Searching for the Historical Jesus takes you back two millennia to explore the history, context, and character of a humble carpenter who changed the world. Taught by Dr. Jean-Pierre Isbouts, a professor emeritus at Fielding Graduate University, these 15 thought-provoking episodes, filmed in the Holy Land, bring Jesus and his world to life with vivid detail, offering an excellent companion piece for anyone wrestling with history or with walking in faith.
Searching for the Historical Jesus
Join historian, biblical scholar, and best-selling author Jean-Pierre Isbouts to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
RMar from
Shows limitation of a historical Jesus approach
I appreciate and understand the limitations of the “historical Jesus“ approach to the analysis of the New Testament. Dr. Isbouts is respectful and describes what can be learned and what will never be known from archeology and non-canonic sources.
This contrasts with Bart Erhman, PhD (UN-Chapel Hill), an agnostic Princeton Theological Seminary trained PhD, who has made a profitable cottage industry selling books and being interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR. The goal of most of his work is to undermine the historical veracity of the New Testament and to question the validity of its message. In the same spirit, on Dr. Elaine Pagel (Princeton Religious history chair) gleefully re-quotes an interview with the Christian Science Monitor on her personal webpage, ‘some people call me Elaine Pagan.’
But all testimony does not come from books. Many facts are true, but will not be recorded in a history book. The Bible is intended to be read listening for God rather pretending to be god. The Christian Truth is a new view of the nature of God and our relationship with him.
The transformative idea that there is a personal God, who would humble himself to become human, suffer the painful, shameful death of a criminal as an atoning act for us and then send the Holy Spirit to dwell within each believer. The result being that every human being (man/woman, free/slave, rich/poor) possessed an inherent value and equal dignity.
Dr. Isbouts does not bring an agenda or sophistry. He reports what can be supported by an historiographic approach but does not tell you what to think - he let’s you deal with it. If you buy any course of this type expecting ‘the answer’ you will be disappointed. I have purchased 2 other courses by Dr Isbouts and have enjoyed both. He certainly creates a respectful space, adds useful context and an integrating narrative the will be useful to anyone who wants to reflect on who Jesus was and what his story can teach them today.
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Date published: 2025-03-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Davefutbol from
Success in Challenging Assignment
I "attended" this course to try to understand who the real Jesus was through archeology and how it supported or complemented the Gospels. A very tough assignment for Dr Isbouts to on the one hand, stick to archeology and written records, but on the other hand, not disrespect faithful Christians. From my personal unique perspective and apparently by the average 4 star review, he succeeded. I learned a lot and his presentation style was perfect in terms of his verbal cadence, the on-site appearances, as well as the animations and drone shots. Thoroughly enjoyed and I am richer for the experience.
Date published: 2025-02-19
Rated 3 out of
5
by
smb12321 from
Flawed Artistry
First of all, the production was spectacular in terms of music, scenery, commentary and packing. Quite different from the usual lecture. The problem was two-fold - the Gospels and Acts were treated as a single story and the "historical" Jesus consisted of selecting random scenes from all five. It would be like making a doc on Dracula and using five different books as the source.
The second problem was the lack of history. There were a few tidbits about the culture at the time but mostly it was a retelling of the combined Gospel story with all the assumptions that entails. Again, the production was great.
Date published: 2025-02-04
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Non conflicting nickname from
Decent Documentary but Speculative
This is more a documentary type series than a course. It's production quality is similar to that of other TV documentaries meaning that it's reasonably enjoyable to watch. However, as far as content, there is a lot of speculation though this is not always made clear. The information is a bit out of date. Overall, the average viewer without a lot of knowledge will probably be able to gain new insights. However, take it all with a grain of salt because there is so much about early Christianity which we just don't know for certain.
Date published: 2024-11-13
Rated 2 out of
5
by
Cantoris from
Avoid if a Christian
I've given up on this despite sticking with it to lecture 11. On the plus side, there is some interesting historical context and excellent video but as a Christian there's too much on the negative. There a lot of things mentioned to try and undermine or contradict the bible. The reference to electromagnetic healing was ridiculous and jarring but the moment he referred to Jesus as "a simple rabbi" I'd had enough.
Date published: 2024-11-01
Rated 3 out of
5
by
tinanova from
Surprising
I didn't expect to hear from a Christian that the Gospels do not always truthfully represent what Jesus said or did let alone their translations...what I do agree with is that the only important thing about the whole story of Jesus is that He died for us.
Date published: 2024-07-09
Rated 5 out of
5
by
DrewDrew from
Excellent Quality and Content
The great courses has come such a long way. The production quality of this series is amazing. This shows you all the main places in the New Testament and gives historical context of what it would have been like at the time. Exactly what I was hoping to get from this.
Date published: 2024-06-28
Rated 5 out of
5
by
BabiMarie from
Outstanding
The first time i understand the life of Jesus and the history of the Christianity movement. Thank You
Blessings
Date published: 2024-04-04
Overview
About
Jean-Pierre Isbouts is a historian, biblical scholar, and best-selling National Geographic author. After earning his DLitt at Leiden University, he served as a member of the doctoral faculty at Fielding Graduate University for more than 15 years and now holds the title of Faculty Emeritus. He gained worldwide renown with his National Geographic book The Biblical World and also wrote Archaeology of the Bible, In the Footsteps of Jesus, and The Dead Sea Scrolls, which has sold more than 2 million copies. His other Great Courses include Searching for the Historical Jesus and The History and Archaeology of the Bible.
Trailer
01: The Historical Jesus
Begin your exploration by considering the diversity of Christianity today. With so many denominations around the world, what ties everyone together? What can a study of the historical figure of Jesus teach us? Let’s go back 2,000 years to meet the “historical Jesus” through historical and archaeological records.
23 min
02: Rome and Herod the Great
To understand the life and times of Jesus, you must first understand the world of the Roman Empire. After surveying the big-picture story of Rome, Jean-Pierre zooms in on the historical circumstances of Galilee, which included onerous taxation, hungry citizens, and something of a police state under Herod.
20 min
03: Mary and Joseph in Galilee
What can we know about Joseph the Carpenter and the Virgin Mary? Continue your study of Galilee to see what the life of Jesus’s parents would have been like. In all probability, Joseph would have been a farmer, as well as a tradesman laboring on public works projects throughout the region.
18 min
04: The Birth of Jesus
Imagine what it would have been like to be a young woman having a child out of wedlock, at that time. Reflect on what Joseph and Mary may have thought about their circumstances, and then see how those circumstances evolved into the mystery of the Virgin Mary. Finally, consider how Jesus’s birth lines up with biblical prophecies.
21 min
05: Growing Up in Galilee
The New Testament Gospels say little about Jesus’s upbringing, but a look at the political world offers clues as to what his childhood may have been like. As you will learn here, the kingdom of Judea suffered revolts and civil wars after King Herod’s death. Get to know the fervor and zealotry of the times.
20 min
06: Rabbi Jesus
At some point, we know Jesus became a rabbi, but where did he get his education? Leaning on evidence from history recorded in the Jewish Mishnah, Jean-Pierre speculates about the philosophies Jesus may have studied, his possible relationship with his family, and the influence of the Greco-Roman world on Galilee.
22 min
07: John the Baptist in the Jordan
The political fervor of the era helps explain the story of John the Baptist, a preacher who represented a threat to the power structure. Examine the administration of Pontius Pilate, the way tax collectors tapped into the Temple treasury, and the rebellious message of John the Baptist.
22 min
08: The Ministry Begins
After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus began his ministry in earnest. Using the words of the Gospels, as well as the histories of Josephus, you will compare Jesus’s message with the apocalyptic screeds of John the Baptist. See what Jesus’s ministry looked like, from traveling around Galilee to performing exorcisms and miracles.
20 min
09: In the Kingdom of God
Perhaps the apex of Jesus’s ministry is the Sermon on the Mount. Explicating this great sermon offers insight into the way Jesus, possibly, was working to reform Judaism through a grassroots movement. Trace the phases of his ministry, from roaming near Capernaum to sailing around the Sea of Galilee.
20 min
10: The Mystery of the Miracles
Continue your exploration of Jesus’s ministry with a deep dive into his miracles. After reviewing how the miracles align Jesus with Hebrew Bible prophets such as Elisha, you will reflect on the sick, malnourished world of Galilee in the first century. Consider a few scientific explanations for Jesus’s supernatural acts.
22 min
11: The Conspiracy against Jesus
It is unclear from the Gospels whether there was a true conspiracy against Jesus, or whether he was a victim of unfortunate events. To tackle this issue, Jean-Pierre introduces you to the Sadducees; the Pharisees; the legal scribes; and Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. See how they each would have viewed Jesus—and what made Jesus seem dangerous to them.
23 min
12: The Road to Jerusalem
Round out your study of Jesus’s ministry by following him south to Jerusalem. By then, he had widened his preaching to include gentiles, and he perhaps hoped to reach a large audience in Jerusalem. What he found, however, was a Temple corrupted by sacrifices and money changers.
23 min
13: The Arrest and Trial
From the Last Supper to the meeting with the high priest Caiaphas to the trial under Pontius Pilate, follow Jesus through his last days at key locations in Jerusalem. Reflect on the challenge of authorship of the Gospels. Who wrote them? Who were they writing for? What biases might they have introduced into the story?
22 min
14: The Jesus Movement in Crisis
Move from the historical Jesus—a man gruesomely crucified—to a religious movement. After witnessing Jesus’s final days, shift your attention to the apostle Paul, the man whose evangelism created the Christian religion as he spread the word throughout the Roman Empire.
22 min
15: The Rise of Christianity
The church calls Jesus the Son of God. Jesus called himself the Son of Man. But before he was either, he was a man in a particular time and place. Jean-Pierre rounds out this course by following Paul into Asia Minor and the spread of the Jesus movement into a world religion.
25 min
