A Portrait of Jesus
A Portrait of Jesus Introduction
God is real.
The Christian life is about a relationship with God as known in Jesus Christ.
It can and will change your life.
-Marcus Borg
The Christian faith is a historical faith which emerged from a historical person: Jesus of Nazareth.
History has always informed the Christian faith - creeds, councils, and developing traditions over the centuries have led to present day belief systems.
This
study takes a step further back in history to learn more about the historical
Jesus.
Who was this man from Galilee and how did he become "the face of God" as Paul describes him in 2 Corinthians 4:6?
Marcus Borg, scholar, Christian, and author of Jesus: A New Vision and Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, uses the terms "pre-Easter Jesus" to talk about the Jesus of history and "post-Easter Jesus" to talk about the Christ of faith.
You are invited to join in this exploration of Marcus Borg's portrait of Jesus and what it can mean for Christian life and faith.
Notes about this web site
This web site can be navigated in two ways:
- Sequentially - by using the "next" links at the bottom of each page, or
- Randomly - by using the links in the left column in the order you choose.
You may choose to explore the scholarship perspective and nature of the gospels before launching into the portrait pages or you may want to see the portrait and then go back and understand the foundation out of which it grows.
Most of the pages in this web site include questions for you to ponder as you consider how this perspective might be integrated into your life.
About
Marcus Borg
Learn more about the scholar whose work is the basis for this web site.
Introduction
A Portrait of Jesus Introduction
Research and Scholarship Perspective
Lenses through which Borg sees Jesus
The Pre- and Post-Easter Jesus
Compare Pre- and Post-Easter Jesus
Summaries of the Pre-Easter Jesus
Spirit Dimension
Context: Spirit Persons in Many Cultures
Wisdom Dimension
Context: Wisdom Teachers in Many Cultures
Political Dimension
Context: Social and Cultural World of Jesus
The Post-Easter Jesus
What Difference Does it Make?
Resources for Further Study
Books and Articles by Marcus Borg
FaithFutures Foundation: integrating faith and scholarship
Living the Questions, a progressive 12-week DVD and web curriculum to help participants discover the relevance of Christianity in the 21st Century and what a meaningful faith can look like in today's world. Features Marcus Borg and 14 other scholars and pastors.
New Testament Gateway, created by Dr. Mark Goodacre, University of Birmingham, UK
The Jesus Seminar, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Jesus Seminar Fellow and faculty at Rutgers University
Virtual Religion Index, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Rutgers University
Westar Institute, official Jesus Seminar site; includes churches open to the scholarship of the Jesus Seminar