I'm about to read The Jesus Discovery; Another Look at Christ's Missing Years by Dr. A.T. Bradford.
Bradford, according to the material I've read on the internet, finds that Christ was in fact a highly regarded, carefully groomed figure within Judaism's 1st century priesthood and not the son of a poor carpenter. All very intriguing, and yet I expect the key to what happened in those times will be found in Christ's female companionship, or as seems entirely likely, the lack thereof.
Carefully examining many religious organizations, from the Vatican to the Muslim Brotherhood, one is struck by the lack of a female presence. And that isn't accidental. Males with a fully engaged, educated, and most important, free, female presence in their life have little need for the tendency to consult an outside authority, which often constitutes religion.
Not that there isn't a need for culture and a normative framework.
But, I've yet to read the book.
.............. update
Hey, I'm really enjoying this book. Am about half-way through (it's little more than a long essay) and can't believe how other scholars haven't stumbled onto the author's path.
At this point in the book the author has laid out his Golden-Boy-of-the-Jewish-Establishment theory and Jesus has now come under the influence of John-the-Baptist (his cousin--Mary's mother and John's mother, Elizabeth, were of the same family), which begs the question, what might have transpired if Jesus had had a female friend whose mind could have lead him towards a more realistic accomplishment than "God, why hast thou foresaken me?"
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