Jesus Christ (Greek
Ἰησοῦς Χριστός
Iēsoûs
Khristós,
Aramaic
ישׁוע
משׁיח Yēšûᵃ‘ Māšîᵃḥ; c.
4 BC – c.
30), also called
Jesus of
Nazareth, is the central figure in
Christianity.
Christian perspectives on Jesus
Main articles: Jesus as Christ and
Messiah and Messiah
Christianity is centered on the belief that Jesus is the savior of man. According to Christians, Jesus was born in Bethlehem
to Mary. He preached the new
covenant across Judea, which angered the Pharisaic
Jews and disturbed the Romans as he was seen as a threat to public order. One of his twelve apostles, Judas, betrayed him; and
later committed
suicide in remorse. Jesus was crucified by the Romans. However, he
rose from the
dead three days later
The historicity of Jesus
See:
Historicity of Jesus Christ,
Sources about Jesus Christ
Debates concerning Jesus as a historical figure center on two issues: the role of God in natural and human history, and the
veracity of the New Testament as a historical source.
The question of God's role in natural and human history involves not only assumptions about God, but about how humans acquire
knowledge (this subject is discussed in the disciplines of
epistemology and
metaphysics).
Most Christians believe that God has played an active role in history through
miracles and
divine revelation; and accept as a basis for their
faith the divine authority of the
Bible, and the divinity of Jesus. Some Christians
believe that Scripture must be interpreted in the light of
tradition, while
others believe that individuals can interpret it for themselves.
Some Christians believe that human understanding of the divine is imperfect, and can and must be supplemented by other forms
of knowledge. Such people draw on works by secular scientists and historians to help interpret their own experiences and their
reading of Scripture. Some believe in God but question the divinity of Jesus and the Bible, and rely more heavily on the work of
scientists and historians. Others do not believe in God and rely entirely on the work of secular scholars.
Most historians make statements about historical events or persons based on more pragmatic standards of empirical evidence.
They look at scripture not as divinely inspired but as the work of fallible humans, who wrote in the light of their culture and
time. There is a paucity of accepted contemporaneous sources and of direct empirical evidence concerning Jesus, which makes it
especially difficult for representatives of the different religious and secular traditions of knowledge and faith to reach
agreement on a "biography" of Jesus.
Most scholars do not dispute that a person named Jesus, connected in some way to the events described in the Bible, once
lived; they feel that evidence for Jesus' existence two thousand years ago is by historical standards fairly strong. The primary
source of
historical
knowledge about
Jesus is contained within the Christian
Gospels which many historians
believe to have originated from sources written within living memory of Jesus (but later lost, and remaining lost). Evidence for
a historical Jesus is also provided by the
Epistles, especially those by
Paul. Other sources regarded as of less significance from the
perspective of modern historians are other early Christian material, other religious traditions, and certain historians of the
period. Many historians accept the
New Testament as
evidence for the historical existence of Jesus; but there is much less acceptance of the
basic narrative of his
life and death, and far less for any
miraculous claims, among professional historians and liberal biblical scholars. These scholars also draw on
mention of Jesus in
Josephus, and mention of early Christians in
Suetonius and
Tacitus.
Moreover, some historians believe that, if not the Gospels themselves, at least some of the source documents on which they may
have been based were written within living memory of Jesus (see
Q
document). These historians therefore accept that the accounts of the life of Jesus in the Gospels provide a reasonable basis
of evidence (by the standards of scholarship for events in ancient history) for the basic narrative of Jesus' life and death. The
miraculous claims of the Gospels and details that surround them, however, are disputed by many historians.
Other historians argue from the internal features of, and inconsistencies between, the Gospels and other
canonical and
non-canonical
Christian and Gnostic writings that Jesus was a mythical figure. The paucity of non-Christian historical sources that corroborate
Christian writings is adduced as support for this position. See, for example, the writings of
Earl Doherty.
There are only two historical references to Jesus found outside of religious materials. One is a statement about a sect of
Romans who follow "Christos"; and the other a brief passage in a historical work by Josephus which some scholars strongly believe
was actually later written by Christians and inserted in the text of Josephus's work. There are no non-religious historical
documents which give any detail at all about Jesus; everything about him is from a religious text or tradition.
The popular historian
Will Durant wrote about the historicity of Jesus in
his book Caesar and Christ (p. 557):
- In summary, it is clear that there are many contradictions between one gospel and another, many dubious statements of
history, many suspicious resemblances to the legends told of pagan gods, many incidents apparently designed to prove the
fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, many passages possibly aiming to establish a basis for some later doctrine or ritual of
the Church....
- All this granted, much remains. The contradictions are of minutae, not substance; in essentials the synoptic gospels agree
remarkably well, and form a consistent portrait of Christ.... That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so
powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far
more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels.
Academic historians and religious texts
Unlike
religious
fundamentalists, who assume that such texts as the Gospels are entirely and literally true, and unlike some
critics of Christianity, who assume that such texts are entirely false, most academic historians believe that such texts are
historical sources, but that their meaning depends on a variety of factors. Historians generally assume that the Gospels, like
other historical sources (for example, the works of
Josephus), were written by
human beings. Some argue that a text with a clearly identified
author (for example, the
Gospel of
Luke) was written by someone else, or by several authors, or by an author drawing on several sources. Historians assume that
a text that is based on real events may nevertheless reflect the
biased view of the author
or authors, or a bias that is meant to appeal to an intended audience. They also generally don't believe in
supernatural phenomena, and tend to look for naturalistic explanations of any
supernatural phenomena that were recorded. Consequently, they believe such texts contain information not only about a described
event, they also reveal information of historical value about the authors and audience. Historians then use information about the
cultural,
political, and
economic
context (from sources outside the text
in question) as a basis for reconstructing the intended or understood meaning of the text. Although historians use established
methods, there are often vigorous debates over the validity or strength of a given interpretation. Moreover, historians strive to
revise their interpretations when new
linguistic,
literary, or
archeological evidence becomes
available.
The historical Jesus of Nazareth
This section provides a historical view of Jesus, based largely on textual evidence from the
1st and
2nd centuries.
There has been a good deal of recent research on Jesus by critical scholars: two synthetic accounts are
The Historical
Figure of Jesus by E.P. Sanders, a historian with a doctorate in theology, now Arts & Sciences Professor of Religion at
Duke University, and the three volume A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus by John Meier, a Catholic priest,
and Professor of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America. The following is a brief summary of the dominant
position among critical scholars.
The Gospels provide two accounts of Jesus' birth: according to one account, he is the son of Joseph, a descendant of David;
according to the other account, he is the son of God, and divine (Christians do not view these two accounts as irreconcilable).
Many historians and other scholars suggest that these accounts were developed after Jesus' death, in order to substantiate the
Christian belief that Jesus was the messiah. Most of the material in the Gospels focus on the last year of Jesus' life, and most
scholars focus on this period.
This was a period marked by cultural and political dilemmas. Culturally, Jews had to grapple with the values of
Hellenism and Hellenistic philosophy. Moreover, as many Jews lived in the Diaspora, and
Judea itself was populated by many Gentiles, Jews had to confront a paradox in their own tradition: their
Torah applied only to them, but revealed universal truths. This situation led to new interpretations of the
Torah, influenced by Hellenic thought and in response to Gentile interest in Judaism.
Jesus lived at a time when Judea was ruled directly by a
Roman
Procurator, while Galilee was ruled indirectly through the Tetrarch
Herod Antipas, son of
Herod the Great. During this time the religion of the Jews centered on the Temple in Jerusalem, but no
particular form of Judaism was established as the predominant and correct one. Some Jews formed social and political movements,
such as the
Sadducees (the aristocratic party, aligned with the ruling priests),
Pharisees (who developed a non-priestly approach to Judaism and were, at this
time, apolitical),
Essenes (who developed a non-Temple oriented but priestly approach
to Judaism, and who were apolitical), and the
Zealots (who were politically opposed
to Roman occupation). Most Jews belonged to none of these parties. Moreover, many individuals claimed to speak for God, in the
prophetic tradition of
Isaiah and
Jeremiah, or to be able to heal people, in the prophetic tradition of
Elisha.
This was moreover a volatile period in Jewish history. Most Jews were desperately poor and resented having to pay tribute to
Rome. Although Jews were relatively autonomous, ruled by a Jewish high priest and tetrarch, these officials were appointed by
Rome and thus had questionable legitimacy. Moreover, the Second Temple itself, rebuilt under Persian auspices, had uncertain
legitimacy.
During this time many Jews hoped that the Romans would be replaced by a Jewish king (also referred to as "the anointed", or
messiah, as kings were anointed) of the line of David – the last legitimate Jewish regime. However, Jews were divided over
how this might occur. Most Jews believed that their history was governed by God. For example, many believed that the
Babylonian Exile, the conquest of Babylon by the Persians (who allowed Jews
to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem), the defeat of the
Seleucids by the Jews, and
the conquest of Judea by the Romans, were all divine acts. They thus believed that the Romans were instruments of God, and would
be replaced by a Jewish king only through divine intervention; thus, the majority of Jews accepted Roman rule. Others (primarily
the Zealots) believed that the kingdom should be restored immediately, through violent human action.
Jesus seems not to have belonged to any particular party; Jesus was special (perhaps even unique) in combining elements of
many of these different – and for most Jews, opposing – positions. Most critical scholars see Jesus as working in the
prophetic tradition, both as a mouthpiece for God and as an itinerant healer. However, many of his teachings echoed the beliefs
of the Qumran community (which was likely a branch of the Essenes); he may have engaged the Pharisees on matters of Jewish law
(most scholars believe that many of the debates between Jesus and the Pharisees found in the Gospels were added after Jesus'
death, at a time when the Pharisees emerged as the dominant form of Judaism and the primary competitors with Christians as
interpreters of the Bible); and his declarations that the kingdom was at hand echoed the Zealots. Many historians and other
scholars argue that it is more likely that, like most Jews, Jesus believed that the restoration of the monarchy would be
accomplished by God, not by any movement of Jews. However, he did believe that this restoration was immanent. Jesus was enigmatic
at best about his claim to actually be the presumptive monarch, but it is likely that he believed that as soon as God restored
the monarchy, he would be anointed as king. That he speaks of twelve disciples is probably symbolic of the twelve tribes of
Israel, and thus a metaphor for "all of Israel (the Gospels name fourteen disciples; Paul mentions a "twelve" that does not
include Peter or other disciples).
Talk of a restoration of the monarchy was seditious under Roman occupation, and Jesus entered Jerusalem at an especially risky
time. Jews were required to offer sacrifices at the Temple three times a year:
Passover,
Sukkot, and
Shavuot. Although most Jews did not have the means to travel to Jerusalem for every holiday, virtually all tried to
comply with these laws as best they could. Thus, during these festivals the population of Jerusalem swelled – and outbreaks
of violence and riots were common. Critical scholars argue that the high priest feared that Jesus' talk of an immanent
restoration of an independent Jewish state would likely spark a riot. As maintaining the peace was one of the primary jobs of the
high priest, whom the Romans held personally responsible for any major outbreak of violence, he had Jesus arrested and turned him
over to the Romans for execution.
After the destruction of the Temple in
70, the Zealots, Sadducees, and Essenes disappeared.
Moreover, the followers of Jesus offered Gentiles a form of Judaism that emphasized the universal over the particular. When it
became apparent that the Jews preferred Rabbinic Judaism, followers of Jesus turned primarily to Gentiles and emphasized
universality even more. The result was the Christian religion. It was during this period, many scholars argue, that Christians
transformed the meaning of the word messiah to be universal and divine, rather than particular and human.
Alleged relics of Jesus
Main article:
Alleged relics of Jesus
There are many items that are purported to be authentic
relics of the Gospel account.
The most famous alleged relic of Jesus is the
Shroud of Turin.
Jewish perspectives on Jesus
Main article:
Jewish view of Jesus
Supplementary articles:
Judaism and Christianity and
Jewish Messiah
Judaism has deemed Jesus a false messiah, and religious Jews are still awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. Christianity
originated as a sect of Judaism, but developed into its own religion; there are thus many similarities dating to the time of
origin, but also many radical and fundamental differences dating to the period in which the two were in competition and then
antagonism. Today, following the work of critical historians, many Jews minimize Jesus' role as miracle worker, but a small
number consider him a great teacher.
Islamic perspectives on Jesus
Main article:
Isa
Muslims believe that Jesus, or Isa in Arabic, was a prophet and Messiah. However, they do not consider him to be a
son of
Allah (God), other than in the metaphorical sense that we are all children of
Allah. Also, unlike Christians, Muslims don't believe that Jesus was crucified. They contend that God replaced Jesus with someone
else and took Jesus to heaven. Jesus is expected to return to earth in future to redeem all of humanity.
According to
Ahmadi Muslims, Jesus survived the crucifixion, migrated to
Kashmir, and lived a long life there. They believe a particular tomb in Kashmir is the tomb of Jesus.
The
Quran strongly rejects the idea that Jesus is the son of
God. In
Islam, Jesus is considered as a prophet. In Islam, there is only
one God (Allah).
Allah
is the only God and he does not share this with anybody. Nobody is neither
higher nor equal to him
Other religious perspectives on Jesus
Main article:
Non-Christian perspectives on Jesus
Jesus is considered as a manifestation of God by the
Bahá'ís.
Mandaeanists see Jesus as something of a false prophet as compared to John
the Baptist. Jesus was seen as the savior and bringer of
gnosis by various
Gnostic sects, such as the extinct
Manichaeism. In modern times many
New Agers have reinterpreted
Jesus as a misunderstood guru preaching
enlightenment.
Sizable minorities of
Buddhists and
Hindus have beliefs about Jesus; some of these Buddhists have seen Jesus as manifestation of
Maitreya, while some Hindus have considered Jesus to be a
yogi,
guru or even
avatar.
Latter-day Saints and other adherents of
Mormonism believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God and part of the
Godhead like other Christians, but they also believe that Jesus personally visited
The Americas shortly after His resurrection or
ascension. The account is found in the
Book of Mormon.
(see
Mormonism and Christianity).
Followers of
Urantia consider Jesus to be divine, but also believe that Joseph was
Jesus' genetic father. The Urantia Book gives a different picture of the life of Jesus from that found in the
Gospel accounts, and restates many of his teachings.
Dramatic portrayals of Jesus
Main article:
Dramatic portrayals of Jesus
Warning:
Plot details
follow.
Jesus has been featured in many films and media, sometimes as a serious portrayal, and other times as satire. The latest
feature film to portray Jesus is by
Mel Gibson entitled
The Passion of the Christ.
Willem Dafoe played Jesus in the controversial film
The Last Temptation of Christ.
[
Ben-Hur
Charlton Heston starred in the epic film
Ben Hur, which depicts Jesus' effect on the life of a Jewish prince. Claude Heater
played Jesus in this film; Jesus was partially – and intentionally – obscured in the few scenes in which the
character is depicted (including the crucifixion), and has no spoken dialogue. The shots were such that Jesus' face was not even
seen during the film; the shots were either made so that Heater had his back to the camera, or were closeup shots that showed
only hands or the back and sides of Heater's head.
The Seventh Sign
Jürgen Prochnow portrayed Jesus returned to Earth, in the year 1988, to judge mankind. The final judgement was averted by an
act of faith which prevented the final sign of the apocalypse from occurring. In the film, through a flashback, Prochnow also
portrays the original Jesus on the eve of his
crucifixion.
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