11.17 McKnight

McKnight presents the idea that historical Jesus studies are both methodologically possible but theologically useless for the church. He follows this claim with four main arguments-

1. The church doesn’t need a historical interpretation because it already has one from the Gospels and the creed.
2. Criteria for establishing a historical Jesus failed to achieve what it intended to because scholars came up with different interpretations.
3. Memory studies- All claims are based off of left over interpretations.
4. Historical Jesus changes from generation to generation, and the church can’t adopt new interpretations with every movement.

The criticisms, especially 2 and 3 seem to contradict McKnights point that the historical Jesus is methodologically possible.