Book Review: The Meaning of Jesus

Relating to yesterdays post about The Promise of Jesus, and my previous review of a great multi-perspective book on the Historical Jesus, today I'm reviewing this excellent book by two world-renowned Jesus Scholars. "The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions" is a collaborative effort from N.T.Wright and Marcus J. Borg, looking deep into the heart of the debate over the Historical Jesus. Both are professing Christians, yet come to very different views about the Historical Jesus Question. By necessity, it will be a briefer review than the previous book, because here are just two perspectives, and I'd rather you read the book than I poorly summarised it!

The book is effectively a conversation, in the form of alternate and multiple chapters (on the various issues involved) between N.T.Wright and Marcus Borg. Those of you who read this blog regularly will know that I have a bit of a soft spot for Wright, and am a big fan of his recent book on Jesus and the Gospel, "How God Became King", which I reviewed when it came out. Marcus Borg is less well known to me - though I have read and enjoyed his most well-known book, "Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary". Bluntly, you can tell from the outside that I am more favourable to Wright's position, as I am more on the 'conservative' end of things in many ways, and particularly this debate. Borg, however, writes very well and is a readable and whimsical thinker.

Throughout, the difference in approach between the two scholars is very obvious. Both are scholarly, academic and reasoned, but Wright comes across as more thorough, and ultimately more convincing. This may well be because I'm more familiar with his work and conclusions, but I hope its not just that. The starting point, and indeed the opening pair of chapters, is the method, "How do we know about Jesus?". Borg's method focuses, rightly, on authenticity and context, "method: early layers plus context", whereas Wright boldly opens his riposte with something interesting; "We know about Jesus in two ways: history and faith". In case you worry that Wright has lost his edge, his follow-up sentence is bolder still; "People regularly try to eliminate one on the basis of the other, dismissing combinations as compromise". This is a point that Wright really makes superbly in an essay in a festschrift for him, "Jesus Paul and the People of God", in his essay on Jesus studies and the church. It is from this different but fascinating methods that this book builds, in friendly discussion, towards its two very different conclusions.

The second pair of chapters relates to a crucial question, "What did Jesus Do and Teach", which is answered very differently by the two contributors. The third pair, that evangelical cornerstone, "The Death of Jesus" is expertly engaged with, and the two chapter headings give a hint as to the two views; "Why was Jesus Killed?", asks Borg, whilst Wright makes a clear statement, "The Crux of Faith". The book then proceeds logically to the fourth pair, "God Raised Jesus from the Dead". This is an interesting discussion, one I am very interested in. Unfortunately Borg's 'liberal' views don't stack up, as is often the case. We then move on to a fundamental question, relating to Jesus' self understanding, "Was Jesus God?". Again, chapter titles give the game away, Borg writes about "Jesus and God", whilst Wright's bold orthodoxy is clear in "The Divinity of Jesus". The sixth part, looking at "The Birth of Jesus" is particularly interesting, because whilst it is a point of orthodoxy, in the Protestant and evangelical wing of the church we rarely hear about it other than at Christmas. The penultimate pairing of chapters focuses on the creedal line "He Will Come Again in Glory", which is fascinating stuff. The final pairing relates to a crucial and eteranlly current question, "Jesus and the Christian Life". Here we see the outworking of the two different perspectives.

This is a helpful book. It stacks an orthodox view alongside a more progressive view, with interaction. The two contributors are both well known and well read, and their different perspectives and styles combine well to make a good 'book'. Personally, I found Borg's method and conclusions weaker than those of Wright, but the personal insights into his life are refreshing and challenging. I would recommend this book as additional reading on the historical Jesus (if you've read "Five Views"!), and a great introduction into looking at Jesus through different theological lenses. 

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