Marcus J. Borg

Marcus Borg describes himself as both a historical Jesus scholar and a Christian.

Marcus J. Borg is Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University.

Nationally and internationally known in both academic and church circles as a biblical and Jesus scholar, he is the author of eleven books, including:

• Jesus: A New Vision (1987)
• Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time (1994)
• The God We Never Knew (1997)
• The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions (1999)
• God at 2000 (2000)
• Reading the Bible Again for the First Time (2001)
• The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith (2003)

Described by The New York Times as "a leading figure among the new generation of Jesus scholars," he has appeared on:

• NBC's "Today Show"
• PBS's "Newshour"
• ABC's "Prime Time" with Peter Jennings
• NPR's "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross

A Fellow of the Jesus Seminar, he has been national chair of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature and co-chair of its International New Testament Program Committee.

He is currently president of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars and a regular columnist for "Beliefnet."

His work has been translated into seven languages: German, Dutch, Korean, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, and French.

His doctor's degree is from Oxford University, and he has lectured widely overseas (England, Scotland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Israel and South Africa) and throughout North America, including the Chautauqua and Smithsonian Institutions.

In addition to the books he has authored, he is the editor or co-editor of:

• The Lost Gospel Q (1996)
• Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings (1997)
• God at 2000, co-edited with Ross Mackenzie (2000)

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time (1994) is the single best-selling book by a contemporary Jesus scholar.

The God We Never Knew was named "one of the ten best books in religion in 1997" by Publishers Weekly.

The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, co-authored with N. Thomas Wright, a well-known British New Testament scholar from the conservative side of the spectrum, presents two visions of Jesus and the difference each makes for Christian understanding. It won the "Best General Interest Book of 1999" award from the Association of Theological Booksellers.

Reading the Bible Again for the First Time (2001) has made Publishers Weekly "ten best selling books in religion." Comments include:

"Borg is one of the very few New Testament scholars of our age whose learning is so lucid that it takes the Bible back from the specialists and makes it available in all its complexity and splendor to the general reader: nothing short of a blessing, even a miracle!"
- From Peter Gomes, author of The Good Book

"Borg's analysis is profound, challenging and engrossing; it will enable readers to use scripture creatively once again and truly make it a bridge for the divine."
- From Karen Armstrong, author of The History of God and The Battle for God

His newest book The Heart of Christianity was published in fall 2003 by Harper San Francisco. Comments about this book include:

"Writing with a simplicity that never becomes simplistic, Borg manages to convey the essence of Christianity in a way that does justice to those who do not share his views and will greatly enrich the understanding of those who do."
- Frederick Buechner, author of many books, including most recently Seeing with the Eyes of the Heart

"A marvelous book that is both challenging and illuminating, and effecting exactly the kind of transformation that Borg describes so lucidly."
- Karen Armstrong, author of the best-sellers A History of God, The Battle for God, and Buddha

"Return to the passion of a life lived in faith. Rediscover the intimacy of a relationship with God. Come back to the gospel values of love and justice and you will find yourself immersed in the heart of Christianity. You will treasure this book."
- Lynne Hinton, novelist and author of Hope Springs, The Friendship Cake, and Forever Friends

"What would we do without Marcus Borg? If he did not exist, we would have to invent him for we have no better guide to the recovery of an authentic Christian faith for these difficult times than this articulate and prolific public theologian. In this book, we are reminded that the heart of Christianity speaks directly to the human heart as a lived, living, and loving faith: now more than ever we need this authentic affirmation."
- Peter J. Gomes, Harvard University Divinity School and author of The Good Book and The Good Life

"Marcus Borg is a key force in the emerging 'new paradigm' of Christian faith. This book will be a great gift to those who have so much to unlearn in and about the church. It will, moreover, nourish new Christians who are moving beyond popular caricatures of faith, inviting them to the real stuff. Borg is 'on a roll,' and here 'the roll' takes on additional momentum, a happy outcome for us all."
- Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary, and author of more than twenty books on the Hebrew Bible

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Lenses through which Borg sees Jesus
See the scholarship and experiential perspective which informs Marcus Borg's work.

Introduction

A Portrait of Jesus Introduction

Research and Scholarship Perspective

About Marcus Borg

Lenses through which Borg sees Jesus

The Nature of the Gospels

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

Jesus as Spirit Person

Jesus as Healer

Wisdom Dimension

Context: Wisdom Teachers in Many Cultures

Jesus as Wisdom Teacher

Political Dimension

Context: Social and Cultural World of Jesus

Jesus as Social Prophet

Jesus as Movement Founder

The Post-Easter Jesus

The Post-Easter Jesus

What Difference Does it Make?

Implications for Christian Life