The Man Nobody Knows

“‘I will read about him as though he were a new historical character, about whom I had never heard anything at all.’”

In this introduction for Barton’s revised portrayal of Jesus, he presents himself as having tried to find the real Jesus by going back to the original sources. Puzzling over the discrepancy between Jesus’ accomplishments and the artistic depiction of a frail Jesus, the adult Barton decided to ignore the traditional portrayals of Jesus and read only what those who had personally known Jesus said about him.

“For it will tell the story of the founder of modern business.”

Barton, an advertising executive, frames his portrayal of Jesus to appeal to a readership of modern businessmen. Barton controversially labels Jesus as “the founder of modern business,” a characterization designed to attract the attention of Americans who lived in a business-dominated culture in the 1920s.

“Stripped of all dogma, this is the grandest achievement story of all!”

Emphasizing Jesus’ humanity, Barton characterizes Jesus’ story in Horatio Algeresque terms—as a grand achievement story of a small-town boy of obscure origins who achieves greatness. Barton deliberately portrays Jesus’ life to echo the American Dream of overcoming circumstances to fulfill one’s potential.

“This is its meaning: the day of supreme assurance had passed; the days of fearful misgiving had come. What man of outstanding genius has ever been allowed to escape them?”

Barton reinterprets the Satanic temptation that Jesus spiritually endured for 40 days and nights as the type of doubts that any man of genius has to deal with before he can fulfill his potential. Barton leaves the question of whether Satan was an actual personality or a manifestation of Jesus’ inner unresolved experience. Barton finds it more useful for his book’s purpose of enabling businessmen to learn from Jesus’ life to treat Satan as a symbol.

“But to every man of vision the clear Voice speaks; there is no great leadership where there is not a mystic.”

After acknowledging that God spoke to Jesus more clearly than to any man who has ever lived, forming a conviction in Jesus of his unique calling on earth, Barton extends a version of this experience to every visionary leader. By utilizing the spiritual term, “mystic,” Barton asserts that great human leadership must emerge from a larger vision.

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside themselves was superior to circumstance.”

Barton describes men, including Jesus, who rose from obscurity to achieve greatness as experiencing the “eternal miracle” of an “awakening of the inner consciousness of power” (11). Barton argues that these men succeeded in overcoming their limited circumstances by daring to believe that something inside them was superior.

“Nowhere is there such a startling example of executive success as the way in which that organization was brought together.”

Barton controversially describes the Gospel message that was spread around the world by Jesus’ disciples as the result of a successful “organization” with Jesus’ leadership as “an example of executive success.” Barton envisions Jesus as a business executive who selected unsuccessful men from the lower ranks of business and brilliantly created a winning team. Barton’s terminology encourages American businessmen to use Jesus as a model for successful leadership.

“As his right arm rose and fell, striking its blows with that little whip, the sleeve dropped back to reveal muscles hard as iron.”

Barton emphasizes Jesus’ physical strength, particularly his muscles, with the simile, “hard as iron,” in contrast to the traditional portrayal of Jesus’ triumph over the moneychangers as due to the “halo around his head” (37). In Barton’s revised version, which stresses Jesus’ masculinity, he contrasts Jesus’ fitness with the corruption of the “flabby” priests (37).

“The same theology which has painted the son as soft and gentle to the point of weakness, has exalted the feminine influence in its worship, and denied any large place to the masculine.”

While Barton acknowledges that thoughtful men are thankful for the “betterment of woman’s life by the fact that millions of human beings have been taught from infancy to venerate a woman” (40), he critiques “the glorification of Mary,” which he thinks has led to the “almost complete neglect of Joseph” (40). The son of a Protestant clergyman, Barton reveals an anti-Catholic bias in suggesting that the exaltation of Mary in worship has “denied any large place to the masculine.” Barton asserts that this strong feminine influence in theology has led to the portrayal of a weak, feminized Jesus. Barton uses the adjectives, “soft” and “gentle,” to convey the feminization of Jesus.

“They have shown us a frail man—under-muscled, with a soft face—a woman’s face covered by a beard—and a benign but baffled look, as though the problems of living were so grievous that death would be a welcome release.”

Barton describes the feminization of Jesus as he was traditionally depicted in paintings. Barton uses the adjectives, “frail,” “under-muscled,” and “soft,” to express the lack of masculinity in these artistic depictions of Jesus. Barton even argues that Jesus was portrayed as having “a woman’s face covered by a beard,” abhorrent to a man like Barton who was seeking a heroic masculine role model. In addition to Jesus’ purported physical weakness, he was also portrayed as mentally weak, with “a benign but baffled look,” as though he was unable to deal with “the problems of living” and, consequently, welcomed death.

“He was the type of outdoor man whom our modern thought most admires; and the vigorous activities of his days gave his nerves the strength of steel.”

In Barton’s complete rejection of what he conceives to have been the incorrect, traditional portrayal of Jesus, the author describes Jesus as a vigorous “outdoor man,” someone who would be admired in 1920s America. Jesus was not a weak, frail, feminized man, according to Barton. Barton uses the description, “the strength of steel,” to convey the masculine steadiness of Jesus’ nerves.

“Call it a miracle or not—the fact remains that it is one of the finest examples of self-control in all human history.”

Barton revises the Biblical narrative of when Jesus fell asleep in the boat on the lake and a fierce storm arose in order to fit his emphasis on Jesus’ self-controlled masculinity. When the disciples became terrified and awakened Jesus, he remained calm and quietly issued orders. Barton dismisses whether the episode was a “miracle or not,” and, therefore, omits the Biblical point that Jesus had the supernatural ability to calm the storm.

“The friendliest man who ever lived has been shut off by a black wall of tradition from those whose friendship he would most enjoy. Theology has reared a graven image, and robbed the world of the joy and laughter of the great companion.”

Barton also argues that Jesus has been incorrectly portrayed as a killjoy who never laughed. Barton uses striking metaphors: “a black wall” of tradition shutting off Jesus from people’s friendship, and theology rearing “a graven image” that robs the world of Jesus’ joy and companionable laughter. A “graven image” is a false idol, which the Bible warns against. Barton surprises the reader with the paradoxical notion that traditional Christian theology itself has created a “graven image,” by worshipping a false portrayal of Jesus.

“The life of Jesus, as we read it, is what the life of Lincoln would be if we were given nothing of his boyhood and young manhood, very little of his work in the White House, and every detail of his assassination.”

Barton explains the misrepresentation of Jesus as partly due to the emphasis in the Gospels on the final, sad days of Jesus’ life. Barton suggests that Jesus’ happier times faded in importance after the dramatic events surrounding the crucifixion deeply impressed the Gospel writers. Barton utilizes the analogy of Lincoln’s life, if we were to focus only on the details of Lincoln’s assassination, distorting the overall narrative by omitting his earlier successes and joyful moments.

“We err if we think of him as a social outsider.”

Barton’s revised image of Jesus includes an emphasis on his attendance of celebrations and his performance of a miracle at the Cana wedding feast. Barton further rejects the idea of Jesus as “a social outsider,” by noting that he was a popular guest who enjoyed dining at people’s homes. Barton attempts to overturn the idea that Jesus did not want people to enjoy life.

“Jesus had no funds and no machinery. His organization was a tiny group of uneducated men, one of whom had already abandoned the cause as hopeless, deserting to the enemy.”

Barton tries to appeal to a business executive or salesperson who has to create a market for a new idea by framing Jesus’ mission as a program to spread his new message across the world. Without funds and possessing only a tiny organization, Jesus conquered the world with his new idea. Barton then explores how Jesus influenced his listeners and trained his men.

“It is the basis of all revolt, all democracy. For if God is the Father of all men, then all are his children and hence the commonest is equally as precious as the king.”

Barton argues that Jesus’ revolutionary idea was that all humans can claim God as their Father. Interpreting Jesus for an American readership that believed in democratic egalitarianism, Barton emphasizes the connection between Jesus and democracy (or revolt against an established king).

“Surely no one will consider us lacking in reverence if we say that every one of the ‘principles of modern salesmanship’ on which business men so much pride themselves, are brilliantly exemplified in Jesus’ talk and work.”

Barton addresses the possibility that his attempt to associate Jesus with the “principles of modern salesmanship” may be considered irreverent. Barton claims that he is respectful in analyzing Jesus’ talk and work in terms of successfully selling an idea (or product).

“He was advertised by his service, not by his sermons; this is the second noteworthy fact.”

Advertising executive Bruce Barton views Jesus as a brilliant advertiser, who understood that front-page news was good advertising. Therefore, Jesus’ service, his healing of ill people and other dramatic activities, conveyed his message publicly, more than the delivery of sermons.

“No; the present-day marketplace is the newspaper and the magazine.”

Barton argues that Jesus often worked in the public marketplaces of his era, but the present era’s public marketplace is the media. Barton thinks that Jesus would be a national advertiser today, not allowing his spiritual message to be omitted from the media.

“The parable of the Great Samaritan is the greatest advertisement of all time.”

Barton views Jesus’ parables as exemplifying advertising principles: providing a striking picture, using concise language, and conveying clear messages. Barton advises men working in the field of advertising to study Jesus’ parables to learn what makes them so effective at reaching people.

“‘Service is what we are here for,’ they exclaim. They call it the ‘spirit of modern business’; they suppose, most of them, that it is very new. But Jesus preached it more than nineteen hundred years ago.”

Barton argues that Jesus’ principles represent a successful business philosophy for the modern American. Barton maintains that the emphasis on service, which is proclaimed by every contemporary business, was originally preached by Jesus hundreds of years ago. Barton seeks to make Jesus relevant for the present-day world.

“Great progress will be made in the world when we rid ourselves of the idea that there is a difference between work and religious work.”

Barton attempts to erase the dividing-line that people have erected between secular, business activities and religious service. All people who work devotedly at a worthwhile calling are co-workers with God. Barton reflects the Protestant work ethic with his message that it is a religious duty to diligently work at fulfilling one’s purpose in the world.