The Hidden Jesus: A New Life Hardcover - 1998

From the publisher

The Hidden Jesus presents an extraordinary vision of Jesus Christ that remained hidden to his contemporaries and most of us today. Donald Spoto, the former monk and New Testament scholar who in recent years has written some of the most highly praised biographies of world-class celebrities, returns to his roots with this remarkable and deeply insightful portrait of the man Nazareth and the surprising message of His gospels.

Addressing himself to a wide spectrum of modern readers, Spoto has written both a revolutionary and an intensely spiritual work. Controversial in its assessments, and particularly in its examination of standard doctrinal theology, The Hidden Jesus demonstrates that:
-- Two New Testament passages on the the virginal conception should not be literally understood, and Jesus was not an only child, but the eldest of seven children-- Portions of the New Testament are anti-Semitic and that bias is certainly not part of revealed truth
-- Sexual matters should not be seen as the principal gauge of morality, since Jesus had greater concerns, and even counted prostitutes among his closest friends-- There is no legitimate barrier to women being priests
-- The New Testament does not say that marriages cannot be broken, but rather that marriages should not be broken-- One cannot be a true follower of Jesus and endorse capital punishment
-- Jesus placed the birth in Bethlehem in order to relate Jesus directly to King David