Great Idea, wrong author

I am talking about Shelby Spong's new book "Liberating the Gospels," where he says they are written as Jewish texts. It sounds to me like what I have been trying to do with my planned biography of Jesus Christ for three years. For a long time I have considered that the New Testament (especially the Gospels) is more a Jewish history than Roman or Gentile; at least in approach. This is an exciting sounding book, except for one major flaw . . .

I don't trust the author with the truth. His conclusions are way too anti-Christ and false for me to consider reading. Oh, how I wish a more believing person could have written it, as the ideas are facinating. Deep down I suppose that the biography of Jesus Christ I have been wanting to write -- or at least read about -- is a believer's version of the several anti-divinity histor-biographies. The only person of that kind I have been able to find is E. W. White (?) who looks at the Divine Christ with an understanding of the historical periods. Instead I am stuck with having to read doubters who have studied Jewish/Christian connections, or believers who reject the whole idea of the connection between them.

Both groups have rejected the connection between history and gospel that I want to understand. They see the two as opposites that can't be reconciled. The believer because they see history interfering with their perfectionist text and the doubter because they can't believe in miracles and the divine mission of Jesus Christ. That leaves me, and anyone like me if there are others, who sees the ideas of history and faith as mutually inspiring and enlightening out in the cold and frustrated. I wish to take ideas from both sides of the issue and make them one.