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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
He did a decent job of making dull non-fiction interesting.
Very well researched and covers everything about the MAN Jesus (with discussion about the messiah as well). As someone whose exposure to Jesus is primarily through Catholic school, this did read more as a history book and dives into other iconic biblical folks such as John the Baptist and James - using both history and the Bible for context it does offer a window into Nazareth, Palestine, and the history of a time with many “messiah’ how Jesus became THE messiah.
I found the pieces of his resurrection and baptism and interesting for they were elements that separated him from other so-called prophets of the time.
I found the pieces of his resurrection and baptism and interesting for they were elements that separated him from other so-called prophets of the time.
I picked up this book after the interview the author did with a Fox News anchor went around Facebook a week or two ago, as I was impressed with how he handled her and wanted to see what he had to say. The book absolutely did not disappoint, and I learned a lot about the early beginnings of the Christian church and faith as well as about both Jesus the man and Jesus the Christ. This book also confirmed my opinion that Paul was a complete asshole.
I know very little about the socio-political world in existence when the events of the Bible took place, and the author does an excellent job of describing it with what is known and then putting the events of the Bible into that setting. I found his writing to be very clear and good at stating what is actually known historically (very little), what is inferred from various documents, and what is likely complete fabrication and how it contradicts other accounts (even two different Gospels within the Bible). He takes the time to point out when his theory is different from those held by other prominent scholars, and explains why he feels his is the correct one, which I found quite interesting. The book does not have footnotes, which I understand some people dislike, but the epilogue does have a condensed set of arguments from each chapter with applicable references that is surprisingly easy to read.
The transition of Christianity from the ravings of a poor Jewish peasant man who preached for a few years into the codified religion of miracles and virgin births is fascinating. The nascent Christian church basically carefully constructed a fantasy around what Jesus said and what he did and who he was in order to shove him into a mold of the Messiah and the Christ, right down to denying his family and insisting he was the product of a virgin birth. Given that unless they had changed from the Jewish zealotry that Jesus espoused they would've been wiped out, I understand the reasoning, but I wish they hadn't gone quite so far into ridiculousness. As the conclusion to the book notes, Jesus of Nazareth was an interesting man with good ideas, one as worth of respect as the fictional Jesus the Christ, and it's too bad that the latter has nearly wholly absorbed the former.
Anyone who is a Christian should read this book, even if they think they will disagree with it, and think critically about why the religion turned out the way it did. This is a well-written and interesting book, and one I wish I'd been able to read as a teenager questioning the religion I'd been raised in.
I know very little about the socio-political world in existence when the events of the Bible took place, and the author does an excellent job of describing it with what is known and then putting the events of the Bible into that setting. I found his writing to be very clear and good at stating what is actually known historically (very little), what is inferred from various documents, and what is likely complete fabrication and how it contradicts other accounts (even two different Gospels within the Bible). He takes the time to point out when his theory is different from those held by other prominent scholars, and explains why he feels his is the correct one, which I found quite interesting. The book does not have footnotes, which I understand some people dislike, but the epilogue does have a condensed set of arguments from each chapter with applicable references that is surprisingly easy to read.
The transition of Christianity from the ravings of a poor Jewish peasant man who preached for a few years into the codified religion of miracles and virgin births is fascinating. The nascent Christian church basically carefully constructed a fantasy around what Jesus said and what he did and who he was in order to shove him into a mold of the Messiah and the Christ, right down to denying his family and insisting he was the product of a virgin birth. Given that unless they had changed from the Jewish zealotry that Jesus espoused they would've been wiped out, I understand the reasoning, but I wish they hadn't gone quite so far into ridiculousness. As the conclusion to the book notes, Jesus of Nazareth was an interesting man with good ideas, one as worth of respect as the fictional Jesus the Christ, and it's too bad that the latter has nearly wholly absorbed the former.
Anyone who is a Christian should read this book, even if they think they will disagree with it, and think critically about why the religion turned out the way it did. This is a well-written and interesting book, and one I wish I'd been able to read as a teenager questioning the religion I'd been raised in.
informative
An interesting read, that delves into a lot of the history surrounding Jesus and Christianity in its infancy. It's fascinating to think of Jesus as a man, rather than a symbol of one of the world's religions, and the book does a good job of that. Sadly - and the book admits it - most of the history that made its way to us regarding Jesus is in the form of gospels and manuscripts, that gradually stripped him away of his humanity, casting him more and more in a godly light, and thus the book - hard as it tries - doesn't really state facts as much as it just provides observations and suggestions based on contradictions in documents and the general atmosphere of the time.
But, barring my disappointment with regards to that, it's a very well-written book, and worth your time if you'd like to learn more about those days.
But, barring my disappointment with regards to that, it's a very well-written book, and worth your time if you'd like to learn more about those days.
This is an incredibly thorough and well researched look at the life of the man who many know as Jesus Christ but whom Aslan attempts to de-mythologize and label as simply Jesus. There wasn't too much in here that was new information, at least for me. It was compelling and well-written and engaged my interest all the way through which is saying something. Yes, some of what he says is controversial and I can see why he's gotten so many negative comments. However, for someone like me who's way more interested in Jesus as a person than as some mythic, heroic figure, this book simply confirmed what I already thought to be true. If you are expecting this to confirm what you already think you know about Jesus Christ, you might want to look elsewhere. If, instead, you want to give your faith a real workout, then by all means, this is the book for you. Highly recommended for all the skeptics! The devout may hate it but us skeptics will find much to praise!
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This book is well-written and the author is adept at painting vivid imagery with his words. I was blown away by the opening which brought the ancient temple of Jerusalem to life. As a lifelong Christian with a degree in religion, I found this book challenging in a positive sense. A quick read, but I learned quite a bit. Aslan has done a wonderful job piecing together bits of daily life from scraps of 2000 year old history--not a simple task. Do I believe all of his theories to be historical truth? Not necessarily. But I do believe there is much to be gained by listening with an open mind.
Thoroughly, enjoyed this book! Very scholarly and well-researched with limited bias - really liked that especially! Great read for Holy Week or for someone to know MORE about the historical aspect of Jesus' life!
challenging
informative
slow-paced
I would have loved to read this book with either more explanation or less detail about all the players on the scene in Jesus’ time… like a dummy version of this book for those of us not as familiar with Roman and Biblical history. But ultimately I’m glad I read this book and did takeaway some really key themes on how Jesus was transformed from basically a Jewish nationalist who created a movement challenging Roman occupation to Jesus the Christ that we see in the Bible today.