The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions by Marcus J Borg and N T Wright has to be one of the most enlightening books I have read in a long time. Marcus Borg is one of the world’s leading liberal Jesus scholars and N T Wright one of the world’s leading conservative Jesus scholars. They have joined together to produce this brilliant exploration of the meaning of Jesus.
Dealing with such questions as
Was Jesus born of a virgin? Did he know he was the Messiah? Was he bodily resurrected from the dead? Did he intentionally die to redeem humankind? Was Jesus God? Borg and Wright each provide their answers in separate chapters.
Borg and Wright clearly have a deep respect for each other and it shows in their writing even though they disagree on fundamental points. It is a model for how all Christians should be able to dialogue with each other despite their differences. Borg is a member of the (in)famous Jesus Seminar and Wright is an outspoken critic. And yet they are able to find areas of agreement and demonstrate keen understanding of each others’ points of view.
I learned an enormous amount about Jesus from
both of these authors along with the occasional paradigm shift. No matter what position these two men come from, it is obvious that they are deeply committed to following Christ according to their own understanding. They shed new light on age-old questions.
The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions is deeply satisfying and provides an enormous amount for reflection. It won the
Best General Interest Book of 1999 award from the Association of Theological Booksellers. If you want a refreshing, thoughtful, and meaningful discussion on the debate about Jesus that has become so popular in recent times, I highly recommend this excellent book.
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