Jesus Who? Myth vs. Reality in the Search for the Historical Jesus

Reviews and Comments

Availability: Ships immediately Paper Back 6 x 9 286 pages Price:  $15.95

 

"Dr. Gardner offers a challenging and provocative look at the life of Jesus, and particularly the personal life of Jesus which is often neglected in comparable books." Philip A. Marks, Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

*****

"I was amazed at how much detail and history was covered in this book. Fascinating, interesting, and quite enlightening. A week ago I saw The Da Vinci Code and now I know who that character is that Tom Hanks plays in the movie - it's you." Dr. Joe Albin, Kona, Hawaii

*****

"Very well written. I couldn't put it down. Lots of good information. I especially liked the tables and charts." Alla Borsakova, Ukraine

*****

"Dr James Gardner has taken years of scholarly research and created a book for the lay person (like me!). It is well written and comprehensive, covering every aspect of Jesus' life from birth to death and beyond. Comparable books about Jesus usually focus on one or two aspects, but Gardner attempts to cover everything (was he married? was his mother a virgin? what was his relation ship to John the Baptist? was he the suffering servant? etc).

Gardner's theme is myth vs. reality and he manages to stick to this theme throughout, sometimes showing the origins of the myth as well. I found it very interesting and it certainly changed my mind about lots of issues. I especially liked the use of tables and bullet points, which made it easier to see the weight of the evidence he presents. It's probably one reason why he packs so much information into relatively so few pages. Comparable books I've read are usually much longer.

I'm not sure I agree with Dr. Gardner's ultimate conclusions, although he does present a lot of evidence to support them. His idea is that Jesus and his family were Essenes, and he accounts for many of the questionable aspects in the gospels by attribution to this theory (e.g., we don't know much about Jesus' childhood because he was raised in Qumran). He believes that Jesus' group was a major political force, numbering in the thousands, and this accounts for the reason Jesus is killed. And he provides a plethora of information that Jesus was bothered by a lifelong stigma of being a "mamser".  Computer Guy, California, Review posted on Amazon, June 28, 2006

*****

"I recently read this book. I was very impressed with it. I particularly valued the first chapter which described the various methodologies that were used to evaluate the issues surrounding Jesus and his life. The author does not seem to have any axes to grind. I think he is concerned with the accuracy of the statements made regarding Jesus. He appears to accept Jesus' main message which seems to be "love." My neighbor has also read parts of the book which facilitates positive discussion between us. I recommend this book. I enjoyed reading it and my image of Jesus has changed." Dr. Norman Cavior, Walnut Creek, USA. Review posted on Amazon, June 28, 2006.
 

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