author
John Birdseye Atwater
1855–1921
A Minneapolis-born writer and Yale graduate, he is remembered for a careful, plainspoken study of Jesus drawn directly from the four Gospels. His best-known book aims to compare the Gospel accounts closely and avoid sectarian coloring.
1 Audiobook
The Real Jesus of the Four Gospels
by John Birdseye Atwater
About the author
Born on March 23, 1855, in Minneapolis, John Birdseye Atwater was the son of Isaac Atwater and Permeha A. Sanborn Atwater. Available biographical records identify him as a Yale graduate from the class of 1877, and he died in Minneapolis on May 20, 1921.
Atwater is chiefly known for The Real Jesus of the Four Gospels, a work published in the early twentieth century and later preserved by Project Gutenberg. In its preface, the book presents itself as a careful collation of what the four Gospels say about the major events of Jesus's life, with an emphasis on accuracy and on avoiding personal or sectarian bias.
That focus gives his writing a direct, orderly feel that may appeal to listeners interested in biblical biography, comparative Gospel reading, and older religious scholarship. Little else about his literary career was easy to confirm from reliable online sources, but the surviving record suggests a writer deeply interested in presenting the Gospel narratives as clearly and plainly as possible.