Who was Jesus really?<\/p>\n
For the past few weeks I\u2019ve been discussing this question with my high school theology class. Although most of my students have been brought up in the church, I know they\u2019re going to face challenges to their faith when they go off to college. Many will hear jarring claims from classmates and professors about the \u201creal\u201d\u009d Jesus\u201d\u201dclaims contradictory to the church\u2019s confession of Jesus as the risen Son of God.<\/p>\n
So I want my students to be prepared. I want them to know these claims have been around for a long time, as have Christian responses. Despite what many critical scholars claim, there is no contradiction between the \u201cJesus of history\u201d\u009d and the \u201cChrist of faith.\u201d\u009d In fact, studying Jesus as a historical figure can often strengthen faith. But that requires honestly engaging the critics and evaluating their claims.<\/p>\n
Here I will briefly examine five popular alternative theories about Jesus, concluding with some general guidelines for how Christians can respond to them.<\/p>\n