Library & Online Resources
Dr. Tucker S. Ferda is associate professor of New Testament. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also served as teaching fellow. In 2015, he was named a Regional Scholar of the Society of Biblical Literature, an award which “recognizes and promotes outstanding entry-level scholars.” Dr. Ferda has expertise in a wide range of areas in biblical studies, including the Gospels, the life of Jesus, the Old Testament in the New, the history of biblical interpretation, Hellenistic Jewish literature, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the theological interpretation of Scripture. Dr. Ferda is a frequent presenter at regional and national SBL meetings, and he has published more than a dozen articles in top-tier biblical studies journals, including Journal of Biblical Literature, Journal of Theological Studies, New Testament Studies, and Journal for the Study of Judaism, among others. Dr. Ferda is a member at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. Jesus and His Second Promised Coming is Ferda's second book.
About Jesus and His Promised Second Coming: Jewish Eschatology and Christian Origins.
In this pioneering study of Scripture and reception history, Dr. Ferda shows that the hope for Jesus’s second coming originated in his own message about the coming of the kingdom after a time of distress.
Most historical Jesus scholars take for granted that Jesus’s second coming was invented by his zealous early followers. In Jesus and His Promised Second Coming, Ferda challenges this critical consensus. Using innovative methodology, Ferda works backward through reception history to Paul and the Gospels to argue that the hope for the second coming originated in Jesus’s own grappling with the prospect of death and his conviction that the kingdom was near; he expected a return that would coincide with the final judgment and the end of the age within the space of a generation.
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Select Bibliography
The following titles are not currently available at Barbour Library. The links below will take you to either Bookshop.org (which supports local bookstores) or Amazon.com, where you can purchase the book.
Fredriksen, Paula. When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2018.
Schröter, Jens, and Christine Jacobi, eds. The Jesus Handbook. Translated by Robert L. Brawley. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2022.
Williams, Peter S. Behold the Man: Essays on the Historical Jesus. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2024.
Books in Barbour Library
Print books below may be checked out by PTS students, faculty, and staff, as well as local area patrons who have library accounts (requires an annual fee). Ebooks are indicated by asterisks, and are available to current PTS students, faculty, and staff only.
The Historical Jesus: a Guide for the Perplexed by Call Number: BT303.2 .B58 2012ISBN: 9780567033178Publication Date: 2012-03-29
The Historical Jesus: Five Views by Call Number: BT303.2 .B365 2009ISBN: 9780830838684Publication Date: 2009-10-08
The Historical Jesus in Context by Call Number: BT303.2 .H4845 2006ISBN: 9780691009919Publication Date: 2006-11-05
Jesus and His Promised Second Coming : Jewish eschatology and Christian origins by Call Number: BT886.3 .F47 2024ISBN: 9780802879905Publication Date: 2024-09-12
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews : a Jewish life and the emergence of Christianity by Call Number: BT301.2 .F74 1999ISBN: 9780679767466Publication Date: 2000-12-05
The Second Advent : the origin of the New Testament doctrine by Call Number: BT885 .G55 2009ISBN: 9781606084182Publication Date: 2009-01-28
Click on the links below to perform subject/author searches in the library catalog:
Articles in Barbour Library
Articles that are available online have links, and are only available to current PTS students, faculty, and staff. Articles without links are in the print journal collection.
Allison, Dale C, Jr. “A Plea for Thoroughgoing Eschatology.” Journal of Biblical Literature 113, no. 4 (December 31, 1994): 651–68.
Angel, Andrew R. “The Son of Man: Jesus, Eschatology and Mission.” Anvil 26, no. 3–4 (December 31, 2009): 219–30.
Fredriksen, Paula. “Apocalypse and Redemption in Early Christianity: From John of Patmos to Augustine of Hippo.” Vigiliae Christianae 45, no. 2 (December 31, 1991): 151–83.
Otto, Randall E. “Dealing with Delay: A Critique of Christian Coping.” Biblical Theology Bulletin 34, no. 4 (December 31, 2004): 150–60.
Scott, James M. “The Speech-Acts of a Royal Pretender: Jesus’ Performative Utterances in Mark’s Gospel.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 20, no. 1 (December 31, 2022): 50–86.
- Bible OdysseyAs a public outreach of the Society of Biblical Literature, Bible Odyssey’s mission is to inform the general public about the content of the Bible and the critical approaches to it. The scholars that contribute to Bible Odyssey are socially, geographically, and ethnically diverse, and the site is not affiliated with any religious or political organization. It does not advocate for any particular perspective or reading; rather, Bible Odyssey seeks to help the public appreciate the different viewpoints within the Bible and understand the diversity of biblical interpretations. The purpose of the website is to draw the person on the street, or the one in the pew, into the fascinating world of scholarly investigation into the Bible and the communities who value it.
- Journal for the Study of the Historical JesusThe Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus provides an international forum for the academic discussion of Jesus within his first-century context. The journal is accessible to all who are interested in how this complex topic has been addressed in the past and how it is approached today. (Note: available in print and electronically through Barbour Library).
- The Protestant Libertarian Podcast: Ep. 159: Jesus and His Promised Second Coming with Tucker FerdaThe Protestant Libertarian Podcast explores the intersection between protestant Biblical studies and libertarian philosophy. We will discuss the Bible, history, culture, economics, philosophy, and current events from both protestant and libertarian perspectives.
- Tucker Ferda Display BibliographyA bibliography of print and electronic books available at Barbour Library.