Jesus was a rabbi. He taught and applied Torah, the Jewish law, albeit in an unprecedented historical situation and with an orginal twist. He never delivered an easy answer to a hard question but, in time-honored rabbinical fashion, asked another question or told one of his unforgettable stories. He would not allow people to escape the responsibility of making their own decisions. Instead he enlisted them in a way of thinking that would nurture and extend their moral insight. This is exactly what the best rabbis have always done, and still do.

Harvey Cox, When Jesus Came to Harvard