I Believe in the Historical Jesus

I. Howard Marshall's "I Believe in the Historical Jesus" emerged from the intense scholarly debates of the 1970s surrounding the quest for the historical Jesus. Writing as both a New Testament scholar and evangelical theologian, Marshall addressed growing skepticism about whether the Jesus of history could be meaningfully distinguished from the Christ of faith, and whether historical investigation could support Christian belief in Jesus as the Son of God.

Marshall argues that historical methodology, properly applied, provides solid grounds for confidence in the Gospel accounts of Jesus. He demonstrates that the synoptic Gospels, while theologically interpreted, preserve reliable historical traditions about Jesus' life, teaching, death, and resurrection. The book methodically examines the sources for Jesus' life, evaluates criteria for historical authenticity, and shows how the earliest Christian communities' testimony coheres with what can be known through historical investigation. Marshall particularly focuses on defending the historical plausibility of Jesus' miraculous works and the factuality of the resurrection, arguing that these events, while requiring faith to accept their full theological significance, are not historically implausible when examined without naturalistic presuppositions.

The work became influential within evangelical scholarship for modeling rigorous historical method while maintaining orthodox Christian convictions. Marshall's approach demonstrated that evangelical scholars could engage seriously with critical biblical scholarship without abandoning core theological commitments. His careful attention to sources and methodology earned respect even from scholars who disagreed with his conclusions.

Who should read this: Students and pastors seeking to understand how historical investigation relates to Christian faith, and anyone wanting to engage thoughtfully with scholarly challenges to the reliability of the Gospel accounts. This is not primarily for general readers seeking devotional material, but for those willing to work through detailed historical arguments.