The identity of the Son of Man: Typological Connections between Jesus and Ezekiel

Professor Michael Reimer, American University in Cairo.  

Istanbul University Faculty of Theology, October 5, 2016.

The gospels make it clear that Jesus’ preferred designation of himself was “Son of Man.” New Testament scholars have debated the origins and significance, even the historicity, of this title, but have mostly ignored the connection with the prophet Ezekiel – who is addressed as “Son of Man” about 90 times within his book. This talk will argue that Jesus used this title in order to establish a typological connection between himself and Ezekiel, and that the authors of the gospels were well aware of this typology.

Michael Reimer is an associate professor of history at The American University in Cairo. He predominantly teaches Middle Eastern history. His ongoing research and teaching interests encompass several areas of modern Middle Eastern history, i.e. the historiography of Egypt and the Ottoman Empire, especially Egyptian views of the Ottoman past; municipal administration, waqf foundations, and the dynamics of local politics in Transjordan, as a part of the broader history of cities and towns of the Middle East; the intellectual history of the modern Islamic world, especially Islamic modernism and its critics; and the history of Zionism, especially Zionism’s perspective on Jewish relations with the Palestinian Arabs. Another set of interests concern the study of the historical Jesus, the literary and cultural analysis of the canonical gospels, and pedagogical issues related to the teaching of Jewish and Christian history.