Synopses & Reviews
The expression "Son of Man," used in the Gospels almost exclusively by Jesus, has been the object of intensive study since the Protestant Reformation, yet scholars have failed to agree on its origin or meaning. Because of the scope and complexity of the literature, no comprehensive survey of the subject has been written in the twentieth century; Delbert Burkett's study fills this need. It provides a comprehensive historical overview of the debate from the patristic period to 1996, evaluates that research, and summarizes the present state of the question.
Review
"Burkett has provided NT scholars with a much-needed synthesis and evaluation of the complex Son of Man debate. All readers, no matter which theory they espouse, will benefit from [Burkett's] thorough and balanced presentation." The Catholic Biblical Quarterly"Burkett has given us just what we need at the moment...a comprehensive survey of what everyone has had to say...Burkett's book...offers us the best, most up-to-date, and most comprehensive review of the various views and disputations about the mysterious 'Son of Man'...this is a very informative book that lends needed perspective to current study. It is must reading for anyone working on the gospel tradition or early Christology." Journal of Biblical Literature
Review
"Burkett has provided NT scholars with a much-needed synthesis and evaluation of the complex Son of Man debate. All readers, no matter which theory they espouse, will benefit from [Burkett's] thorough and balanced presentation." The Catholic Biblical Quarterly"Burkett has given us just what we need at the moment...a comprehensive survey of what everyone has had to say...Burkett's book...offers us the best, most up-to-date, and most comprehensive review of the various views and disputations about the mysterious 'Son of Man'...this is a very informative book that lends needed perspective to current study. It is must reading for anyone working on the gospel tradition or early Christology." Journal of Biblical Literature
Synopsis
A comprehensive historical overview of the âSon of Manâdebate, tracing its development from the patristic period to the late twentieth century. It evaluates the research on the origin and meaning of the expression, used in the Gospels almost exclusively by Jesus, and summarizes the present state of the debate.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-161) and indexes.
Table of Contents
Dedication; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Genealogical interpretations; 2. The human Son of Man; 3. The apocalyptic/messianic Son of Man; 4. The question of reference; 5. The question of authenticity; 6. Miscellaneous Sons of Men; 7. Exit the apocalyptic Son of Man?; 8. The idiomatic/nontitular son of man; 9. Son of Man in apocalyptic and rabbinic texts; 10. Conclusions; Appendix; Notes; References; Index of passages; Index of authors; Index of subjects.