Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
interesting, 28 Aug 2003
I read this book from the viewpoint of an atheist fascinated by religions. It's unlikely a Christian will enjoy this book, with its fundamental predication (not unreasonable from a non-religious viewpoint) that the gospels are not accurate and indeed contain very little information on his life. Rather Wilson takes the approach of presuming jesus to be a rather typical jewish religious leader, and then draws on the canonical gospels (amongst others) for hints as to his life and character.Where the book is truly fascinating is in its exposition of jewish society of the time. For instance, the Jews almost never persecuted heresies, and reported resurrections were actually quite common. the book does have flaws. The author's obvious passion makes it readable, but there's an argumentative style that can lead to self-contradiction, eg the book refers to Jesus as a carpenter only pages from explaining that the aramaic word is ambiguous and could just as well mean scholar. It seems to me the author doesn't always stick to describing a credible historic persona but often seems content simply demonstrating errors in the gospels. still a very rewarding read, and I did come away with an understanding of how a man could (largely unwittingly, it seems) become the keystone of one of the world's major religions.
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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jesus - the man, 1 Jul 2003
A N Wilson's Jesus is a deeply intellectual and intelligent appraisal of Jesus in history, and in faith. I suggest that readers, like me, with an interest in Jesus the man and an assessment of the New Testament as an historical document, and NOT as a book of faith, will gain most from this book.Doubtless it has much to upset the staunch Christian, simply because Wilson attempts to break down the substance of the fact, but at least acknowledging that any "true" reading is largely down to an interpretation of faith. We learn that the Gospels were a self-fulfilling prophecy of the Scriptures, so hardly an account of history. That Jesus was an enigmatic man whose personal quest and meaning is shrouded in unanswered questions. The Sciptures foretold of the Messiah, was the time just right for Him to fit the bill? Jesus himself would not even acknowledge it. The Navity scene as we know it, manger, star, three kings, is a fiction. There is no such reference in the New Testament. Just a few gems of interest amongst many that one can take away from this book. The fact is, that neither Wilson or I, can detract from the fact that the NT is beyond any literal reading or basis in history. Faith is all. Which is why this an intelligent read that should not be blinded by mere dogma. Above all, it is clear that the Gospels in all their four contradictions, should not be relied upon by the historian. That Jesus lived, well there is little doubt. Whether he was who he has became, we will never know. Fascinating. A well written interpretation to continue the thinking.
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16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps", 29 May 2003
By A Customer
I am not an expert, but found this book an enjoyable read with significant, sincere, fascinating and serious material. Recommended for all Christians, Jews, and people interested in the historical Jesus. If you are close minded or dogmatic about your beliefs, then this book is too good for you. The book is intelligent, is not offensive to other faiths or non-believers, and gives particularly important insight about probable reasons why the New Testament writers added text that led to church driven anti-semitism up to the 20th century: to convince suspicious Romans that the first century church was not a threat to Rome. It boggles the mind to consider how such "small" additions added out of fear of the Romans contributed so much to two millenia of anti-semitism. This is only an example of the many interesting topics covered by the book.
A. N. Wilson makes it clear from the start that his conclusions are personal and he is the first to admit that they could be preceded with the words "perhaps, perhaps, perhaps". Without spoiling the wonderful ending, one can say that it relates to how the real Jesus would probably react to Christian churches as they have evolved.
What turned me off (which is not an argument against reading this book) was Wilson's illogical interpretation of how the evangalists misunderstood the gospel story comparing the prayer of a modest person and an arrogant Pharisee. I had other differences of opinion.
If you just want raw data about the historical Jesus without hypotheses, try Michael McCrum's "The Man Jesus, Fact and Legend" ISBN 1 85756 452 9. If you want another excellent, fascinating and very intelligent perspective, try Northrop Frye's "The Great Code, the Bible and Literature" - must reading for anyone who wants to understand how all human brains having any contact with the Western world have been hugely influenced by the Judeo-Christian-Islamic holy books.
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