The Quest for the Historical Jesus as an Experiment in Theological Method: A Lonerganian Perspective

Abstract

Bernard Lonergan developed his theological method as a response to the need to integrate historical studies into theological method. While his method is derived from his transcendental method, this paper argues that the last three centuries of the quest for the historical Jesus provide a test case against which to test Lonergan’s method. While critical historical method corresponds (more or less) to Lonergan’s first three functional specialties (research, interpretation, and history), the dynamics of the quest itself point to the need for dialectics and foundations while raising the question of doctrine. In this way the quest provides some empirical verification for Lonergan’s method.