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![]() ![]() Biographer of Jesus serves up controversial conclusions'The Hidden Jesus: A New Life' St. Martin's Press, $24.95 Review by L.D. Meagher
(CNN) -- Jesus of Nazareth was not born in the Year One, and did not die at the age of 33. The description of his mother as a virgin has been deeply misunderstood. The Nativity probably did not occur in Bethlehem, and his parents probably did not spirit him out of Israel to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. His ministry lasted only a bit more than two years and did not cause much of a stir, except among the relatively few people who personally witnessed it, and, at the very end, among the religious and secular rulers of Jerusalem. Those are a few of the more controversial conclusions that biographer Donald Spoto draws in "The Hidden Jesus". At first glance, it may seem odd that Spoto, whose previous books have chronicled the lives of celebrities ranging from Marilyn Monroe to Princess Diana, should tackle the central character in one of the world's great religions. But he wasn't always a biographer to the stars. Indeed, he holds a doctorate in theology and was trained as a monk. He draws on his years of studying and teaching Christianity in his examination of Jesus. The result is a reverent, if not always pious, portrait of a singular life. There's no mistaking that Spoto writes from a foundation of faith. His book is one part biography, and two parts meditation on The Meaning of It All. It is the search for meaning that propels his writing. He examines the New Testament Gospels with an eye toward understanding what they mean, more than just what they say. He concludes that some of the most familiar passages in the Christian literature are just that -- literature. They are not meant to be taken literally. Instead, they are examples of a very human type of expression, one we all use every day. "Events and experiences, real or hypothetical, actual or fictionalized, are conveyed in little stories, to which we bring the embellishments necessary for supporting the meaning of what happens. These embellishments do not falsify, they interpret an event -- that is to say, they give to a happening its meaning for us."
The accounts attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are not journalism. They are not intended to be eyewitness records of the events they describe. In this way, he argues, the Gospel writers illuminated the life and works of Jesus for those who followed him. The accounts attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are not journalism. They are not intended to be eyewitness records of the events they describe. They were all written decades after the crucifixion. In fact, Christian scholarship has determined at least one of the letters from the Apostle Paul pre-dates all of the Gospels. Spoto argues that each Gospel was written for a specific audience, a small community of Christians who wanted to preserve the oral traditions of their messiah. As such, they constitute a guide for the faithful, not a history for the disinterested.
L.D. Meagher is a senior writer at CNN Headline News. He has worked in broadcasting for nearly 30 years.
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