Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan – Two theologians and writers, scholars who contributed to the Jesus Seminar on the quest for the historical Jesus. Together, they co-authored The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus’s Final Week in Jerusalem. Between Borg and Crossan, they have authored over 50 books on the Historical Jesus, theology and the early Christian church.
Joseph Campbell – Author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell identifies the common threads of the hero’s story in mythology from the world over. In this book Campbell develops his concept of the monomyth. It includes an extensive treatment of Jesus Christ and Judeo-Christian figures such as Moses in its worldwide survey of heroic literature.
Bob Deffinbaugh – Writing for www.bible.org, Diffinbaugh delves into the Miracle at Cana story to give practical insights to the actions of Mary, Jesus and others in the story, and then follows with theological insights. An online resource at bible.org/seriespage/5-first-sign-jesus-turns-water-wine-john-21-11 .
Penelope Duckworth – In writing Mary: The Imagination of Her Heart, Duckworth examines different aspects of Mary in chapters of meditations. Duckworth, an Anglican priest, offers reflections on the history and the theology of Mary.
Philip Jenkins – The Many Faces of Christ. This book offers extensive evidence of the long lasting influence non-canonical writings had on Christian communities. Christians in Western Asia, Africa, and Europe used alternative texts – such as the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Protevangelium, and the Gospel of Peter. Jenkins traces the use of these and many other texts in the Christian Church. — 2015, Basic Books, 9780465066926
J. Carl Laney – The Identification of Cana in Galilee. This dissertation explores the probability of each of four modern day sites as the place called Cana of Galilee in the Gospels:
www.bibleplaces.com/Identification_of_Cana_of_Galilee,_by_J_Carl_Laney.pdf
James Martin – In Jesus: A Pilgrimage James Martin SJ uses the locations of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Palestine/Israel to “dig in” to many of the stories of Jesus in the four gospels. Informative, humorous, and questioning by turns. isbn 9780062024237 Martin has several other titles on Christianity, both scholarly and popular.
John P. Meier – Roman Catholic priest and biblical scholar. The author of A Marginal Jew, a now five volume work on the Historical Jesus. This scholarly work on the Historical Jesus is recognized with acceptance by the Roman Catholic Church.
Douglas E. Neel and Joel A. Pugh – The Food and Feasts of Jesus. Part history, part menu and recipe book, part interpretation of Hebrew customs with foods and faith during the First Century. Illustrated. Extensive notes and bibliography.
Elaine Pagels – Religious historian, New Testament scholar. Author of Beyond Belief, a comparison of the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Thomas. Several other Pagels’ works explore the role of women in the early Christian church.
Jaroslav Pelikan – Author of Mary Through the Centuries, published by the Yale University Press. This study of the Mary the mother of Jesus and the Mother of Jesus Christ follows the development of the many aspects of the earthly woman who is recognized by the Catholic Church as the Mother of God.
Stephen Prothero – Author of American Jesus. Prothero, a former chair of the Department of Religion at Boston University, takes the reader on a two part journey through Jesus Christ, and Jesus of Nazareth, in the mind of Americans. The American Jesus has been resurrected and has been reincarnated. Prothero cites some of the prime movers in Jesus’ American persona: Jonathan Edwards, Henry Ward Beecher, Bruce Barton, Joseph Smith, Yogananda — and Thomas Jefferson. 364 pages, isbn 9780374178901.
Garry Wills – An author who explores theology, religion and history. In What Jesus Meant, Wills takes the reader through his interpretation of the life and significance of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. At 142 pages, this book is concise. It does tackle themes such as Jesus the Radical, his descent into Hell, his opposition to the organized religion of his time (Judaism), and his Resurrection. isbn 9780670034963
N.T. Wright – The author’s name for Nicholas Thomas Wright. Wright is a retired Anglican bishop and scholar of St. Paul, Jesus Christ, and early Christian history and theology. Among other titles, Wright produced the “For Everyone” series of books on the four Gospels and the writings of St. Paul.