Continuing our summary/review of Tom Wright and Marcus Borg's discussion... For other articles in this series visit http://jmm.aaa.net.au/catalog/section/jc1.htm.

More from Marcus Borg:

'Why was Jesus killed? Why did it happen? What's the relationship between Jesus' life and his execution? ... I see the understanding of his death as salvific as a post-Easter interpretation generated within the early Christian community, not as the intention of Jesus himself...

'Why then was he killed? For me, the most persuasive answer is his role as a social prophet who challenged the domination system in the name of God. To make the same point differently, if Jesus had been only a mystic, healer, and wisdom teacher, I doubt that he would have been executed. But he was also a God-intoxicated voice of religious social protest who had attracted a following...

'To make the point yet one more way, Jesus died as a martyr, not as a victim' (pp. 90, 91).

-- Shalom! Rowland Croucher