The Man Nobody Knows

Infobox Book
name = The Man Nobody Knows
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author = Bruce Fairchild Barton
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country = USA
language = English
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subject = Christianity
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publisher = Bobbs-Merrill Company
pub_date = 1925
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isbn = 0965289419
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"The Man Nobody Knows" (1925) is the second book by the American author and advertising executive Bruce Fairchild Barton. Barton presents Jesus as "the founder of modern business," in an effort to make the Christian story accessible to businessmen of the time. cite web| url=http://www.materialreligion.org/documents/july97doc.html| title=The Man Nobody Knows| work=Material History of American Religion Project| accessdate=2008-01-08|]

When published in 1925, "The Man Nobody Knows" topped the nonfiction bestseller list,cite web| url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0020836201/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books| title=The Man Nobody Knows| work=Amazon.com| accessdate=2008-01-08|] and is one of the best selling non-fiction books of the 20th century.cite web| url=http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/The-Man-Nobody-Knows-Bruce-Barton/9781566632942-item.html?pticket=mqj33zi0w31gip30lt3n4w556oMjIjx58ehA3XvwZcvd89dil78%3d| title=The Man Nobody Knows| work=chapters.indigo.ca | accessdate=2008-01-08|]

ynopsis

In this book Barton paints a picture of a strong Jesus, who worked with his hands, slept outdoors and travelled on foot. This is very different from what he saw as the "Sunday School Jesus", a physically weak, moralistic man - the "lamb of God"cite web| url=http://jaar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/XLVI/2/151| title=Jesus the Salesman| work=Journal of the American Academy of Religion| accessdate=2008-01-08|] cite web| url=http://www.destiny-worldwide.net/rcg/manno.htm| title=The Man Nobody Knows| work=The Restoration Website| accessdate=2008-01-08|] Barton describes Jesus as "the world's greatest business executive", and according to one of the chapter headings, "The Founder of Modern Business", who created a world conquering organization with a group of twelve men hand picked from the bottom ranks of business.cite web| url=http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=65-9781566632942-2| title=The Man Nobody Knows| work=Powell's Books| accessdate=2008-01-08|]

Controversy

Having completed the book in 1924, Barton initially experienced difficulty getting his work published, as the material was considered to be controversial. It was simply seen by some as wrong to compare Jesus to ordinary men.cite web| url=http://www.ciadvertising.org/student_account/spring_01/adv382j/suz/Jesus.htm| title=Jesus, the Adman| work=Bruce Barton biography| accessdate=2008-01-08|]

Since its publication, "The Man Nobody Knows" has divided readers. Some welcome the portrayal of Jesus as a strong character, whom no-one dared oppose and praise the use of familiar stereotypes to stimulate interest in religion,whilst others ridicule the suggestion that Jesus was a salesman.cite web| url=http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/susan_jacoby/2007/05/the_man_nobody_knows.html| title=The Man Nobody Knows| work=Newsweek: On Faith| accessdate=2008-01-08|] Critics have suggested that "The Man Nobody Knows" is a prime example of the materialism and "glorified Rotarianism" of the Protestant churches in the 1920s.

It was suggested that the book was written as "an apology for big business", however in his 2005 biography of Barton, "The Man Everybody Knew: Bruce Barton and the Making of Modern America", Richard M. Fried maintains that Barton was no apologist - his primary motive for writing was religion.cite web| url=http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:v8a83qqAJd0J:www.hbs.edu/bhr/archives/bookreviews/80/sspellman.pdf| title=Book Review: The Man Everybody Knew: Bruce Barton and the Making of Modern America| work=Business History Review| accessdate=2008-01-12| ]

Regardless of his motives for publication, Barton found himself the object of humour by some, and his book was lampooned by radio, magazines and in movies.

References