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Other perspectives on Jesus

 This article is part of the
Jesus series.
 Historical view of Jesus
 Christian view of Jesus
 Islamic view of Jesus
 Jewish view of Jesus
 Sources about Jesus
 Historicity of Jesus
 Fictional portrayals of Jesus

Other perspectives on Jesus recognize Jesus Christ as, sometimes, a historical and, othertimes, a religious figure.

The Baha'i Faith consider Jesus to be a manifestation of God. God is one, and has manifested himself to us 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 hundred of years.

Many Gnostic sects believe that Jesus was an Aeon, an emanation of the One, original, unknowable God, who came to Earth to provide the gnosis (knowledge) necessary for humans to divest themselves of the physical world and return to the spiritual world. The Nag Hammadi Library of Gnostic texts discovered in 1945 is a deeply fascinating find for anyone interested in early Christianity and the spiritual teachings of Jesus.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, and some other nontrinitarian churches, affirm that Jesus is only the first spiritual being created by Jehovah, and as such are Arian in their understanding of Christology. The Jehovah's Witnesses also claim that he is the archangel Michael mentioned in the Old Testament.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) believe that Jesus appeared in the Western Hemisphere after his resurrection. Church members believe that Jesus taught the ancestors of modern Native Americans, whom they believe to be one of the lost tribes of Israel.

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 teacher. And some speculate he visited India and studied Hinduism/Buddhism 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.

Arius thought that Jesus was a creation of God, i.e he was not to be put on the same level as the Father. His doctrine was condemned by the First Ecumenical Council in 325, but was very widespread during the 4th century until it was condemned again at the Second Ecumenical Council in 381.

Some Buddhist teachings go as far as to describe Jesus as a Buddha, finding an equivalent of the Virgin Mary in Kwan Yin, a Chinese goddess.

See also: Judaism and Christianity, Jewish Messiah, Isa, Fictional portrayals of Jesus Christ

Was Jesus Married?

There has been controversial speculation over the years concerning whether Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. Gnostic tradition holds that this was the case, though the authorized Gospels make no mention of his marriage. However they also make no direct reference to him remaining single which, it can be argued, would have been noteworthy in a society where marriage would have been expected. See Mary Magdalene for a further discussion.