The Other Jesus

Stories from World Religions

By (author) Todd Outcalt

Publication date:

05 September 2014

Length of book:

252 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442223080

We’re familiar with the Jesus portrayed in the New Testament, but many people are surprised to learn that a wealth of stories and traditions about Jesus have always existed alongside the usual Biblical sources. Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism—among other religions—have created their own tales about Jesus, sometimes out of necessary self-preservation and reaction to the claims of the church, but more often through thoughtful and artistic adaptation. The Other Jesus explores these varied traditions and offers a fresh exploration of Jesus—new perspectives that challenge long-accepted beliefs about his place in history and his impact on other religions.

Author’s Notes & Acknowledgments
Introduction
1: The Word Made Flesh—The Jesus of the Early Church
2: The Jewish Jesus—Yeshuah and the Rabbis
3: The Church Speaks—Jesus and Alternative Communities
4: Isa and Muhammad—The Jesus of Islam
5: The Jesus of the Soul—Understanding the Sufi Jesus
6: From the Far East—Jesus in Taoism and Buddhism
7: Jesus as They Saw Him—Ideas and Images of Christ throughout History
Appendix: Chronologial List of Jesus Traditions and Writings
Glossary & Bibliography
About the Author

Outcalt has done an amazing amount of research among the writings of six religions. The book is rich with direct quotes from a diverse variety of religious writings. The chapters on Islam and Sufi are especially well researched and relevant. I learned a great deal about how Muslims see Jesus. The six perspectives of Jesus in the book include the early church, Jewish, the desert fathers, Islam, Sufi and Taoism-Buddhism. Outcalt is a historian and confined most of his research to the original writings as they explained Jesus. . . .I encourage the reader to...use it as a resource to help communicate with those who see Jesus differently.