Faithlore. John Fulling Crosby

there would be no more hatred, war, disease, calamity, despair, sin, or death. People needed to repent in view of this coming day of judgment, for it was almost here . . . It’s no wonder that a figurative [naturalistic, rationalistic, legendary myth] construal of Jesus’ words became so popular so soon and achieved such dominance for so long. If Jesus were to be taken literally—that is, if he really meant that the Son of Man was to arrive in the lifetime of his disciples—he was obviously wrong.23

      If Ehrman is correct in his analysis, and I personally believe he is closer to the truth than most scholars are willing to admit, then we can probably infer that Jesus was but one of many would-be prophets and apocalyptics of his day. It was not unusual for vagabonds and other homeless men to become wandering prophets, forthtellers of a future judgment and eschaton. While there can be little doubt about the reality of a strong legendary mythology enveloping the person of Jesus, the essential driving thrust of Jesus’ core message remains rooted in his first-century conviction that the day of judgment was soon to be a reality, and the kingdom of God was soon to be established.

      Coda

      In the final pages of The Quest of the Historical Jesus, it sounds as if Dr. Schweitzer is reverting to the Christ of faith, or the Jesus of faith, compared to the Jesus of history. At best, he sounds as if the impossibility of recovering a true Jesus of history compels a continuing devotion to the Jesus of faith.

      In these remarks, I think it best that we allow Dr. Schweitzer to speak for himself.

      Jesus means something to our world because a mighty spiritual force streams forth from Him and flows through our time also. This fact can neither be shaken nor confirmed by any historical discovery. It is the solid foundation of Christianity.