What are some major points of difference and some major points of agreement for the two authors?
The first major point of agreement I saw from both Borg and Wright was the idea that in order to comprehensively analyze and understand the bible and Christ’s position in our lives it is necessary to look at Jesus from all angles. Human beings inherently view historical characters with a pre-existing lens based on our cultural and religious backgrounds. Borg and Wright suggest that we take off that lens in order to study Jesus objectively so we can get a better understanding of what He stood for when He was alive and what He means to us now.
A second agreement the writers came to was that Jesus was aimed at change during His time on earth. Wright discusses the fact that He had a completely different agenda than the average politician of His time, one example being when He rode into town on a donkey rather than in a grand parade. Jesus summoned Jews to abandon their alternative lifestyles and warned of dire consequences if they did not. Borg also makes a point to discuss His view of Jesus as someone aimed at change. He talks about Him as a teacher of alternative wisdom, a social prophet, and a movement initiator.
One of the biggest points of disagreement between Borg and Wright is seen in the way they view the miracles of Jesus. Borg does not believe the gospel accounts are historically accurate, and gives appropriate reasons to back that thinking up. He believes the accounts are still important in shaping our views of Jesus but he sees various stories as more metaphorical than reality. Wright, on the other hand, does his best to explain that most of the New Testament stories are possible and retains almost all of the traditional Christian beliefs about Jesus.