I think that the finest assessment of Jesus by a scholar is that of David Flusser, he wrote the same book three times, the first version, Jesus, fairly academic and personal, a revision several years later. And still later a rewrite under the title The Sage from Galilee. The reviews on Amazon are well done and detailed.
Flusser (born, lived, and died an Orthodox Jew)says we know a lot more about Jesus that commonly believed. He was an admirer of the teachings and life of Jesus, but unremittingly not an admirer of Christendom. Many Christians today are in agreement with Flusser's assessment.
I am largely in agreement with all you have written . But I did in the 50s object regarding the glib RC doctrine what religious freedom was OK in the US, but that in Catholic countries "only truth had rights". And I continue to object of the RC hierarchy in this country believing that they can criticize, but not be criticized. Note: I realize that they have not been successful on the later, although politicians must listen to their tiresome moralising, but never criticize in return. Likewise I feel that Islams in this country need to occasionally speak up for non-Islam rights in their own and other Islam countries.
I think that the finest assessment of Jesus by a scholar is that of David Flusser, he wrote the same book three times, the first version, Jesus, fairly academic and personal, a revision several years later. And still later a rewrite under the title The Sage from Galilee. The reviews on Amazon are well done and detailed.
Flusser (born, lived, and died an Orthodox Jew)says we know a lot more about Jesus that commonly believed. He was an admirer of the teachings and life of Jesus, but unremittingly not an admirer of Christendom. Many Christians today are in agreement with Flusser's assessment.
I am largely in agreement with all you have written . But I did in the 50s object regarding the glib RC doctrine what religious freedom was OK in the US, but that in Catholic countries "only truth had rights". And I continue to object of the RC hierarchy in this country believing that they can criticize, but not be criticized. Note: I realize that they have not been successful on the later, although politicians must listen to their tiresome moralising, but never criticize in return. Likewise I feel that Islams in this country need to occasionally speak up for non-Islam rights in their own and other Islam countries.
I am currently reading Hans Kung's Islam: Past, Present, and Future. Have you reviewed or read this book. It is quite a task.