Liberal Theologian Marcus Borg Dead at 72

Prominent liberal theologian and Biblical scholar Marcus Borg has died at age 72.

Borg died Wednesday at his home in Portland, Oregon, according to his publisher, HarperOne. The publisher announced Thursday that Borg had been suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is a scarring or thickening of the lungs that makes it difficult to breathe.

Borg helped lead the scholarly effort to analyze Jesus as a historical figure, taking a skeptical look at the accounts of his life in the Gospels. He wrote or co-wrote more than 20 books, including "The God We Never Knew" and "The Meaning of Jesus."

He is survived by his wife, Marianne, two children and one grandchild.