[Bible] Episode 326: Chris Keith - How do Scholars Reconstruct the "Historical Jesus?"

The Bible For Normal People

The Bible for Normal People

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity

4.7 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this week’s episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Chris Keith about the historical Jesus, and how scholars approach the gap between the Jesus of history and the Jesus of the Gospels. They explore why the Gospels themselves raise questions about modern ideas of history, how different methods have tried to reconstruct Jesus, and why certainty can be elusive. Together, they invite listeners to approach both the Bible and their faith with greater humility, recognizing that asking honest questions doesn’t have to diminish meaning, and can actually deepen it. Show Notes → https://thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episodes/episode-326-chris-keith-how-do-scholars-reconstruct-the-historical-jesus Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/ipzANHJZA-M ********** This episode is brought to you by Brooklyn Bedding, which knows sleep isn’t one-size-fits-all. That’s why they offer mattresses for every body, every sleep style – even in hard-to-find sizes. Go to brooklynbedding.com and use promo code BIBLE at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. This offer is not available anywhere else. ********** This episode is sponsored by Garrett Theological Seminary. Whether you feel called to care and counsel, public service, prophetic arts, or non-profit management, there’s a program at Garrett Seminary that’s right for you. Apply by July 15th to begin a Master’s degree this fall. Learn more at garrett.edu/normalpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the Bible for normal people, the only God-ordained podcast on the internet.
0:05.0	I'm Pete N's.
0:05.7	And I'm Jared Baez.
0:11.8	Hey, folks, we want to give a quick reminder about our April class.
0:15.1	Is this the Apocalypse with Dr. Robin Whitaker?
0:18.0	In the class, Robin's going to go over what apocalypse really means and why that matters,
0:22.5	how American evangelicals learn to read for end times and why that's a problem, and how
0:27.1	Jewish and Christian apocalyptic writings can actually be harnessed as texts of hope.
0:31.2	So if you've been hearing about Armageddon or the apocalypse in the news and want to know,
0:35.4	well, is this the apocalypse? This class is for you.
0:38.6	As an important note, the class time has changed.
0:41.3	It is now tomorrow, Thursday, April 30th, from 6 to 7.30 p.m. Eastern Time, instead of 5 to 6.30 p.m.
0:49.3	Eastern Time.
0:49.8	So go to the Bible for Normalpeople.com front slash apocalypse to sign up today and pay what you can.
0:56.4	Or even better, join our online community, the Society of Normal People for $12 a month to get all of our classes at thebibblefornualpeople.com front slash join.
1:06.4	On today's episode, we're talking about the historical Jesus with Chris Keith.
1:10.8	Now, Chris is a scholar of New Testament and early Christianity.
1:14.8	And if you've ever wondered, you know, what really happened when it comes to the life and times of Jesus?
1:20.5	And what does scholars think about how that interacts with what we have in our Bible?
1:25.3	This is the episode for you.
1:26.7	So let's get into it.
1:28.3	I think we can know a lot about the historical Jesus. I think that we can ask a lot of
	...

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