Who Was Jesus of Nazareth?

The most prominent expressions of Christianity today in America promote a deeply distorted picture of the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth. In this class we will explore what can be reasonably discerned regarding the Rabbi Jesus prior to the overlay of church doctrine, using categories proposed by New Testament scholar Marcus Borg of Spirit Person, Healer, Wisdom Teacher and Social Prophet.

Drawing from the theory of Carl Jung and his appreciation for the spiritual dimension of life, we will ponder the sayings and parables of Jesus as well the meaning of his ministry, death and the great mystery referred to as his resurrection.

This class will combine lecture with discussion as we seek to personally engage the question: What was the vision of human wholeness both individually and societally that Jesus offered to the world?

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Instructor: Jeff Edwards

Jeff previously taught two courses on Carl Jung, and most recently a class entitled, "An Experiment in Creating Theater." He is a graduate of Earlham College and Yale Divinity School and spent forty years serving as a pastor in Northern New Jersey.

Image credit: BBC1's computer-generated Jesus