Author: Reza Aslan
This book is about trying to rationalize the things you have learnt about Jesus Christ from the New Testament. I am sure that this area has been researched to death and there have been numerous books written about it. Before I go further into this review, I must disclose that I am a novice in this subject and my knowledge is mostly from the Christian Scriptures like the New Testament. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of what Reza writes nor his credibility as an expert in the history of the region in biblical times. I did some poking around on the internet and found that there were many folks questioning his education, research credentials and even his religion. Notwithstanding all that, I did find the book to be an enjoyable read and it speaks volumes for Reza's skill in the writing department and UC Riverside should be proud of the output from a member of its Creative Writing faculty.
Reza weaves a good story and paints a plausible picture of the life of Jesus and the environment in which he lived in. He leans heavily on the Jewish historian of the time, Josephus. Strangely Josephus' views are quoted as "Gospel Truth" while the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are often readily dismissed as stories made up to further the cause of Christianity. This is quite plausible, and Reza does not make any attempt to educate the reader on the tons of research that he must have sifted through to arrive at this conclusion. This is done as an afterthought in the Bibliography and is not directly linked to lines in the text as is more commonly done in non-fiction books today. The best way to read this book would be to read a chapter and then reflect on it again by reading the Bibliography right after.
I liked the book and have no hesitation in recommending it. However, be warned that the conclusions in here are not "Gospel Truth".
This book is about trying to rationalize the things you have learnt about Jesus Christ from the New Testament. I am sure that this area has been researched to death and there have been numerous books written about it. Before I go further into this review, I must disclose that I am a novice in this subject and my knowledge is mostly from the Christian Scriptures like the New Testament. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of what Reza writes nor his credibility as an expert in the history of the region in biblical times. I did some poking around on the internet and found that there were many folks questioning his education, research credentials and even his religion. Notwithstanding all that, I did find the book to be an enjoyable read and it speaks volumes for Reza's skill in the writing department and UC Riverside should be proud of the output from a member of its Creative Writing faculty.
Reza weaves a good story and paints a plausible picture of the life of Jesus and the environment in which he lived in. He leans heavily on the Jewish historian of the time, Josephus. Strangely Josephus' views are quoted as "Gospel Truth" while the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are often readily dismissed as stories made up to further the cause of Christianity. This is quite plausible, and Reza does not make any attempt to educate the reader on the tons of research that he must have sifted through to arrive at this conclusion. This is done as an afterthought in the Bibliography and is not directly linked to lines in the text as is more commonly done in non-fiction books today. The best way to read this book would be to read a chapter and then reflect on it again by reading the Bibliography right after.
I liked the book and have no hesitation in recommending it. However, be warned that the conclusions in here are not "Gospel Truth".
