Abstract
Nicholas Perrin’s Jesus the Priest is the second volume in his trilogy on the historical Jesus. The present study builds on the prequel, Jesus the Temple (2010), and anticipates the final volume, Jesus the Sacrifice (forthcoming). Perrin describes the present work as a ‘microhistory’ on the historical Jesus written for scholars and students (pp. 9–15). Jesus the Priest cardinally claims the epitome of Jesus’ self-understanding is his view of himself as Israel’s eschatological high priest and his followers as subordinate priests (pp. 280–282). While Perrin admits this is not an entirely novel portrayal of Jesus, he has assembled the most comprehensive and compelling argument that the historical Jesus viewed himself in priestly terms.
In the introduction, Perrin envisions himself building on the work of Schweitzer by highlighting suffering as a central theme for Jesus’ ministry, and also upon Bultmann through emphasizing Jesus’ urgent demand for a response from his followers (pp. 3–6). Perrin’s argument begins with a fresh interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer, where it is argued that Jesus and his followers are to be seen as priests. It is suggested that this priestly identity is demarcated by their ‘determination to pray for rather than retaliate against their persecutors’ (p. 53). Next, in the synoptic retellings of Jesus’ baptism, Perrin supposes that both Jesus and John the Baptist believed Jesus would function as a priest (p. 88). The subsequent chapters provide stimulating investigations of the kingdom of God, Son of David, and Son of Man. For Perrin, Jesus viewed himself as the ‘Son of David’ not for his political role but for his ‘priestly task for restoring the cultic space’ (p. 165). Furthermore, Perrin postulates that Jesus viewed himself as the Son of Man, an eschatological high priest, not as a title but as a part of a narrative (pp. 188, 238).
Some may feel the central claim of this book is overstated. Perrin finds in many passages, which seem to describe Jesus as a royal figure, a portrayal of Jesus as the rightful high priest. The most overt and imaginative example comes when Perrin compares the inscription on the Tiberian denarius with the titulus on Jesus’ cross. While acknowledging that the inscription says, ‘King of the Jews’, Perrin interprets the juxtaposition of Caesar, Rome’s Pontifex Maximus, and Jesus as primarily portraying Jesus as the high priest of the Jews (p. 247). However, most interpreters might consider that the strongest connection present here is that of royal or kingly identity. Consequently, Perrin’s hierarchy, namely that Jesus ‘subordinated his royal identity to his primary identity as priest’, may be found deficient (p.7).
If readers find Perrin guilty of overemphasis, this does not dismantle the force of his claims. Perrin provides a creative and erudite reading of the historical Jesus. Jesus the Priest (2018) is a welcomed contribution to contemporary Jesus research, which as the author hopes will not be the final word but will inspire studies to come. Among others, this impressive study will benefit and challenge those interested in the Gospels, the historical Jesus, and New Testament theology.