“This book compellingly argues that research into the identity of Jesus is tied up with metaphysical commitments of some sort, though the nature and function of these commitments is often hidden from view. Austin Stevenson brings them clearly into the light of day. Only an author who understands the issues deeply could have written so lucidly about them. This book is anything but a facile rejection of historical research. Rather, it challenges its readers to think about what history means and to bring history and theology into dialogue with one another.”

“This work argues that Thomas Aquinas's participatory metaphysics and epistemology -- including his understanding of prophecy and of Jesus's beatific vision -- can assist powerfully in the resolution of certain potent puzzles about the apocalyptic Jesus, as well as in the development of a historical biblical scholarship that is appropriately critical in facing its own philosophical premises. Persuasive in its applications to Jesus scholarship and sure-handed in its interpretations of Aquinas, the book represents a major advance. It will be of significant help to theologians and biblical scholars seeking ways to enable the erudition of the each discipline to instruct the other.”

“Stevenson argues that the theology of Thomas Aquinas can provide excellent resources for making sense of the Gospel narratives in a way utterly compatible with classical or conciliar Christology, and he attempts to show this by giving an account, by and large accurate, of what Aquinas has to say about the varieties of Christ’s human knowledge. . . one of the more interesting sections of the book is a brief but careful discussion of the ways in which notions of consciousness have come to be included, in an almost casual way, into discussions of the theological concept of person—a tendency which Stevenson rightly notes is utterly ahistorical.”

Journal of Theological Studies, https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/flaf035

 “Austin Stevenson’s The Consciousness of the Historical Jesus is a stellar monograph contribution to these ongoing debates on the knowledge of Christ, greatly expanding the scope of the discussion beyond what Lonergan in his Gregorian lectures termed the “constitutio psychologica Christi,” and embracing questions on the more fundamental relationship between metaphysics, biblical exegesis, and historical method.” (Jose Isidro Belleza, University of Cambridge)

Thomistica, https://thomistica.net/book-reviews/https/thomisticanet/quaestiones-url/consciousness-historical-jesus

“Stevenson's work is impressive not only for its clarity but also for its sheer breadth of engagement with scholarly sources. Additionally, Stevenson provides an admirably lucid explication of Aquinas's theory of human cognition . . . a notoriously difficult topic, which serves as something of a prelude to his thorough account of Aquinas's doctrine of Christ's knowledge.”
International Journal of Systematic Theology
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijst.70015

“Stevenson’s book is technical and learned, demanding careful engagement with Thomistic metaphysics. Nevertheless, the clarity of the presentation and its enjoyable nature make the material worth reading. For those with an interest in classical Christology, this book proves to be a great resource. . . For those interested in exploring Thomistic scholarship from multiple perspectives, ranging from virtue theory to Thomas’s classical metaphysics, Stevenson’s book is an exceptional guide.” (Rafael Bello, Oklahoma Baptist University)

Themelios: The Gospel Coalition Review https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/review/the-consciousness-of-the-historical-jesus-historiography-theology-and-metaphysics/