It’s remarkable how all major scholarship on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the Bible shows his life, the disciples’ understanding, and earliest Christian orthodoxy align far more with Islam than modern Christianity.

A few expert quotes (thread🧵): “There are some rather striking connections between the research I have presented in ‘The Jesus Dynasty’ and the traditional beliefs of Islam. The Muslim emphasis on Jesus as a messianic prophet and teacher is quite parallel to what we find in the Q source (earliest gospel of Jesus), in the book of James, and in the Didache (1st century Christian source). Islam insists that neither Jesus nor Muhammad brought a new religion. Both sought to call people back to what might be called ‘Abrahamic faith.’ This is precisely what we find emphasized in the book of James. Like Islam, the book of James, and the teaching of Jesus in Q, emphasize doing the will of God as a demonstration of one’s faith.”

James D. Tabor, Professor of Religious Studies [The Jesus Dynasty p. 315–16]