Non-Christian perspectives on Jesus Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The status of Jesus in theology varies widely from religion to religion. In Christianity, Jesus is generally thought to have the divine attributes as the son of God and the messiah. In many other religions, Jesus is thought to be a prophet, a false prophet, or a great and enlightened teacher.
Jesus in Christianity
Main article: Christology
Jesus in Judaism
Main article: Jewish view of Jesus
Supplementary articles: Judaism and Christianity and Jewish Messiah
Judaism has deemed Jesus a false messiah, and religious Jews are still awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. Christianity originated as a sect of Judaism, but developed into its own religion; there are thus many similarities dating to the time of origin, but also many radical and fundamental differences dating to the period in which the two were in competition and then antagonism. Today, following the work of critical historians, many Jews minimize Jesus' role as miracle worker, but a small number consider him a great teacher.
Jesus in Islam
Main article: Isa
Muslims believe that Jesus, or Isa in Arabic, was one of the prophets of Israel and the Messiah. They also believe in the miracles of Jesus (his birth, curing sickness, etc.) but that these miracles were performed by God on Jesus' behalf (this is also the belief of many Christians, relying mainly on Philippians 2:6-8). Muslims do not consider Jesus to be the son of God, and consider any belief that he is divine to be a heresy irreconcilable with monotheism. The Qur'an also says that Jesus was a 'word' from God, since he was predicted to come in the Old Testament.
Muslims also do not believe that Jesus was crucified; the Qur'an narrates that God made it appear that Jesus was crucified, but that he was not, and lived. Some Muslims believe that one of those who were trying to kill Jesus was made to resemble him by God, and replaced him on the cross, while Jesus was elevated to Heaven. Jesus is expected to return to earth. This account has some similarities to the early belief of docetism, which held that only an image (Greek 'dokesis') of Jesus was crucified. Docetism was condemned as heresy by the earliest Christians.
According to Ahmadi Muslims, Jesus survived the crucifixion, migrated to Kashmir, and lived a long life there under the name Yuza Asif. They believe a particular tomb in Kashmir is the tomb of Jesus.
The Bahá'í Faith consider Jesus to be a manifestation of God. God is one and has manifested himself to humanity through several historic Messengers. Bahá'í's refer to the concept of "Progressive Revelation", which means that God's will is revealed to mankind progressively, as mankind matures and is better able to comprehend the purpose of God in creating humanity. In this view, God's word is revealed through a series of messengers: Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Bahá'u'lláh (the founder of the Bah'ai faith) among them. In the Book of Certitude, Bahá'u'lláh acknowledges that what these messengers say about themselves is inevitably true; thus, if Jesus claims divinity then this cannot be denied, since God is speaking through him. According to Baha'is there will not be another messenger for many hundreds of years.
Hinduism is divided on the issue of Jesus. Some Hindus hold that he was just a man, if he existed at all. Others say he was a great guru and/or yogi. And some speculate that he visited India and studied Hinduism during the years of his life that are not accounted for in the Bible. Some Hindus go as far as to equate Jesus with an avatar (incarnation of God on earth), along with Rama and Krishna.
Some Buddhist teachings go as far as to describe Jesus as a Buddha, finding an equivalent of the Virgin Mary in Guan Yin, a Chinese goddess.
The Urantia Book describes Jesus, his life and teachings as constituting the 7th Bestowal Mission of Michael of Nebadon (Nebadon being the name of the sub-universe in which Earth subsists). Michael is in turn described as a Paradise Creator Son of God, an order of being which brings order and life to sub-universes, who, after seven bestowals as various orders of beings, becomes his universe's acknowledged chief executive. According to the Urantia Book, Jesus began life on earth through birth as any other human, but attained to mortal spiritual perfection by way of balanced growth and dedication to doing God's will. The book describes him teaching and living a religion of personal religious experience that includes for its followers salvation into an afterlife, followed by an ages-long growth-adventure culminating in Paradise attainment. The Urantia Book characterizes Jesus' gospel as the Parenthood ("Fatherhood") of God coupled with the siblinghood ("sonship") of all mankind.
Mandaeanists see Jesus as something of a false prophet as compared to John the Baptist. Jesus was seen as the savior and bringer of gnosis by various Gnostic sects, such as the extinct Manichaeism. In modern times many New Agers have reinterpreted Jesus as a misunderstood guru preaching enlightenment.
Cao Dai regards Jesus as one of many prophets.
Many atheists, agnostics, and deists believe that Jesus was an ordinary human, a traveling Jewish teacher who performed no miracles and made no claims of being God or of having supernatural abilities. Instead, these ideas about Jesus were invented and spread by others well after Jesus' death.
A small portion of irreligious peoples and and even smaller number of believers of non-abrahamic faiths, on studying the origins of Christianity, believe there is not enough evidence to support that Jesus Christ was a real person.Baha'i perspectives on Jesus
Hindu perspectives on Jesus
Buddhist perspectives on Jesus
Urantia perspectives on Jesus
Other religious perspectives