Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived: the age of zealotry, an era awash in apocalyptic fervour. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, Aslan describes a complex figure: a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity secret; and the seditious ‘King of the Jews’, whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his lifetime. Aslan explores why the early Church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary, and grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself. Zealot provides a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told. The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel, and a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time and the birth of a religion.
Book Info:
Was Jesus reinvented by St Paul? Stuart Kelly likens the argument to a West End musical,Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more,Lionsgate has picked up the screen rights to Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, the best-seller written by Dr. Reza Aslan. Reza Aslan has ,Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.,Currently Viewing Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (eBook) Pub. Date: 7/16/2013 Publisher: Random House Publishing Group,In Zealot, Reza Aslan argues that Jesus of Nazareth was a man at war, not a man of peace.,Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth is a book by Iranian-American writer and scholar Reza Aslan. It is a historical account of the life of Jesus and ,ZEALOT. The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. By Reza Aslan. 296 pages. Random House. $27.,Q&A with Reza Aslan Q. Why did you title your biography of Jesus of Nazareth Zealot? A. In Jesus’ world, zealot referred to those Jews who adhered to a widely ,Q&A with Reza Aslan Q. Why did you title your biography of Jesus of Nazareth Zealot? A. In Jesus’ world, zealot referred to those Jews who adhered to a widely
* Books Details:
- Sales Rank: #18992 in Books
- Published on: 2014-03-03
- Original language:
English
- Binding: Paperback
- 318 pages
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth: Reza
Q&A with Reza Aslan Q. Why did you title your biography of Jesus of Nazareth Zealot? A. In Jesus’ world, zealot referred to those Jews who adhered to a widely
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth [Kindle
Q&A with Reza Aslan Q. Why did you title your biography of Jesus of Nazareth Zealot? A. In Jesus’ world, zealot referred to those Jews who adhered to a widely
Zealot – The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
ZEALOT. The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. By Reza Aslan. 296 pages. Random House. $27.
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth is a book by Iranian-American writer and scholar Reza Aslan. It is a historical account of the life of Jesus and
Book review: Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of
In Zealot, Reza Aslan argues that Jesus of Nazareth was a man at war, not a man of peace.
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza
Currently Viewing Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (eBook) Pub. Date: 7/16/2013 Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Scholars Respond to Reza Aslan’s ‘Zealot: The Life and
Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth.
Lionsgate Picks Up ‘Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of
Lionsgate has picked up the screen rights to Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, the best-seller written by Dr. Reza Aslan. Reza Aslan has
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth: Reza
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza
Was Jesus reinvented by St Paul? Stuart Kelly likens the argument to a West End musical
- Sales Rank: #18992 in Books
- Published on: 2014-03-03
- Original language:
English
- Binding: Paperback
- 318 pages
Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most influential and enigmatic figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived: the age of zealotry, an era awash in apocalyptic fervour. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, Aslan describes a complex figure: a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity secret; and the seditious ‘King of the Jews’, whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his lifetime. Aslan explores why the early Church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary, and grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself. Zealot provides a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told. The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel, and a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time and the birth of a religion.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3392 of 3588 people found the following review helpful.
Jesus as zealot, but not a member of the Zealot Party
By Deana M. Holmes
I’ve read the book (unlike so many of the “reviewers” who gave it one star) and here are some points.1) This is a popularization of recent (late 20th-early 21st century) reputable scholarship regarding Jesus. There’s nothing in this book that would surprise a person (like myself) who has read pretty much all of the accessible scholarship on Jesus published in the last 30 or so years. Just going through the (extensive!) notes and bibliography at the end indicates to me that Aslan has done his homework.2) Aslan takes the position that Jesus was a zealot for God and God’s Temple, but (and this is repeated several times in the book) he was not a member of the Zealot Party, which wouldn’t arise until over 30 years after Jesus’ death. In this, Jesus was just one of a number of people who arose in the period from the reign of Herod the Great to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE and his fate was like those others. In short, Jesus was killed for his zealotry, which was perceived as a threat to the Roman authorities and particularly to the Jewish sycophants who ran the Temple (and profited nicely from it). This is not a position shared by many members of the religious scholarship fraternity, who have attempted to carve out a position for Jesus where he’s a religious figure who did not delve at all into politics. It’s an interesting argument that I can’t do justice in a few short sentences. If you’re interested, you’ll have to read the book yourself and decide if Aslan makes his case.3) Aslan doesn’t stop with the death of Jesus, and, as someone writing history, not hagiography, he carefully notes that he can’t pass judgment on whether Jesus’ resurrection occurred, because it is not a historical event but an event of faith. He then pushes on to a discussion of the earliest Christians and, in particular, the conflict between James the Just, described as the brother of Jesus and the head of the Jerusalem Christians, and Paul of Tarsus, the evangelizer of the Gentile world. This part is definitely worth the read, because it brings out the fact that the early Christians were not “in one accord” but were in fact fractiously divided over what Jesus taught and what it all meant.4) My only serious factual gripe about the book comes from the first paragraph of Chapter 15, where Aslan describes James the Just as follows: “He himself owned nothing, not even the clothes he wore–simple garments made of linen, not wool.” The problem is that historically linen was an elite fabric, not the fabric of the poor. (For example, Luke 16:19 points out that the rich man in Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus wore purple and fine linen and all four gospels are agreed that Jesus was buried in linen.) Making linen from flax took a lot of preparation as compared to wool, which can be spun practically straight from the sheep. But getting back to James the Just: The sources, by putting James in linen, were more likely comparing James to the Temple High Priest, who would have worn linen for the sacrifices.5) I’m knocking off one star for not being footnoted. Granted, there is an extensive set of chapter-based endnotes (and I strongly suggest reading them, they’re as engaging as the book itself), but the lack of footnotes is a serious flaw. Even if the book is intended for a popular audience, it should have been footnoted.6) As for the assertion that the book is fatally flawed because it’s influenced by Aslan’s Muslim background: That is flatly false. Let me state again that there is nothing in this book that can’t be read in the scholarship done by *Christians* published over the past several decades. Moreover, if Aslan was pushing Islam, you’d think that he’d make a point of saying, “Well, Islam considers Jesus a prophet,” but he doesn’t. Not at all. The reviews which make the assertion that the book is terrible, horrible and awful because of “OOOOH EVIL ISLAM!!!!” appear to have been influenced by Fox News’ promotion of a screed by John Dickerson. As a former journalist for Phoenix New Times, Dickerson should know better, but perhaps that’s why Dickerson is no longer a journalist but now pastors a church in Prescott, AZ and churning out inaccurate and inflammatory junk for the fearful faithful.
720 of 769 people found the following review helpful.
Good if occasionally tedious read.
By Robert W Lowry
I read this book primarily because some of the negative reviews were so hysterical in their fear that I was curious what the big deal is. I still am.I am an ordained pastor with 15 years experience and five advanced degrees in theology. Aslan writes like what he is, a religious historian. His job as an academic is to present a thesis, develop it based on both evidence and his theories of meaning and then let the reading community judge it. He does this well. This is a good and thoughtful book. I disagree with some of Aslan’s conclusions. His thesis makes sense but it is not without problems. And at times his writing became tedious.Nonetheless, I give it four stars because it is an honest book from a gifted scholar that engaged me in a new way of thinking about the topic.That the author is a Muslim matters to me about as much as the fact that I as a reader am a Preabyterian matters to him. He is a scholar. That is what matters here.
2141 of 2331 people found the following review helpful.
A Great Introduction to Jesus the Man
By Jerry Davis
A disclaimer: I’m an atheist, I majored in classics and I paid full price for this book at a brick & mortar. Let that say what it will about my judgment.Now, if you seek confirmation that Jesus was/is the one, true Son of God, the savior of humanity, through which all can attain an everlasting life…that’s not in this book. If you want a book by a Christian and for Christians, which will echo and confirm your Christian beliefs, then this is not the book for you. Don’t buy it, don’t waste your time and money. There are plenty of other books out there that are just what you’re searching for. I can’t give you any recommendations (my apologies) but I’m sure a quick search on google or a trip to your local Christian book seller will get you started. Good luck, have a nice day.On the other hand, if you have an open mind and an interest in history, you probably will enjoy this book. Christian, Atheist or whatever, there is no denying the impact Jesus has had on history. There is so much we will never know – can never know – about the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth – not the Jesus you learn about at Sunday school or vacation bible study. This book is about the Nazarean, whom every Christian will tell you walked as a man among men. Reza Aslan investigates this man and the world that he was born into, his short life and his agonizing death, and tries to fill in the blanks where he can with conjecture based on scholarship.To the Kind Reader of this Review: If you are honestly researching this book, I would consider extremely suspect any one or two-star reviews. I don’t feel one or two stars is a fair rating of what you can expect. Yet I do have my reservations about this book, though I admit I’m no biblical scholar. I appreciated the notes section, but I would have liked footnotes. I found it repetitive at times, resulting from what i would consider a somewhat unusual organization. And there were some arguments I found unclear or wanting from lack of evidence, but that is just from my first read through. That last opinion may change – one way or the other – with more thoughtful analysis on my part. With all that it mind, I think 4 stars is fair – and I sure wish I had bought it from Amazon…
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