Unrest in Galilee around the Time of Jesus.” Pages 183-99 in Society of Biblical Literature 1988 Seminar Papers. Edited by David J. Lull. SBLSPS 27. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988. ——. “Liberating Christmas.” Christianity and Crisis 48.18 (December 12, 1988): 436-8.

1989 ——. “Questions about Redactional Strata and the Social Relations Reflected in Q.” Pages 186-203 in Society of Biblical Literature 1989 Seminar Papers. Edited by David J. Lull. SBLSPS 28. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1989. ——. The Liberation of Christmas: The Infancy Narratives in Social Context. New York: Crossroad, 1989. ——. Sociology and the Jesus Movement. New York: Crossroad, 1989, Repr., 2d. ed. New York: Continuum, 1994.

1991 ——. “Q and Jesus: Assumptions, Approaches, and Analyses.” Semeia 55 (1991): 175-209. ——. “Logoi Prophētōn? Reflections on the Genre of Q.” Pages 195-209 in The Future of Early Christianity. Edited by Birger A. Pearson, A. Thomas Kraabel, George W. E. Nickelsburg, and Norman R. Petersen. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991. Repr., Richard A. Horsley and Patrick Tiller, pages 191-206 in After Apocalyptic and Wisdom: Rethinking Texts in Context. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2012. ——. “The Q People: Renovation, not Radicalism.” Continuum 1.3 (1991): 49-63. ——. “Empire, Temple and Community–But No Bourgeoisie! A Response to Blenkinsopp and Petersen.” Pages 163-74 in Second Temple Studies 1. Persian Period. Edited by Philip R. Davies. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series 117. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1991.

1992 ——. “Tradition and Innovation in Gospel Studies.” Religious Studies Review 18 (1992): 290-5. ——. “‘Messianic’ Figures and Movements in First-Century Palestine.” Pages 276-95 in The Messiah: Developments in Earliest Judaism and Christianity. Edited by James H. Charlesworth. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992. ——. “Response to Walter Wink, ‘Neither Passivity nor Violence: Jesus’ Third Way’.” Pages 126-36 in The Love of Enemy and Nonretaliation in the New Testament. Edited by Willard M. Swartley. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1992.

1993 ——. “Liberating Narrative and Liberating Understanding: The Christmas Story.” Pages 154-71 in The Bible and Liberation: Political and Social Hermeneutics. rev. ed. Edited by Norman K. Gottwald and Richard A. Horsley. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1993. [reprinted from Richard A. Horsley. Pages 144-61 in The Liberation of Christmas: The Infancy Narratives in Social Context. New York: Crossroad, 1989]. ——. “The Imperial Situation of Palestinian Jewish Society.” Pages 395-407 in The Bible and Liberation: Political and Social Hermeneutics, rev. ed. Edited by Norman K. Gottwald and Richard A. Horsley. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1993. [reprinted from Richard A. Horsley. Pages 3–19 in Jesus and the Spiral of Violence: Popular Jewish Resistance in Roman Palestine. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1987]. ——. “The Kingdom of God and the Renewal of Israel.” Pages 408-27 in The Bible and Liberation: Political and Social Hermeneutics, rev. ed. Edited by Norman K. Gottwald and Richard A. Horsley. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1993. [reprinted from Richard A. Horsley. Pages 167-208 in Jesus and the Spiral of Violence: Popular Jewish Resistance in Roman Palestine. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1987]. ——. “Palestinian Jewish Groups and their Messiahs in Late Second Temple Times.” Pages 14–29 in Messianism Through History. Edited by Wim Beuken, Seán Freyne, and Anton Weiler. London: SCM; Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1993. ——. “Wisdom and Apocalypticism in Mark.” Pages 223-44 in In Search of Wisdom: Essays in Memory of John G. Gammie. Edited by Leo G. Perdue, Bernard Brandon Scott, and William Johnston Wiseman. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1993. Repr., Richard A. Horsley and Patrick Tiller. “Apocalypticism and Wisdom: Missing in Mark.” Pages 207-29 in After Apocalyptic and Wisdom: Rethinking Texts in Context. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2012.

1994 ——. “Innovation in Search of Reorientation: New Testament Studies Rediscovering its Subject Matter.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion 62 (1994): 1127-66.