--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Seminary also introduced me to the…" description: "\"Seminary also introduced me to the historical study of Jesus and Christian origins. I learned from my professors and the readings they assigned that Je..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/marcus-borg-23822_born_seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-histo_2706903.png" --- # Seminary also introduced me to the historical study of… ![“Seminary also introduced me to the historical study of Jesus and Christian origins. I learned from my professors and the readings they assigned that Jesus almost certainly was not born of a virgin, did not think of himself as the Son of God, and did not see his purpose as dying for the sins of the…” quote by Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/marcus-borg-23822_born_seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-histo_2706903.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/marcus-borg-23822_born_seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-histo_2706903.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/marcus-borg-23822_born_seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-histo_2706903.png) > “Seminary also introduced me to the historical study of Jesus and Christian origins. I learned from my professors and the readings they assigned that Jesus almost certainly was not born of a virgin, did not think of himself as the Son of God, and did not see his purpose as dying for the sins of the world. .. I also found the claim that Jesus and Christianity were the only way of salvation to be troublesome.” [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Borg argues that historical scholarship reveals Jesus as a human teacher, not a divine savior, challenging exclusive claims of salvation. **In simple terms:** Historical study suggests Jesus was not divine and salvation isn’t exclusive to Christianity. Key Takeaway Consider broader spiritual perspectives beyond doctrinal claims. Themes faith history theology exclusivity critical inquiry Mood inquisitive thoughtful open‑minded Type theological academic When to use this quote - seminary education - interfaith dialogue - personal belief formation - academic research - public preaching Key Concepts historical criticism mythology religious pluralism Questions to Reflect On - How does historical evidence affect your personal belief? - Can faith and scholarship coexist peacefully? A Different Perspective May discount personal experiences of faith that differ from academic conclusions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Professors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professors/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Son of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son-of-god/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Like every man who appears at an epoch which is historical and rendered famous by his works, Jesus Christ has a history, a history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-henri-lacordaire/like-every-man-who-appears-at-an-epoch-which-is-historical-and/) [Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-henri-lacordaire/) > [As a Jew reading about Jesus, I thought, 'He's a pretty good guy.' It's the same conclusion Monty Python drew in 'Life of Brian'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-javerbaum/as-a-jew-reading-about-jesus-i-thought-he-s-a-pretty-good-guy-it-s/) [David Javerbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-javerbaum/) > [But Jesus and Christianity have a tenuous relationship at best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-javerbaum/but-jesus-and-christianity-have-a-tenuous-relationship-at-best/) [David Javerbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-javerbaum/) > [“It is often said by the critics of Christian origins that certain ritual feasts, processions or dances are really of pagan origin. They might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-often-said-by-the-critics-of-christian-origins-that-certain/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [The real evidence for Jesus and Christianity is in how Jesus and the Christianity based on him manifest themselves in the lives of practicing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-blue/the-real-evidence-for-jesus-and-christianity-is-in-how-jesus-and-the/) [Lionel Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-blue/) > [“Whatever sins Christians engaged in the past, and they were extensive, the fact is that the most humane and decent countries in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/whatever-sins-christians-engaged-in-the-past-and-they-were-extensive/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [“The catch is that for most people the New Testament is taken as proof for the conventional picture of Christian origins, and the conventional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burton-l-mack/the-catch-is-that-for-most-people-the-new-testament-is-taken-as-proof/) Burton L. Mack > [“An ethic unshaped by eschatology is neither Jesus’ nor Christian.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tremper-longman-iii/an-ethic-unshaped-by-eschatology-is-neither-jesus-nor-christian/) [Tremper Longman III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tremper-longman-iii/) > [“To Jesus, the Christian life wasn't about being perfect but about being perfected.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-maye/to-jesus-the-christian-life-wasn-t-about-being-perfect-but-about/) [Ricky Maye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-maye/) > [Anyone who believes in a Jesus who condones abortion does not believe in the real Jesus, and therefore is not Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/anyone-who-believes-in-a-jesus-who-condones-abortion-does-not-believe/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [“A good Christian needs Jesus. A great Christian needs Jesus. A christian sinner needs Jesus. Pope needs Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/a-good-christian-needs-jesus-a-great-christian-needs-jesus-a/) [Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/) > [Jesus was not a Christian, nor was Marx a Marxist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/jesus-was-not-a-christian-nor-was-marx-a-marxist/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“Was Jesus a christian?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/was-jesus-a-christian/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/to-the-corruptions-of-christianity-i-am-indeed-opposed-but-not-to-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) ## More by Marcus Borg > [The Bible is true, and some of it actually happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/the-bible-is-true-and-some-of-it-actually-happened/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [Some people find the experience and practice of compassion as a spiritual discipline to be a more direct route to the transformation of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/some-people-find-the-experience-and-practice-of-compassion-as-a/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [Religion is much more than language, but to be Christian does mean speaking Christian for most people. The language many of us use has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/religion-is-much-more-than-language-but-to-be-christian-does-mean/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [Jesus disclosed that God is compassionate. Jesus spoke of God that way: "Be compassionate, as God is compassionate." Compassion is the primary quality of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/jesus-disclosed-that-god-is-compassionate-jesus-spoke-of-god-that-way/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [The titles of Jesus (son of God, messiah, light of the world, etc.) are not found in the earliest layer of tradition and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/the-titles-of-jesus-son-of-god-messiah-light-of-the-world-etc-are-not/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [God loves us already and has from our very beginning. The Christian life is not about believing or doing what we need to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/god-loves-us-already-and-has-from-our-very-beginning-the-christian/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [Imagine that Christianity is about loving God,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/imagine-that-christianity-is-about-loving-god/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [Reality is permeated, indeed flooded, with divine creativity, nourishment, and care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/reality-is-permeated-indeed-flooded-with-divine-creativity/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [People who think of God as a warrior may become warriors themselves, whether in a Christian crusade, a Muslim jihad, or an apocalyptically oriented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/people-who-think-of-god-as-a-warrior-may-become-warriors-themselves/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [God’s dream for us is not simply peace of mind, but peace on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/god-s-dream-for-us-is-not-simply-peace-of-mind-but-peace-on-earth/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [It is important to show people ways that we can reclaim Christianity from some of the misunderstandings of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/it-is-important-to-show-people-ways-that-we-can-reclaim-christianity/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > ['Believing' cannot tip the scales in making a historical judgement about whether something really happened. I can choose to believe that George Washington threw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/believing-cannot-tip-the-scales-in-making-a-historical-judgement/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [Reading is not just about learning to recognize and pronounce words, but also about how to hear and understand them... It is wise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/reading-is-not-just-about-learning-to-recognize-and-pronounce-words/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [People remember stories much better than they remember a straight list of teachings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/people-remember-stories-much-better-than-they-remember-a-straight/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [I affirm, along with many others, that the major enduring religions of the world are all valid and legitimate. I see them as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/i-affirm-along-with-many-others-that-the-major-enduring-religions-of/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) [Explore all 25 Marcus Borg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) ## More Born quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/) [Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/) [Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/) > [If you can believe it, Hollywood wanted to change my birthdate. I was born after Valentine's Day, so they wanted to change it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/if-you-can-believe-it-hollywood-wanted-to-change-my-birthdate-i-was/) [Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/) Browse all 11,606 Born quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Seminary also introduced me to the historical study of Jesus and Christian origins. I learned from my professors and the readings they assigned that Jesus almost certainly was not born of a virgin, did not think of himself as the Son of God, and did not see his purpose as dying for the sins of the world. .. I also found the claim that Jesus and Christianity were the only way of salvation to be troublesome.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus Borg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-historical-study-of-jesus-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Born" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-historical-study-of-jesus-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/marcus-borg-23822_born_seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-histo_2706903.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/marcus-borg-23822_born_seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-histo_2706903.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/marcus-borg-23822_born_seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-histo_2706903.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Seminary also introduced me to the historical study of Jesus and Christian origins. I learned from my…” — Marcus Borg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marcus Borg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Seminary also introduced me to the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-historical-study-of-jesus-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/seminary-also-introduced-me-to-the-historical-study-of-jesus-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```