#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A lucid, intelligent page-turner” (Los Angeles Times) that challenges long-held assumptions about Jesus, from the host of Believer Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the “Kingdom of God.” The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order … threatening to the established order that he was executed as a state criminal. Within decades after his death, his followers would call him God.
Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most enigmatic figures by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction. He explores the reasons the early Christian church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary. And he grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself, the mystery that is at the heart of all subsequent claims about his divinity.
Zealot yields a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told even as it affirms the radical and transformative nature of Jesus’ life and mission.
Praise for Zealot
“Riveting . . . Aslan synthesizes Scripture and scholarship to create an original account.”—The New Yorker
“Fascinatingly and convincingly drawn . . . Aslan may come as close as one can to respecting those who revere Jesus as the peace-loving, turn-the-other-cheek, true son of God depicted in modern Christianity, even as he knocks down that image.”—The Seattle Times
“[Aslan’s] literary talent is as essential to the effect of Zealot as are his scholarly and journalistic chops. . . . A vivid, persuasive portrait.”—Salon
“This tough-minded, deeply political book does full justice to the real Jesus, and honors him in the process.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“A special and revealing work, one that believer and skeptic alike will find surprising, engaging, and original.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
“Compulsively readable . . . This superb work is highly recommended.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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Reza Aslan is an exemplary Mid Eastern Religious scholar. In “Zealot”, he uses forensic and archaeological research tools to delve into the factual history of Jesus, Jerusalem and Israel, the Roman and Hebrew laws and influences and those rebels calling themselves Zealots. There is an extensive bibliography and appendix cross referencing his research, which include early A.D. century writings of Roman scholars first historical referencing of Jesus the man. The first section reads easier, in a more story-telling style which can be cross-referenced as necessary. It is neither validation nor denial of the New Testament, but more of an archaeological study into the day to day existence of those trying times. Illuminating.
Great overview of the time period when Jesus lived. Got a clear perspective on the social, religious and emotional landscape of the time. Highly recommend this book to anyone who might want a glimpse into the possible lifestyle Jesus led.
I have studied the scriptures all my life. Many of those years I devoted myself to an intense apostolic faith, and while I know the stories of the New Testament about the life and times of Jesus, reading about Christ, his family, the times in which he lived, and his followers was insightful. This book is incredibly detailed and wrought with indisputable facts regarding Jesus and the development of the Christian faith. For anyone who loves history and theology, I highly recommend you grab this one. I have a funny feeling you will be as wowed as I am right now.
The author’s research is extensive and impeccable. He cites and quotes many, many books and papers on the subject of biblical culture and history . His conclusions are stated clearly, and his reasons for them are given.
I do dislike the attacks made on Christian beliefs and doctrine when he dismisses as improbable large portions of the New Testament. It is important to note that while the research is impeccable, the conclusions are only opinion from one man!
Dr. Reza Aslan sets forth at once a fascinating, insightful, and impassioned study of the historical life of Jesus. In portraying Jesus as a man with all his lifelike faults and ambitions, Aslan brings us closer to understanding the individual who became known as Christ better than any scholarly investigation before. The focal thesis of this impressive biography is to put Jesus in the context of his time period and reveal him as a man of substantial zealotry. Aslan does a remarkable job at illustrating the historical atmosphere in which Jesus was born and raised, an era steeped in turmoil and excessive bloodshed. In examining Jesus apart from his celestial aura and focusing on him rooted in earthly affairs, what surfaces is a diverse and complicated individual of lofty ideals and rebellious yearnings. I particularly enjoyed the thorough discussion of Jesus’s quest for his Kingdom of God as something he strove to achieve on earth, a sovereignty where the rich and powerful are ousted and the house of Israel arises. Even more inspirational is seeing Jesus as the Son of Man on earth, living on behalf of God, his brief life essentially an aspiration towards kingship in line with the Davidic order.
Aslan’s research and dedication to this project are unparalleled. His notes and sources attest to his unwavering devotion to the historicity of religion. He is a scholar of the highest rank. From a literary standpoint, the quality of his writing is impeccable. The grace and fluidity of his prose allows the work to be read with great accessibility. This book does not try or want to undermine faith. It is an attempt to provide a deeper admiration and appreciation of Jesus’s life on earth. As someone who respects all belief systems striving for peace and tolerance, I do not find anything offensive or disparaging in Dr. Aslan’s study of Jesus. To the contrary, his extensive research both enlightens and empowers me with new knowledge and a greater understanding of who Jesus actually was. In order to become closer to what we believe, we need to open our minds. Only when we are able to embrace all our doubts can we become true adherents of any faith. Dr. Aslan’s book should be welcomed, not derided.
This is an excellent account of the life and times of Jesus without the bias of the Bible. Extensively researched and written with facts.
This book is those seeking truth and the real Jesus. It bring to life the background in which Jesus lived and died. It should not waiver your faith since of all the “so called messiahs” of the time, only one exceeded to change the whole world.
Concise but comprehensive.
Such a new perspective.
Whether you like it or not, a different perspective is wonderful for an open mind.
Not sure that he is completely unbiased. Only read a little over half.
The author makes many assumptions, most of which I believe to be erroneous and misleading. First he presumes the gospels were all written later than most scholars determine. Using this, he decides what motives the writers had for including information that was not included in other Gospels–I don’t think he is a mind reader. He also attributes motives to Jesus and many other persons in the Gospels. There is no evidence to support his determining of their motives. The only beneficial thing I found in the book is that he does portray some of the movements and persons who lived during or following the time Jesus was on earth. In his interpretation Jesus is only human and not also divine which was a heresy denounced in 325. He presumes to know more than the Gospel writers and centuries of scholars without producing any evidence to support his opinion. This is actually a pretty dangerous book for anyone who does not have a pretty solid understanding of Scripture and sound theological studies.
very good, interesting perspective