The Son of Man sayings are some of the most contested sayings in the Gospels. They preserve a phrase employed by Jesus to refer to himself, yet the meaning of the saying in its various contexts has been hotly debated for centuries. Some identify allusions to other literature in the bible, including the book of Daniel. Others see it as simply being a strange rendering in Greek of an Aramaic phrase that was relatively commonplace.
The history of research on these sayings is here presented by Benjamin E. Reynolds in a volume of critical readings, which provides access to over 50 years of scholarly research. These essays and articles include the most often cited articles that address the various aspects of the Son of Man debate. In addition to these most well-known pieces Reynolds includes carefully selected additional essays that allow readers to trace different developments in the debate and to provide an entry into the waters of 'the Son of Man Problem' and the numerous solutions that have been offered. Each section features an introduction and a section of annotated further readings.
This selection of twenty-seven of the most influential articles on the meaning of 'Son of Man', covering 1959 to 2016, is a valuable gift to scholarship. A well-informed general introduction, as well as introductions and annotated bibliographies to each of the four sections, makes the volume an indispensable tool in the future discussion of this central question in New Testament theology, contrasting highly different presuppositions to reach for the elusive and definitive conclusion.
