"What kind of man was Jesus Christ? A close examination of the Gospels in their historic and religious context, Alan Watson argues, reveals St. Mark's text as the most plausible account of how Jesus saw himself and how he was perceived by his contemporaries. Finding in Mark that Jesus felt himself beyond the law, basically apolitical, hostile to dogma, and deliberately incomprehensible to his followers and enemies, Watson concludes that Jesus was essentially a cult leader - a charismatic individual who demanded personal faith from his followers with little regard to the consistency or content of his message." "This book will be of value to New Testament scholars, clergy, and those interested in biblical scholarship and interpretation."--BOOK JACKET.