Jesus: A New Vision: Spirit, Culture, and the Life of Discipleship

by Marcus J. Borg

From top Jesus expert Marcus Borg, a completely updated and revised version of his vision of Jesus—as charismatic healer, sage, and prophet, a man living in the power of the spirit and dedicated to radical social change. Fully revised and updated, this is Borg's major book on the historial Jesus. He shows how the Gospel portraits of Jesus, historically seen, make sense. Borg takes into account all the recent developments in historical Jesus scholarship, as well as new theories on who Jesus was and how the Gospels reflect that. The original version of this book was published well before popular fascination with the historical Jesus. Now this new version takes advantage of all the research that has gone on since the 80s. The revisions establish it as Borg's big but popular book on Jesus.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 1991

About the author

Borg was born into a Lutheran family of Swedish and Norwegian descent, the youngest of four children. He grew up in the 1940s in North Dakota and attended Concordia College, Moorhead, a small liberal arts school in Moorhead, Minnesota. While at Moorhead he was a columnist for the school paper and held forth as a conservative. After a close reading of the Book of Amos and its overt message of social equality he immediately began writing with an increasingly liberal stance and was eventually invited to discontinue writing his articles due to his new-found liberalism. He did graduate work at Union Theological Seminary and obtained masters and DPhil degrees at Oxford under G. B. Caird. Anglican bishop N.T. Wright had studied under the same professor and many years later Borg and Wright were to share in co-authoring The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, an amicable study in contrast. Following a period of religious questioning in his mid-thirties, and numinous experiences similar to those described by Rudolf Otto, Borg became active in the Episcopal Church, in which his wife, the Reverend Canon Marianne Wells-Borg, serves as a priest and directs a spiritual development program at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, Oregon. On May 31, 2009, Borg was installed as the first canon theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Marcus J. Borg is Canon Theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, OR. Internationally known in both academic and church circles as a biblical and Jesus scholar, he was Hundere Chair of Religion and Culture in the Philosophy Department at Oregon State University until his retirement in 2007.

Described by The New York Times as "a leading figure in his generation of Jesus scholars," he has appeared on NBC's "Today Show" and “Dateline,” PBS's "Newshour," ABC’s “Evening News” and “Prime Time” with Peter Jennings, NPR’s “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross, and several National Geographic programs. 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. His work has been translated into eleven languages: German, Dutch, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Russian, 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 in North America, including the Chautauqua and Smithsonian Institutions.

Reviews

[Shawn Enright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting in most ways, but overreaching in others. Borg kinda annoyed me when he would say things like, "Jesus thought this exact thought / way, because of his geographical and cultural landscape." I'm fine with historical criticism (eh, not totally, but enough not to fuss too much about it), but I really dislike the certainty some scholars have, like Borg, in their ability to glean the complex, mutable, and (to me) unreachable psyches of historical figures. I was grumpy toward the end of the book because Borg kept placing such strict limits on what Jesus could mean by what he said, and who he could be in light of his culture. That kind of certainty about the human brain is intellectually sloppy.

However, I'd love to read the book in which Borg and N.T. Wright spar over the historical Jesus. I'm sure they make great conversation partners

(PS: because I'm feeling punchy, I want to note that it is curious to me how some progressive christians want to extend or abolish cultural / biological boundaries and binaries, as well as critique and dismantle unjustified beliefs. For the progressive, the world is in absolute flux. Yet! For progressive christians like Borg, they retain elements of fundamentalism in their certainty about the historicity of Jesus and the early Jesus-movement. It's weird! For all the griping about intellectual rigidity and unjustified certainty -- Borg falls into the trap he critiques, in my opinion.)

[janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing. When I read it, I had very little knowledge about Jesus...mostly pop-culture info. about the guy. Reading this book gave me such a wealth of information. It has really helped me move about in the world and in our culture with a lot more ease.

[Margie Dorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marcus Borg just never disappoints. When I finish his books, I feel both taught and fed. There's this wonderful balance he has, where he writes with complete clarity in each book about what history and science both can and cannot do for theology and our historical understanding of the man who walked the region of Galilee more than 2000 years ago. The wholeness comes, then, in his hopeful teaching of what "belief" (in its original verbal use as valuing or holding dear) calls forth from us in response. Perhaps my favorite quotation from this book is "The vision of Jesus thus provides the content for three central images of the Christian life: life in the Spirit, the life of discipleship, and life in the Kingdom of God [which is a sense that Borg is very careful to extend and specify]. Each image points to a life centered in God rather than in the lords and kingdoms of this world." And yet Borg makes simultaneously clear that this centering does not mean rejection of "this world" but full participation in it. For a book written in 1987, his vision continues to be startlingly appropriate for today.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A PROMINENT JESUS SEMINAR FELLOW MAKES BOTH A SCHOLARLY AND A "POPULAR" CASE

Marcus J. Borg (born 1942) is a fellow of the Jesus Seminar, and former Professor at Oregon State University before his retirement in 2007; he has written/cowritten/edited many other books, such as 'Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time,' 'Jesus in Contemporary Scholarship,' 'Jesus at 2000,' 'The Meaning Of Jesus - Two Visions,' etc.

He wrote in the Preface to this 1987 book, "This book attempts in a scholarly and nondogmatic way to say, 'This is what the historical Jesus was like, this is what he taught, and this is what his mission was about.' ... I want to present a synthesis of modern Jesus scholarship that is accessible to the general reader... At the same time, I wish to make a serious scholarly case for a particular image of the historical Jesus that is considerably at variance with the dominant scholarly image..." (Pg. ix)

He observes, "The image of Jesus as mistakenly expecting the end of the world in his own time and calling people to repent because the end was near does not lend itself well to Christian preaching and teaching. Never have I heard a preacher say in a sermon, 'The text tells us that Jesus expected the end of the world in his time; he was wrong, but let's see what we can make of the text anyway.'" (Pg. 13)

He says, "Indeed, in the specific sense of the term used here, the heart of the biblical tradition is 'charismatic,' its origin lying in the experience of Spirit-endowed people who became radically open to the other world and whose gifts were extraordinary." (Pg. 32)

Later, he adds, "to be in the presence of Jesus was a joyous experience. The experience of joy in the presence of a remarkable religious figure has parallels in other times and places... to be in the presence of Jesus was experienced as being in the presence of the Spirit which flowed through him." (Pg. 129)

He points out, "[Women's] religious disenfranchisement extended into the social sphere... Against this background, Jesus' own behavior was extraordinary. The itinerant group of immediate followers included women, some of whom... supported the movement financially. The sight of a sexually mixed group traveling with a Jewish holy man must have been provocative... Jesus treated women and men as equally capable (and worthy) of dealing with sacred matters." (Pg. 134)

Of his final journey to Jerusalem, he suggests, "though many of the texts are filled with a foreboding that the likely result of his sojourn in Jerusalem would be death, the OUTCOME was not the purpose of his journey. Rather, as the climax of his prophetic mission and call to renewal, he went there to make a final appeal to his people at the center of their national and religious life." (Pg. 172)

He adds, "Jesus had warned of the fall of Jerusalem, an action which also got one in trouble in first-century Palestine... That God would judge and destroy Jerusalem... was also a direct insult and affront to [the high priest and his council] as leaders of Jerusalem, for it was their stewardship that was being indicated as blind and worthy of God's judgment." (Pg. 180-181)

This is one of the most interesting recent accounts of the historical Jesus, and its interest is increased because of Borg's focus on the modern church.

[Eileen Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

the first book I read by Marcus Borg, and still the best.

[Debra Fairweather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking book. I am anxious to read other books written by Prof. Borg.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and very readable overview of how the historical Jesus was a person of Spirit and how this impacted his ministry during his own social time and what it means for Christians or other persons seeking a Spirit led life.

[Sparker Pants · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far this book is really interesting; it explores what the historical Jesus was most likely really ACTUALLY doing and preaching and drinking (Jesus liked his wine) as opposed to what the early church decided he was doing and preaching, etc a few centuries after he already died. It delves beyond the popular image of Jesus that mainstream churches tend to teach.

We can only know as much about Jesus for certain as we can about any other ancient historical figure, but it's definitely worth examining someone who has managed to remain so pervasive in our culture for the last few thousand years.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and makes sense, especially for a Biblical scholar! What can we know about the historical Jesus, apart from the theology developed after his death... Two main points: He was intensely in touch with the spiritual (close relationship with God) and actively involved in his society, the Jewish community. "He was a remarkably free person. Free from fear and anxious preocupation, he was free to see clearly and to love. His freedom was gounded in Spirit, from which the other central qualities of his life: courage, insight, joy, and above all compassion."
New information for me about the various groups (Pharisees, Sadduccees, High Priests, the righteous and unclean, etc)

[Amos Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not Borg's most famous book on Jesus, yet it is by far my favorite. For me this book gives the distilled essence of Borg's approach to Jesus before he starts spinning off in a number of other directions. I think this book embodies the best of what the search for the historical Jesus has to offer. It takes contemporary methods of scholarship and applies them to the life of Jesus, giving us a much fuller picture.
-Amos Smith (author of Healing The Divide: Recovering Christianity's Mystic Roots)

[Willa Guadalupe Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have wanted to read this book for some time now, I love reading about the historical Jesus & this had been on my list. We are all familiar with the risen Lord but for me the foundation of my faith is the Historical Yeshua of Nazareth. This book while not overly scholarly or heavy on research is very good at bringing together the historical Jesus & the risen Christ in a faithful but not inaccurate way. My affection for Marcus Borg is growing with every book of his that I read.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author shares a view of Jesus that is sometimes enlightening and other times deflating. Borg seems to regard Jesus as more a man than a God, and yet his cultural insights were sometimes interesting.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The respected Jesus scholar presents a thoughtful and thoroughly researched "new vision" of Christ and his ministry. Accessible and illuminating.

[Nonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very different for me to read an academic book about Jesus. Some new ideas for me to ponder. Learned to look at NT with more understanding of the times.

[Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had become very skeptical of the historical Jesus and his motives, but this helped me align my personal experience with the historical Jesus.

[Kenny Oppon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good book. Language a bit confusing at times which made some points harder to follow. Want to read again.