Historical Jesus Books

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Lee Strobel

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Zondervan Amazon Marketplace: 307 new & used starting at $1.69

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( S ) -> Strobel, Lee
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian Living -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 641 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Failed to Address Any of My Questions 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A good friend of mine, who is quite sincere in his belief, provided me with a copy of this book, believing it would quickly dispel my lifelong agnosticism. I read it in good faith, hoping that here at last might be a book that would address a lifetime's worth of questions. Unfortunately, I realized within the first few minutes of opening it that it would do no such thing. It glossed over the most fundamental objections I have within the first few pages and never looked back from there. Thus, to me, it was essentially worthless, though I labored on to finish the entire book out of respect for my friend. Thankfully, it was mercifully short, and the language made for an easy read. The content was of no value to me, but Strobel, at least, can write a coherent sentence and is a decent writer.

Christian believers should be aware of how weakly this book addresses genuine agnostic objections to the Jesus story, and how poorly it will prepare you to discuss and/or debate the matter with an informed unbeliever.

Quite simply, I have never believed the Jesus story, from the time I was a child. I don't believe in invisible things, be they ghosts, demons, leprechauns or the various and sundry gods of a thousand different religions. I have serious doubts that Jesus ever existed, though I can't rule out that the stories are not based on some bonafide rabbi who actually lived and breathed and preached for a time, even though he somehow missed the attention of Philo of Alexandria, a Jew who lived at exactly the same time and wrote extensively about the history of Palestine. I am puzzled by the existence of religion, which obviously has arisen in virtually every culture that has ever existed on this planet, but have accepted the reality that skeptics like myself are in the minority. Perhaps it is because I am a member of such a seemingly small minority that Strobel's book was not tailored to a mind like mine - but to me the fundamental flaw in his book is that he simply assumes from the very beginning that invisible and supernatural things do exist, that miracles happen, and that the stories told in the Gospels are true.

To me, it is obvious that all the biographical information we have about Jesus was first written by whoever developed the Gospel of Mark, and that little new or different regarding the actual life and biography of Jesus was added by the other three gospel writers. Thus we have what is essentially a point source regarding the life of Jesus, and I have yet to receive a compelling argument from anyone that counters my suspicion that maybe the entire story was a work of fiction invented by some literary genius now known to the world only as "Mark." Unfortunately, Strobel does not address this concern in the least. His only comment on this very serious objection is along the lines of: "these gospel writers seemed like good men, so why would they lie?"

Why indeed? The problem of course is that a devout Mormon will say the same thing about Joseph Smith, when to most outsiders it really does appear as if Smith made the entire Book of Mormon up virtually single handedly, and his motives for doing so: money, power, and even sex, are crystal clear to any outsider not caught up in the Mormon faith. The objection that no one person could have come up with the Jesus story is refuted not only by Joseph Smith, but by looking at the complex worlds created in fiction by people like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, or J.K. Rowling. So of course one person could have come up with the Jesus story, especially since any simple course in comparative religion shows that most of the major premises of Christianity already were present in the Mediterranean basin at the time of St. Paul: whoever Mark was, living where he did, would have had access to the teachings and belief systems of Plato, Buddhism, Zoroaster/Mithras, Judaism, Heracles, and the ancient and well-developed Egyptian religion. From there, it would not be difficult to fuse and merge the best of each into a new amalgamation - the creation of such a hybrid religion would require creativity and ingenuity to be sure - but would not require the development of any new insights or philosophy - those were already there for the taking.

Strobel fails to address the fact that not a single contemporary Roman source mentions Jesus, and that references to Jesus from later writers like Tacitus and Josephus are not only scant but controversial. The oft repeated claim that the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus are "one of the most documented events in history" becomes ridiculous to anyone who has ever actually investigated the matter - but again - Strobel fails to address this.

Having thus blithely, and as I said earlier, in one sentence, dispensed with the most serious objection to Christianity - that the entire thing might have been invented, just like every other religion known to man, Strobel barrels along, treating each story in the gospel now as though it was actually witnessed by a sober and honest person.

I do not make these comments in an effort to stir up a debate, but in the event a Christian apologist happens to make a good faith effort to refute any of the concerns I've just expressed in the last few paragraphs in a "comment" to this review, I would observe that his or her efforts would be far superior and far more useful to me than anything in Strobel's book.

And THAT, more than anything else, drives home the point that Strobel's book is useless. If a stray Christian passerby can spend five minutes responding to me and come up with more compelling and direct arguments than Strobel did in the year or so he spent writing this book, that ought to tell you something about how useful Strobel's book really is as a refutation to agnosticism.

Editorial Review:

Using the dramatic scenario of an investigative journalist pursuing his story and leads, Lee Strobel uses his experience as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune to interview experts about the evidence for Christ from the fields of science, philosophy, and history. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and twice nominated for the Christian Book of the Year Award.

The Jesus I Never Knew

Philip Yancey

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Zondervan Amazon Marketplace: 119 new & used starting at $3.09

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( Y ) -> Yancey, Philip -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( Y ) -> Yancey, Philip -> Paperback
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( Y ) -> Yancey, Philip -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 168 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Jesus I used to know 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Philip Yancey, in THE JESUS I NEVER KNEW, lets slip with a few secrets that you never learned in Sunday School (nor even, for that matter, in THE DA VINCI CODE). Example: Have you heard the one about Jesus catching a bad case of leprosy? (p. 79). [He got it from rubbing spit-and-mud on an elderly leper, neglecting then to wash his hands before lunch. Two weeks later, when the lesions appeared, Jesus healed himself using the same trusted remedy, and Presto! he was good to go.]

Yancey's disclosures are precisely what make this book so important: Indeed, THE JESUS I NEVER KNEW has been "Critically acclaimed as the most significant book of the last ten years" (and it's not just Phil Yancey who says so, I take that quote directly from the book jacket).

Phil grew up long before the days of Christian video games, like that one in which you blast to smithereens the Jews who want to nail Jesus to the cross. As a child, Phil Yancey thought that Jesus was just some two-dimensional bearded figure in a boring flannelgraph story; after which, the teacher gave you KoolAid and sugar cookies. Later, as a teen, Phil was able to admire Jesus as a role model--a bootlegger who, when his Mom rebuked him, sassed her with such rude remarks as "Woman, what have I to with THEE?" But when Phil (as a grown man) finally came to know the true Lord of glory, he discovered "a Jesus who is brilliant, creative, challenging, fearless, compassionate, unpredictable, and ultimately satisfying"--not unlike Robert Powell in Franco Zeffirelli's film version (p. 77); in fact, I'd say almost EXACTLY like Robert Powell in Franco Zeffirelli's film version.

I actually like Jesus, quite a lot. Jesus, back when I first knew him, was (a.) the Son of Yahveh, and (b.) a very nice, well-adjusted person, which, when you consider those two facts side by side, is no small accomplishment. And I totally agree with most of what Phil has to say in this book about the real Jesus: "brilliant," yes; "creative," yes; "challenging," absolutely. I endorse all of his epithets except the last: "ultimately satisfying?" Not! Just ask Mary Magdalene, she'll back me up. "What would Jesus do?" is a fascinating question, but it's exactly what we never knew; and (trust me!) no one tried harder to find out the answer, than Mary Magdalene.

My favourite part of Phil's book is Chapter 4, "Temptation: Showdown in the Desert." Here's the story, which is one that Philip Yancey never used to know. In 28 CE, Jesus and I spent six weeks together, hiking in the wilderness and then taking a tour of Jerusalem. We talked. We reminisced. We shared our fantasies. My idea was for Jesus to have a little fun while he lived among humankind, maybe even commit a harmless sin or two, just as a life-experience; but he was not open to that suggestion (Mark 1:13). When he became hungry, I tempted him to turn stones into bread. He didn't bite. When he felt discouraged, I tempted him to throw himself off a pinnacle without getting hurt, thereby to prove his divinity. He didn't jump. Testing the limits of his courtesy, I offered him a sizable chunk of real estate - the entire planet - if he would pay me a single compliment of the sort Yahveh gets every day of the year. No thanks. And when he was horny - yes, Jesus was tempted in all points like any other man, but without sin - I'd catch his attention with some short-togaed Roman shiksa and whisper in his ear and say, "Hey, Jesus, how'd you like some o' that before returning to Heaven!" (Hebrews 4:15).

But Jesus would just his squeeze eyes shut in that cute way he has, and say, "Woe unto you, Lucifer, for trying to make me think about that!" (Matt. 4:1-11).

In retrospect, I have always felt my timing was off: for it was immediately after the baptismal service - right after he saw his Father looking down on us from Heaven - that I tempted Jesus to dabble in sin. I should have tempted him to dabble sooner, during his adolescence. Instead, Jesus' unassailable virtue struck a harmful blow to my self-esteem. It's quite unusual when I earnestly tempt someone to sin, for my suggestions to be rejected flat out. But with Jesus I hit a brick wall. I tried every rhetorical, Jesuitical, trick in the book. I could not even make Jesus WANT to dabble in sin. So I guess you could say that, between the two of us, Jesus proved himself the better man. He is certainly more obedient than I am. Well, more power to him! I've got no beef with Jesus. I just wish that I could have got to know him a little better before he scooted back up to Heaven and left us with a planet full of Christians.

--L

Editorial Review:

Philip Yancey reveals the real Jesus beyond the stereotypes, revolutionizing the reader's passion for Christ.

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

Henri J. M. Nouwen

List Price: $14.95 By: Saint Anthony Messenger Press Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $9.90

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> General AAS
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( N ) -> Nouwen, Henri -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> Historical Jesus

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Quick Read 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a well written personal narrative about a Harvard Professor that experiences a renewal of faith when he leaves the academic world. As he gives up that which has given him security he remembers where real security comes from.

His experiences aren't profound; however, they do offer some simple reminders about the important parts of life.

Editorial Review:

Henri Nouwen was a spiritual thinker with an unusual capacity to write about the life of Jesus and the love of God in ways that have inspired countless people to trust life more fully. Most widely read among the over 40 books Father Nouwen wrote is In the Name of Jesus. For a society that measures successful leadership in terms of the effectiveness of the individual, Father Nouwen offers a counter definition that is witnessed by a "communal and mutual experience." For Nouwen, leadership cannot function apart from the community. His wisdom is grounded in the foundation that we are a people "called." This beautiful guide to Christian Leadership is the rich fruit of Henri Nouwen's own journey as one of the most influential spirtiual leaders of the 20th century.

The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God)

N. T. Wright

By: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Amazon Marketplace: 7 new & used starting at $88.68

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( W ) -> Wright, N.T.
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Bibles -> New Testament
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> Historical Jesus

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Magnificent Study of the Gospels. 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

When I first commented on N.T. Wright's books, I was new to Amazon and didn't do it under my own name. I'm signing on now, again, to say that he remains for me a giant among scholars. This particular book had an impact that I can't fully describe. A deep Christian spirit pervades the writing itself, and Wright's generosity to skeptical scholarship is a shining Christian example to those of us who become too impatient with the anti-supernaturalists. Wright is a believer and a convincing believer with a brilliant yet accessible style, a genius who has had an immense influence on the entire field of Biblical scholarship. One encounters his name everywhere. Wright's books are mammoth in soul and physical size. He provides a complete education in the Gospels, and many of his other books, the smaller, more compact ones, are profoundly inspiring. Other reviews may have more to say in detail about his most important works, of which this is certainly one. Let me close by saying simply "Make his books a part of your library, and your education, and a part of your prayer life."

Editorial Review:

This work covers ancient beliefs about life after death from Homer's Hades to ancient Jewish beliefs, from the Bible to the Dead Sea Scrolls and beyond. It examines early Christian beliefs about resurrection in general and that of Jesus in particular, beginning with Paul and working through to the start of the third century. It explores the Easter stories of the Gospels and seeks the best historical conclusions about the empty tomb and the belief that Jesus did rise bodily from the dead.

God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now

John Dominic Crossan

Amazon Price: $6.49 List Price: $22.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperOne Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $6.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> Historical Jesus

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

At the heart of the Bible is a moral and ethical call to fight unjust superpowers, whether they are Babylon, Rome, or even America.

From the divine punishment and promise found in Genesis through the revolutionary messages of Jesus and Paul, John Dominic Crossan reveals what the Bible has to say about land and economy, violence and retribution, justice and peace, and, ultimately, redemption. In contrast to the oppressive Roman military occupation of the first century, he examines the meaning of the non-violent Kingdom of God prophesized by Jesus and the equality advocated by Paul to the early Christian churches. Crossan contrasts these messages of peace with the misinterpreted apocalyptic vision from the Book of Revelation, which has been misrepresented by modern right-wing theologians and televangelists to justify U.S. military actions in the Middle East.

In God and Empire Crossan surveys the Bible from Genesis to Apocalypse, or the Book of Revelation, and discovers a hopeful message that cannot be ignored in these turbulent times. The first-century Pax Romana, Crossan points out, was in fact a "peace" won through violent military action. Jesus preached a different kind of peace—a peace that surpasses all understanding—and a kingdom not of Caesar but of God.

The Romans executed Jesus because he preached this Kingdom of God, a kingdom based on peace and justice, over the empire of Rome, which ruled by violence and force. For Jesus and Paul, Crossan explains, peace cannot be won the Roman way, through military victory, but only through justice and fair and equal treatment of all people.

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith

Marcus J. Borg

Amazon Price: $10.92 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperOne Amazon Marketplace: 156 new & used starting at $1.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Authors, A-Z -> ( B ) -> Borg, Marcus
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> Historical Jesus
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Christology

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 88 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining.

"Believing in Jesus does not mean believing doctrines about him," Borg writes. "Rather, it means to give one's heart, one's self at its deepest level, to . . . the living Lord."

Drawing on his own journey from a naive, unquestioning belief in Christ through collegiate skepticism to a mature and contemporary Christian faith, Borg illustrates how an understanding of the historical Jesus can actually lead to a more authentic Christian life--one not rooted in creeds or dogma, but in a life of spiritual challenge, compassion, and community.

In straightforward, accessible prose, Borg looks at the major findings of modern Jesus scholarship from the perspective of faith, bringing alive the many levels of Jesus' character: spirit person, teacher of alternative wisdom, social prophet, and movement founder. He also reexamines the major stories of the Old Testament vital to an authentic understanding of Jesus, showing how an enriched understanding of these stories can uncover new truths and new pathways to faith.

For questioning believers, doubters, and reluctant unbelievers alike, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time frees our understanding of Jesus' life and message from popular misconceptions and outlines the way to a sound and contemporary faith: "For ultimately, Jesus is not simply a figure of the past, but a figure of the present. Meeting that Jesus--the living one who comes to us even now--will be like meeting Jesus again for the first time."

The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything

Brian D. McLaren

Amazon Price: $17.78 List Price: $21.95 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Thomas Nelson Inc Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $12.79

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> Historical Jesus
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Theology -> Christology
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 143 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Brian McLaren, one of "Time" magazine's "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America," is back, this time to lead readers on a journey that will prove to be as unsettling and groundshaking as it is thrilling and life-changing. Unafraid of controversy or the uncomfortable grey areas of life, McLaren's quest is to find the essential message of Jesus' life - even if it overturns our conventional ideas, priorities, and practices. "Through the years, I have frequently had an uncomfortable feeling:" writes McLaren, "that the portrait of Jesus I found in the New Testament didn't fit with the images of Jesus in the church." Out of that nagging discomfort arose this book, promising to be McLaren's most revolutionary to date. He writes, "I'd like to share my search with you, and invite you to be a part of it. I don't want to spoil the ending, but I'll let you in on this: the farther I go on this search, the more inspired, moved, challenged, shocked, and motivated I become about the secret message of Jesus."

Desire of the Everlasting Hills

Thomas Cahill

Amazon Price: $14.41 List Price: $13.37 Usually ships in 2 to 3 weeks By: Lion Hudson Plc Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $7.97

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> Historical Jesus
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 122 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In Desire of the Everlasting Hills, Thomas Cahill takes up his most daring and provocative subject yet: Jesus of Nazareth, the central figure of Western civilization. Introducing us first to "the people Jesus knew," Thomas Cahill describes the oppressive Roman political presence, the pervasive Greek cultural influence, and especially the widely varied social and religious context of the Judaism in which Jesus moved and flourished. These backgrounds, essential to a complete understanding of Jesus, lead to the author's stunningly original interpretation of the New Testament--much of it based on material from the ancient Greek brilliantly translated by the author himself--that will delight readers and surprise even biblical scholars. Thomas Cahill's most unusual skill may lie in his ability to bring to life people of a faraway world whose concerns seem at first to be utterly removed from the present day. We see Jesus as a real person, sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, but kind, humorous, and affectionate, shadowed by the inevitable climax of crucifixion, the cruelest form of execution ever devised by humankind. Mary, while not quite the "perpetual virgin" of popular piety, is a vivid presence and forceful influence on her son. And the apostle Paul, the carrier of Jesus' message and most important figure in the early Jesus movement (which became Christianity), finds rehabilitation in Cahill's realistic, revealing portrait of him. The third volume in the Hinges of History series, this unique presentation of Jesus and his times is for believers and nonbelievers alike (for Jews and Christians, it is intended by the author as an act of reconciliation). With the same lively narration and irresistible perceptions that characterize How the Irish Saved Civilization and The Gifts of the Jews, Thomas Cahill invites readers into an ancient world to commune with some of the most influential people who ever lived.

Life of Christ

Fulton J. Sheen

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Image Amazon Marketplace: 86 new & used starting at $0.42

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> Historical Jesus
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> General
Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Jesus -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A String of Pearls... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Maybe you are of an age that you remember when the Venerable Bishop Sheen was on the television? I am not one of those people. Maybe you know about Bishop Sheen being an "old" preacher, and maybe that concerns you? It concerned me. But under the guidance of someone I trust I purchased this book 3 years ago and read it.

It is a string of perfect pearls!

Each chapter deals with one section of the life of Jesus Christ and is filled with not just biblical references but with insights from Sheen that could only come from a deep, DEEP love for Christ. A deep understanding of history, and deep understanding of scripture.

When you look for a good book to read on the life of Christ, don't let your reservation (or prejudice) about the authors location in history bother you. My prejudice was, Bishop Sheen was a man of the 50's and couldn't speak to me on a level I could be engaged. I was wrong. I am a woman of the 90's and I do not have a college degree, but I have a solid high school education. Sheen is a man of "letters" and that also frightened me. I promise you, don't let it frighten you.

His method of dealing with his subject is so clear and enlightening, it feels like having the cobwebs and dust removed from an abandoned building. Sheen turns on the light!

One of my favourite parts of this book is when he deals with the "Woman at the well." There is just so much there that after you read this chapter, you'll be as excited as the woman was when she ran back into town shouting to anyone who would listen "Come and see a man who told me everything about myself.."

Bishop Sheen loves Christ, if you are looking for help in meditating on scripture. You will find that help here. I challenge you to learn about the "Life of Christ"

Editorial Review:

Bishop Fulton Sheen presents a passionate portrait of the God-Man, the teacher, the healer, and most of all, the Savior, whose promise has sustained humanity for two millenia. Here is the story of the greatest man that ever lived.