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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
3.25/5 for this exploration of the historical Jesus. I’m not sure I buy a lot of what Aslan says, specifically about Jesus’ attitude toward violence, and there is a fair bit of mentioning only part of some of the gospel stories he uses to defend his position, but I was glad to gain more historical context for first century Palestine and the messianic fever in which Jesus emerged. I’d maybe recommend it to those wanting to learn more about that history, but I’m not fully there on his thoughts about Jesus’ ministry. But hey, it’s only one book, you can’t say everything you might want to in just one book.
informative
slow-paced
The subtitle is "The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth." Aslan's depiction of the life of Jesus is (and can only be, by his own admission) conjecture--as such, it's only as interesting as one person's interpretation of what Jesus stood for, where his loyalties lay, etc. Aslan takes a number of liberties with interpretation of scripture (from a strictly "this was a man, this is what he taught, this is what his non-supernatural actions were" point of view) to paint a portrait of Jesus who is both anti-government (which would thrill the Tea Partiers who give Aslan such a hard time for his own faith) and anti-religious structure (which would give those same Tea Partiers conniptions, only I feel precious few got further than Aslan's admission of his Muslim heritage before putting the book in the "to be burned" pile), when another interpretation of the same passages could lead one to a figure who was ambivalent about both government and religious authority, and who instead was completely focused on how we treat one another. That said, because there is so little direct evidence from which to work, Aslan's conclusions, like those of all other biblical scholars, are subject to debate.
By contrast, his depiction of the times of Jesus is completely fascinating. The history of Jewish uprisings against the Roman authority, the complicity of the certain members of the Jewish hierarchy with the government, the means by which the powerful in Jerusalem worked to hold their power, all make for compelling reading, and serve to educate as well as entertain.
By contrast, his depiction of the times of Jesus is completely fascinating. The history of Jewish uprisings against the Roman authority, the complicity of the certain members of the Jewish hierarchy with the government, the means by which the powerful in Jerusalem worked to hold their power, all make for compelling reading, and serve to educate as well as entertain.
When I served as a Latter-Day Saint missionary, I got into some minor trouble with colleagues for refusing to accept all stories in the Bible; for instance, I didn’t read the story of Job as historical and said that Noah’s flood, if it happened, was significantly smaller than advertised (very radical). This scriptural pragmatism may have shaped me into an ideal audience for Reza Aslan’s Zealot. The book examines the sociopolitical context of Jesus’s life and the historical period in which he lived. Aslan rejects the divine aspect of the most famous story ever told, instead postulating that Jesus was a zealous revolutionary with a political agenda that threatened the powers of Rome and the Sanhedrin, leading to his execution as an insurrectionist. The Christ aspect of Jesus’s story was developed by his followers in the decades after his death, elevating Jesus beyond similar messiah figures of his time and forever changing the landscape of history.
Wide in its scope and ambitious in its premise, Aslan’s book is readable and accessible, detailed without being dense or pretentious. I find it fascinating, but biblical history has always interested me; the details of the fall of Jerusalem, the reign of the tetrarchs, and the lengthy lists of failed messiahs may be dull for readers less invested in the material.
Scholars have criticized Aslan’s credentials (which I consider academic gatekeeping rather than legitimate critique), and the minutia of some of the history has been questioned. While I lack degrees and accolades, I caught no obvious errors, and I’m familiar with much of the history and material Aslan uses. And minor errors or no, I believe Aslan creates a thoughtful and meaningful picture of humanity’s most impactful historical figure, one from which a person from any faith or no faith can learn.
Wide in its scope and ambitious in its premise, Aslan’s book is readable and accessible, detailed without being dense or pretentious. I find it fascinating, but biblical history has always interested me; the details of the fall of Jerusalem, the reign of the tetrarchs, and the lengthy lists of failed messiahs may be dull for readers less invested in the material.
Scholars have criticized Aslan’s credentials (which I consider academic gatekeeping rather than legitimate critique), and the minutia of some of the history has been questioned. While I lack degrees and accolades, I caught no obvious errors, and I’m familiar with much of the history and material Aslan uses. And minor errors or no, I believe Aslan creates a thoughtful and meaningful picture of humanity’s most impactful historical figure, one from which a person from any faith or no faith can learn.
So-so. While the book was helpful to get an idea of the political environment at the time Jesus lived, I didn't feel it treats him as a historical figure per se. In the most glaring example, Aslan explicitly declined to explore the resurrection and simply accepted it as fact. It seemed like he treated the gospels as historical record of actual events, and I kept expecting him to explain how the events around the time the gospels were written would have led the authors to embellish.
I loved this. Aslan writes knowledgeably without making his dense too prose to dig through. He backs up everything he says with ample evidence, and I learned a lot not just about the historical Jesus but the history of the region, of Jesus' Judaism, and several other Biblical figures. Good for history nerds and those interested in the non-religious aspects of religion.
A remarkable, very readable account of the historical Jesus that people of all faith traditions should read. By interpreting the scriptures through the lens of the historical facts we have about Jesus, the time and place in which he lived, and the conflicts between members of the early Christian church, the value of Jesus' actual message increases. Who should read it? individuals from across the entire Christian spectrum of denomination and faith intensity. Jews who want to see how Jesus' Judaism is central to his outlook. Members of other faiths and atheists who want to see how belief systems rise not just from divine revelation, but from specific historical circumstances.
There's no reason to feel offended by this book. Period.
There's no reason to feel offended by this book. Period.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
if i were to believe in a jesus of nazareth, i guess it would be this one.