The Person of Jesus

I am beginning a study with students on the subject of the person of Jesus. Can we really know anything at all about Jesus the man? After all, nearly everything written about him has come down through the faith community, which cannot be considered an unbiased source. At the same time, modern-day skeptics who seek to discredit him and deny that he ever lived are also suspect, with as strong an agenda as members of the Christian faith community. I think that this conundrum is a good thing, because it should mean, at least, that no one should feel too smug when it comes to what we can know about Jesus. While the Gospels offer much to engender admiration and faith, they are not, properly understood, historical documents. They are testimonies of faith, handed down from oral to written tradition in the decades after his crucifixion. I am having a really productive conversation with a colleague who I think considers himself an evangelical Christian, though labels are dangerous things. I consider myself a liberal, or progressive Christian, and again, watch the labels. We sat down to discuss our views on scripture and found that we share many more points in common than at least I had thought we would. It was a pleasant surprise, and we will continue the conversation in hopes of leading our Christian students, of whatever stripe, to do the same thing. Truth is, interfaith cooperation on our campus is superior to intrafaith cooperation, at least as it pertains to the Christian community. I am looking forward to this study with students on the person of Jesus. After all, I expect to learn much from them. They are young enough to ask questions that more seasoned folks might hesitate to ask. To admit that I do not think that I can really know the person of Jesus causes me to listen to the texts more carefully, and to try to peel away the layers of tradition to seek the kernels of original thought that are there. Happily, I cannot, would not, try to do that alone, but must rely on scholars much wiser than I. Of course, I may find out that I have totally misread what is of interest to students and discover that there are few takers for this discussion, as often happens on campus. Either way, it's a good corrective for those of us who work in the faith everyday, and the rest of us who seek to live out the faith everyday. Without examining the very basic tenets of our Christian faith from time to time, we tend to remake Jesus in our own image. If anyone doubts that, just listen to the presidential candidates when they tout their religious credentials. That in and of itself should be enough to spur us on to a daily examination of not only our Christian faith, but also of our motives for believing in the first place!