bennett discusses this is his 1998, 2001 and 2008 books and in his 2008 chapter on the cross. he suggests that while almost all muslims believe that jesus did not die on the cross (although some argue that q5: 157 is an ambiguous verse) and while christians believe that jesus was crucified and died on the cross, there might be a way to argue that "jesus was and yet was not killed on the cross." referring again to paradox, he argues that what the qur'an denies is not so much the fact that jesus died but that he was killed by the jews. indeed, says bennett, jesus was not killed by the jews but by human sin. christian conviction that jesus' death was absolutely necessary for human salvation makes nonsense of blaming any particular human agencies for his execution. bennett does not deny jesus' death but says that "the qur'an's apparent although not unambiguous denial of the cross challenges christian over-emphasis on jesus' death." bennett sees the cross as a "metaphor of resisting evil and oppression" but is not "convinced that his salvation … derives from the cross". rather, he says, "my sanctification stems from the fact that jesus lived" and by living "sanctified the whole of human life." he regards jesus' life as a paradigm of "being in relationship with god". jesus life represents "the paradigm of the life of love and action lived in tune with god's will". explicit faith in jesus is not a precondition of salvation, since "god saves whomsoever he wills". a life that reflects jesus' life of service of others is a precondition. as a christian, he can honour muhammad as someone through whom god spoke and whose legacy "can be interpreted as complementary" to christ's.