John Dominic Crossan is an Irish-American theologian, historian, and former Catholic priest, widely regarded as the leading historical Jesus scholar in the world. Born on 17 February 1934 in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland, he was educated in Ireland and the United States, earning a Doctor of Divinity degree from St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, in 1959. He studied biblical languages at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and at the École Biblique in Jerusalem, where he was in Jordanian East Jerusalem just days before the Six-Day War of 1967. He was a member of the Servites, a Catholic religious order, from 1950 to 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1957.
Crossan joined the faculty of DePaul University in Chicago in 1969, where he taught comparative religion for 26 years until his retirement in 1995, becoming Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religious Studies. He was co-chair of the Jesus Seminar, a group of biblical scholars focused on the historical Jesus, for its first decade, and served as president of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2012. He is also a former chair of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature.
His scholarly work centers on reconstructing the historical Jesus, emphasizing his role as a radical social revolutionary and Jewish peasant who advocated for nonviolent resistance to Roman imperial rule and the hierarchical structures of Jewish society. He portrays Jesus as a healer and wise man whose ministry was based on free healing and communal meals that challenged social and political hierarchies. Crossan argues that Jesus’ message was focused on the Kingdom of God as a present reality rather than a future eschatological event, and he views the Second Coming as a later theological corruption of Jesus’ original message. He interprets Jesus’ divinity metaphorically and rejects the traditional belief in a literal resurrection, seeing it instead as a symbolic representation of the triumph of his teachings.
Crossan is known for controversial views, including the claim that the Jews did not crucify Jesus and that the Gospels should be understood as “megaparables” rather than literal biographies. He has proposed that certain noncanonical gospels, such as the Gospel of Thomas and the “Cross Gospel,” may predate the canonical gospels and are more historically reliable. His influential books include The Historical Jesus (1991), Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (1994), Who Killed Jesus (1995), The Birth of Christianity (1998), God and Empire (2007), and Resurrecting Easter (2018). He has lived in Clermont, Florida, and Minneola, Florida, following his retirement.
Crossan’s scholarship has been both celebrated and criticized, with some viewing his work as a significant reimagining of Christianity, while others see it as challenging traditional Christian doctrine.
1. Beliefs about Jesus:
- John Dominic Crossan’s View: Crossan argues that Jesus was primarily a social revolutionary and Jewish peasant who advocated for radical equality and justice. He views Jesus as a historical figure whose teachings focused on the Kingdom of God as a present reality rather than a future hope. Crossan rejects the orthodox belief in Jesus’ divinity and the miracles described in the Gospels, interpreting them as symbolic or metaphorical narratives rather than historical events.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the second person of the Trinity, who came to save sinners through His death and resurrection (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9). The miracles of Jesus are considered historical events that testify to His divine nature and authority. The Westminster Confession of Faith affirms the reality of Christ’s deity and His work as the only Savior of humanity.
2. The Resurrection:
- John Dominic Crossan’s View: Crossan denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus, claiming that it is a metaphorical or symbolic event rather than a historical fact. He suggests that the resurrection accounts were developed by early Christian communities as expressions of hope and belief in Jesus’ message rather than actual physical events. Crossan has proposed that Jesus’ body was likely eaten by animals or left to decay, arguing that the resurrection story emerged as a mythological expression of the community’s faith.
- Confessional Christianity: The bodily resurrection of Jesus is central to confessional Christianity and is affirmed in the New Testament as a historical, physical event (1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Luke 24:39). Reformed theology emphasizes that the resurrection is essential to the Christian faith because it validates Jesus’ divinity, confirms His victory over sin and death, and guarantees the future resurrection of believers (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:17).
3. View of Scripture and Authority:
- John Dominic Crossan’s View: Crossan does not believe in the inerrancy or divine inspiration of Scripture. Instead, he approaches the Bible as a historical and literary document that reflects the evolving beliefs and experiences of early Christian communities. He often deconstructs biblical narratives, treating them as mythological or metaphorical stories rather than as literal, divinely inspired accounts. Crossan’s work with the Jesus Seminar involved voting on which sayings and actions of Jesus were most likely authentic, often dismissing large portions of the Gospels as later additions or fabrications.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity affirms that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Westminster Confession of Faith teaches that Scripture is the ultimate authority for all matters of faith and practice and that it provides a truthful and reliable account of God’s self-revelation. Reformed theology emphasizes that the entire Bible, including the accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, is historically trustworthy and divinely inspired.
4. The Nature of God and the Kingdom of God:
- John Dominic Crossan’s View: Crossan emphasizes a non-violent and inclusive vision of God, focusing on social justice, equality, and liberation. He portrays the Kingdom of God as a call to challenge oppressive structures and to create a more just and equitable society. Crossan rejects the idea of a transcendent, omnipotent God who intervenes in history, instead advocating for a God who works through human action and social change.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that God is sovereign, transcendent, and actively involved in His creation (Psalm 103:19; Isaiah 46:9-10). The Kingdom of God is understood as both a present reality and a future hope, inaugurated by Christ’s first coming and awaiting its full realization at His return (Matthew 28:18-20; Revelation 21:1-4). While confessional Christianity acknowledges the importance of justice and compassion, it maintains that the Kingdom of God ultimately belongs to God and will be fully established by His power.
5. Views on the Virgin Birth and Miracles:
- John Dominic Crossan’s View: Crossan denies the virgin birth and the miracles of Jesus, regarding them as mythological elements that were added to the Gospels to elevate Jesus’ status. He views these narratives as later Christian inventions meant to convey theological messages rather than as literal historical events.
- Confessional Christianity: The Westminster Confession of Faith and Reformed theology affirm the virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38) and the miracles of Jesus as historical realities that testify to His divine nature and mission. These miracles serve as signs of His authority, compassion, and the inbreaking of God’s kingdom into the world.
Summary of Differences
John Dominic Crossan’s liberal theology significantly departs from the bible and the core beliefs of confessional Christianity. He views Jesus as a historical figure and social revolutionary rather than the divine Son of God, denies the bodily resurrection, and treats the Bible as a collection of mythological and metaphorical stories rather than as the inspired Word of God. His emphasis on social justice, equality, and human action reflects a worldview that is more aligned with liberal theology than with the historic teachings of the Christian faith.
In contrast, confessional Christianity affirms the deity of Christ, the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, the reality of the resurrection, and the importance of the gospel message for salvation. Crossan’s approach is considered unorthodox and heretical because it deviates from the biblical foundations that are central to Reformed theology and historic Christian orthodoxy.
