Jonny Rowlands - The Metaphysics of Historical Jesus Research

Episode: In this episode Chris Tilling interviews Jonny Rowlands about his new book, The Metaphysics of Historical Jesus Research. In many ways it builds on earlier discussions with Seth Heringer, Austine Stevenson, and others here on OnScript. We dive into his fascinating thesis and his take on some big questions in historical Jesus studies, challenging secular approaches that are often taken to shape the field. He argues that our worldview assumptions come first, shaping how we interpret history, and calls for a broader range of metaphysical perspectives in this kind of research. We get into Rowlands’s push for embracing faith-informed approaches and how that might change the way we think about Jesus’s life. He shares sharp insights on why objectivity in historiography is impossible and discusses how we could better assess historical events by considering different philosophical perspectives. Our conversation also touches on the various “quests” for the historical Jesus and the philosophies of history that shape the field. Overall, the episode invites listeners to rethink how theology, metaphysics and historical research connect and what that means for biblical scholarship today. Also, stay tuned to hear a song from our producer, Jason Stark (details below)!

Guest: Jonathan Rowlands is Graduate Tutor, Lecturer in Theology, and Lead Tutor for Assessment at St. Mellitus College. He is the author of The Metaphysics of Historical Jesus Research (London: Routledge, 2022) and his second monograph - Reading Holy Scripture: Rethinking Theological Interpretation of Christian Scripture – is forthcoming with T&T Clark. His research has appeared in Journal of Biblical Literature, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Novum Testamentum, Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus, Modern Theology, Scottish Journal of Theology, Journal of Theological Interpretation, and Journal of Pentecostal Theology. He has also written for more accessible publications such as Church Times, Premier Christianity, and Seen & Unseen, and is a contributor to BBC Radio 2’s Pause for Thought programme.

Song: "Travel Light" by Jason Stark. Enjoy Jason's new song on various platforms. Links available HERE.

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