Jesus Christ Character Analysis

Jesus of Nazareth, now thought to have been born around 4 BC, was a religious leader who some consider to be the Son of God and Messiah (savior) of the Jewish people. During his life, Jesus worked as a carpenter, performed miracles, preached, and conversed with his disciples. He was crucified at 33 years old, and Christians believe he was resurrected after death, appearing to followers before ascending to the Kingdom of Heaven. His life and death are recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. Christianity (and thus Jesus himself) is of central importance within How to Read Literature Like a Professor, due to the fact that the book is primarily concerned with the Western canon, which has been heavily influenced by the Judeo-Christian tradition. Indeed, Foster devotes an entire chapter to discussing Christ figures in literature, arguing that authors experiment with this archetype in ways that can be surprising and even offensive to religious readers. When engaged in critical reading, Foster encourages the reader to “put aside” their personal relationship (or lack of relationship) to Jesus, and try to examine Christ figures from an informed, yet neutral perspective.