
For Christians Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God who died for the sins of the world and who rose from the dead in triumph over sin and death. For non Christians he is almost anything else myth a political revolutionary a prophet whose teaching was misunderstood or distorted by his followers.
Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God and no myth revolutionary or misunderstood prophet insists Benedict XVI. He thinks that the best of historical scholarship while it can’t “prove” Jesus is the Son of God certainly doesn’t disprove it. Indeed Benedict maintains that the evidence fairly considered brings us face to face with the challenge of Jesus a real man who taught and acted in ways that were tantamount to claims of divine authority claims not easily dismissed as lunacy or deception.
Benedict XVI presents this challenge in his new book Jesus of Nazareth Holy Week From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection the sequel volume to Jesus of Nazareth From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.
Why was Jesus rejected by the religious leaders of his day Who was responsible for his death Did he establish a Church to carry on his work How did Jesus view his suffering and death How should we And most importantly did Jesus really rise from the dead and what does his resurrection mean The story of Jesus raises these and other crucial questions.
Benedict brings to his study the vast learning of a brilliant scholar the passionate searching of a great mind and the deep compassion of a pastor’s heart. In the end he dares readers to grapple with the meaning of Jesus’ life teaching death and resurrection. Jesus of Nazareth Holy Week From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection challenges both believers and unbelievers to decide who Jesus of Nazareth is and what he means for them.