Jesus the Rabbi Prophet: A New Light on the Gospel Message

By Jacques Baldet

Restores the historical context of the gospels and the Jewish nature of the message of Christ - Uses the latest historical findings to explore the life of Jesus in its true historical setting - Shows that Jesus was a Jewish teacher who sought to restore dignity to the ostracized members of his society The canonical gospels were in large part written by authors who were not eyewitnesses to the events they described, and their writings were slanted to fill the needs of the new Church. As a result, a huge gulf exists between the Christ of the Christian church and the historical Jesus. In Jesus the Rabbi Prophet scholar and historian Jacques Baldet seeks to restore the historical context and true nature of the Jewish society in which Jesus lived, and through which his actions assume on an entirely different meaning. The research of modern historians has shed much new light on the historical circumstances at work in Judaea and the Roman provinces that Jesus knew. Looking at the life of Jesus in its broader historical setting has given Jacques Baldet answers to many of the questions that have puzzled historians, such as when did Jesus really live and what was the true nature of his family, convictions, and spiritual beliefs. From this vibrant and highly informed perspective the deeper story of the man from Galilee emerges: Rabbi Jesus was both a Jew imbued with the monotheistic teaching of the Torah and a visionary who preached of the kingdom within. Viewed in their proper historical context, the Stations of the Passion and Christ's betrayal by Judas and death on Calvary take on a new light. Baldet shows that the true life and original message of Jesus were concealed beneath the literary creations that primarily reflected the agenda of the early Church. Jesus was not trying to start a new religion. He was a Jewish teacher who sought to reform the faith of his fathers by restoring dignity to the unfortunate and ostracized members of his society.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594770700
• ISBN13: 9781594770708
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Inner Traditions International
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Make up your own mind

At last, here is a book that doesn't pretend to tell the true story about Jesus' life but presents a wide spectrum of what has been written about the historical Jesus, including works by non-Christian authors. Confronted by many different views and interpretations of what Jesus may have done or said, the reader is invited to use his own judgment to decide what appears to be the most credible image of this extraordinary man - the one who Christians proclaim to be the Son of God.

A fresh look at Jesus the man

I really enjoyed reading this book and discovering many aspects about Jesus the man and the sociological context in which he lived. I particularly appreciated that this book has no theological agenda. It presents conflicting views of Jesus'life, yet no sides are taken.