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by F. Scott Spencer (Author)
Senior New Testament scholar F. Scott Spencer focuses on a neglected area in the study of Jesus and the Gospels: the emotional life of Jesus. This book offers a fresh reading of the Gospels through the lens of Jesus's emotions--anger, grief, disgust, surprise, compassion, and joy. These emotions motivate Jesus's mission and reveal to Gospel readers what matters most to him. Amid his passions, Jesus forges his character as God's incarnate Messiah, wholly embodied and emotionally engaged with others and thoroughly embedded in the surrounding environment.
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"A welcome addition to the study of emotions in the Bible"
Passions of the Christ delves into the emotional life of Jesus in the Gospels--his anger, grief, disgust, surprise, compassion, and joy--revealing what mattered most to Jesus and what motivated his mission.
"I highly recommend this book to anyone wondering if Jesus might have felt anything as both human and 'as God's Son.' Spencer reads the Gospels with fresh attention to a matter of Jesus studies that previous generations of scholars dismissed--namely, human passions and emotions as essential ingredients in human experience. May the next generation of scholars be so bold and courageous in interpretative endeavors and go about the work of biblical studies in such novel and needed forms!"
--Shively T. J. Smith, Boston University
"Combining a close exegetical reading of the Gospels with ancient and modern approaches to emotion study, Spencer provides a truly interdisciplinary exploration into the emotional life of Jesus. The result is a thorough, stimulating, and provocative work that challenges us to confront the passions of Christ. Anyone interested in the study of emotions in the Bible will find this volume enriching and informative."
--Te-Li Lau, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"Spencer demonstrates that Jesus is far from passionless in the Gospels. Instead, the Gospels portray Jesus embodying a variety of intersecting emotions, including anger, anguish, disgust, surprise, compassion, and joy. With exegetical insight and theoretical nuance, Spencer provides an engaging, richly textured account of these emotions and how they contribute to Jesus's mission and identity as the incarnate one. Passions of the Christ is a welcome addition to the study of emotions in the Bible and will be of interest to pastors, students, and scholars alike."
--Brittany E. Wilson, Duke Divinity School
"Passions of the Christ has made me realize my own misguided tendency to pass quickly over places where the Gospels highlight Jesus's emotions. In this wise and approachable book, Spencer explains many of those passages' deep importance for understanding the Gospels' testimony about Jesus, his interactions with others, and the priorities of his ministry. I've been changed, and joyfully so!"
--Matthew L. Skinner, Luther Seminary
Author Biography
F. Scott Spencer (PhD, University of Durham) previously served as professor of New Testament and biblical interpretation at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of numerous books, including Salty Wives, Spirited Mothers, and Savvy Widows and commentaries on Luke, Acts, and the Song of Songs.
