This volume is the first collection of scholarly essays in English devoted specifically to the theme of the expression 'son of man'. It describes the major competing theories which have addressed, among others, the following questions:
What is the original Aramaic expression that lies behind the Greek phrase, and what was its original connotation?
How do the gospel writers use the expression 'son of man'? Is it a Christological title, pregnant with meaning, much like the titles 'son of God', 'Christ', 'Messiah', and 'son of David'?
Is it used as a way of designating Jesus as a human being of unique redemptive significance?
Did it originate as a nuanced use of an Aramaic expression used in place of the first person pronoun, as an indefinite pronoun, or for generic statements about human beings??
Albert Lukaszewski discusses the history of the 'son of man' and provides an overview of the numerous methodological and linguistic issues relating to the expression. Paul Owen, David Shepherd, and Peter Williams engage with the work of Maurice Casey. Darrell Bock, Benjamin Reynolds, and Darrell Hannah investigate the use of 'son of man' and the appropriation of Daniel 7, at Jesus' trial, in John's Gospel, and within the Parables of Enoch respectively. This volume consolidates and confirms numerous important points for further explanation and debate of this critical issue in New Testament studies.
