"If one knew nothing else about Jesus of Nazareth save that he was crucified by Rome, one would know practically all that was needed to uncover who he was, what he was, and why he ended up nailed to a cross. His offense, in the eyes of Rome, is self-evident. It was etched upon a plaque and placed above his head for all to see: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. His crime was daring to assume kingly ambitions."
-from the book
I really didn't know what I was getting into selecting this book! I thought it was historical fiction but it reads like nonfiction (and has a 232 call number) and the book jacket calls it a biography. Whatever it is, it is unique!
The author's main theme is presenting Jesus of Nazareth in contrast to the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. Now I am not one who takes the whole Bible literally and in fact, am pretty open-minded, but I was truly shocked by much of what Mr. Aslan brings out in this book! He reminds the reader that the gospel writers told their stories well after Jesus death and resurrection and strongly hints at how they probably "embellished" their narratives to fit both Old Testament prophecies and expectations of their readers. I wasn't expecting that! For example, at the time of Jesus' birth people would not have had to travel to their birthplaces to register for the tax roles so it is more likely Jesus was born in Nazareth. However the Hebrew Bible prophesied the messiah would be born in the same city as David, so the story had to "relocate" the nativity scene. There were many other events in the NT which I have always accepted as "gospel" but in this book their historicity is questioned. The author also brings up many inconsistencies in the stories of Jesus' trials and crucifixion.
Mr. Aslan's point is that to the writers of these accounts Christology mattered more than history.
One very surprising thing to me is the conflict, even animosity, between Paul and other important leaders of the early church such as James the Just, brother of Jesus, Peter and John. I did not realize that James was the accepted head of the movement begun by his brother. It seems odd, even to the author, that he has one book in the NT attributed to him while Paul has so many.
I have to admit I did not read the 50+ pages of notes where the author explained some of his research and described some other expert opinions; I scanned them and read bits and pieces. It is an impressive amount of research---the author says two decades worth! I am in awe of that much dedication! I did not love the book, however. I am rating it a 3. It gave me a lot of food for thought but I am not sure I like having so many of my bubbles burst! And when I finished reading, I still couldn't tell if this author is a Christian or not. That bothered me.
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