Several contemporary scholars working on the historical Jesus are convinced there is some connection between Jesus and the Cynic philosophers (which, it should be stressed, were not so called because they were 'cynical' in the modern English sense). Here are some links to help you explore the issue further:
Peter Myers' summary and comments about Downing and Crossan http://www.users.cyberone.com.au/myers/downing.html
Bruce Griffin, "Was Jesus a Philosophical Cynic?" http://www-oxford.op.org/allen/html/acts.htm
Downing Review http://www.anchist.mq.edu.au/cforbes/DowningReview.htm
In keeping with the Cynic emphasis on simplicity, the background of this page is being left plain white.