Overview
Two great Bible scholars, one a liberal, the other a traditionalist, write about Jesus and engage in debate. In alternating sections, Marcus Borg and Tom Wright present their significantly different versions of who Jesus was, what he taught, and what he did. They express sharp, cogently argued disagreement over many crucial issues, and provide a marvelous model for how the Historical Jesus debate should be conducted. Following such an informed argument, the reader can watch the debate develop as the authors answer each other’s points, and will reach a more personal picture of the real Jesus, understanding better the opposing views. Much more will be learned along the way.
Praise for the Print Edition
It is difficult to imagine a book that lays out more carefully, calmly, and rationally the basic disputes in Jesus research today than this thorough and accessible scholarly exchange.
—First Things
Few New Testament scholars have had as wide and important an impact on current discussions of the historical Jesus as Marcus Borg and Tom Wright, and for good reason—their scholarship is impeccable, their arguments cogent, and their Christian commitment overt.
—Christian Century
Wright and Borg make clear their deep, unshaken belief in Jesus as Lord before taking the gloves off for a refreshingly respectful exchange.
—USA Today
The model Borg and Wright put forth is reasoned, respectful, and rooted in the idea that Christianity, at its core, is relational.
—Oregonian
Product Details
- Title: The Meaning of Jesus
- Authors: Marcus J. Borg and N. T. Wright
- Publisher: SPCK
- Publication Date: 1999
- Pages: 304
About the Authors
Marcus J. Borg is Canon Theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. Prior to 2007, he was Hundere Chair of Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University. He has authored nineteen books and his works have been translated into eleven languages. 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, and is past president of the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars.
N. T. Wright is Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St. Andrews University. Previously, he was the bishop of Durham. He has researched, taught, and lectured on the New Testament at McGill, Oxford, and Cambridge Universities, and has been named by Christianity Today a top theologian. He is best known for his scholarly contributions to the historical study of Jesus and the New Perspective on Paul. His work interacts with the positions of James Dunn, E. P. Sanders, Marcus Borg, and Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Wright has written and lectured extensively around the world, authoring more than forty books and numerous articles in scholarly journals and popular periodicals. He is best known for his Christian Origins and the Question of God Series.
