Deconstructing Jesus - Kindle edition by Robert M. Price. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Deconstructing Jesus - Kindle edition by Robert M. Price. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.




Deconstructing Jesus Kindle Edition
by Robert M. Price (Author)

4.1 out of 5 stars 18 customer reviews

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Length: 284 pages Word Wise: Enabled

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historical jesus robert price burton mack new testamentbiblical criticism ancient world deconstructing jesus jesus of nazarethmany jesus evidence scholars gospel christianity christianfigure whether jewish later important paul




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Steven H Propp
TOP 50 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 starsA "JESUS AGNOSTIC" NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLAR LOOKS AT THE GOSPEL EVIDENCEJuly 30, 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Robert McNair Price (born 1954) is a former Baptist minister who teaches philosophy and religion at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary, is professor of biblical criticism at the Center for Inquiry Institute, and was the editor of the Journal of Higher Criticism from 1994 until it ceased publication in 2003. He is a fellow of the Jesus Seminar, notwithstanding his doubts about the historical existence of Jesus. He has written other books such as Incredible Shrinking Son of Man: How Reliable Is the Gospel Tradition?,Jesus Is Dead,The Amazing Colossal Apostle: The Search for the Historical Paul,The Case Against The Case For Christ, etc.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 2000 book, "this book treats of the historical Jesus and whether we can know anything about him, whether even there is anyone to know about!... I intend to deconstruct 'Jesus Christ' on a deeper level, one underlying believers' imaginary relationships with their Savior... What I do not propose to do is what an increasing ocean of books endeavor, namely reconstructing a historical Jesus from what scanty evidence remains to us... Generations of Rationalists and freethinkers have held that Jesus Christ corresponds to no historical character: There never was a Jesus of Nazareth... What I am describing is someting different, a 'Jesus agnosticism.' There may have been a Jesus on earth in the past, but the state of the evidence is so ambiguous that we can never be sure what this figure was like or, indeed, whether there was such a person." (Pg. 9,12,17)

He points out, "The power of Burton Mack's case ] is such that he has managed to convince the great proponent of the Christ-Myth in our day, George A. Wells, to abandon the ground he defended for so long. Wells now significantly qualifies his own argument to the effect that, while there was a Cynic-style sage named Jesus underlying Q1, this shadowy figure did not give rise to the full-blown mythic Christ of the gospels... And Mack would agree." (Pg. 115)

He argues, "Let me hasten to point out that a multiple-root origin theory for Christianity would not automatically mean there had been no original historical Jesus. Indeed, Mack certainly holds for... at least one historical Jesus, the sage whose sayings have been collected for our edification in Q1. But I wonder if Mack's work does not set loose implications that he himself does not yet appreciate... Q1, far from allowing us access for the first time to the historical Jesus, is instead inconsistent with a historical Jesus." (Pg. 150)

He concludes, "Traditionally, Christ-Myth theorists have argued that one finds a purely mythic conception of Jesus in the epistles and that the life of Jesus the historical teacher and healer as we read it in the gospels is a later historicization. This may indeed be so, but it is important to recognize the obvious: The gospel story of Jesus is itself apparently mythic from first to last. In the gospels the degree of historicization is actually quite minimal, mainly consisting of the addition of the layer derived from contemporary messiahs and prophets... One does not need to repair to the epistles to find a mythic Jesus." (Pg. 260)

Price is an unusual figure (not many Jesus skeptics are also New Testament scholars), but his books are important reading for anyone studying the historical evidence for Jesus.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsWell-researchedApril 19, 2017
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Price has done amazing research of extra-biblical sources to cast doubt on the traditional view of Jesus' uniqueness. Virtually nothing he said was not said by others, whether the Cynics or even much-maligned Jews of the first century who were teaching the same things. Even the uniqueness of the crucifixion and resurrection was preceded by identical myths or even novels of the time. Price is sympathetic, as he came from an Evangelical background and you can see an evolution of thought in his writings. After exposing the idea of originality in the gospels he reaches a point of agnosticism about whether we can know that there ever was a man named Jesus of Nazareth at all.

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Rick Theis
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful DeconstructionJanuary 13, 2016
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I can only say, "he's done it again!" It's another really good read, and recommended to anyone looking to put another lid on the discussion. Well done, and written in a way I like to see reasoned arguments. You either wind up agreeing or disagreeing, although the latter would be unreasonable. Highly readable, highly recommended, and another in a lineup of good books to consider for your bookshelf.

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KJ
5.0 out of 5 starsWill make you thinkOctober 11, 2011
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Robert M. Price has a knack for coming up with intriguing hypotheses when it comes to Biblical criticism. He makes no claims to have all the answers, and presents a whole load of interesting material from the ancient world that will at the very least throw some much needed doubt onto the field of historical Jesus research. I wouldn't say that this book is aimed at the average layman, but rather at those who have done a fair amount of reading on this topic already. There are a few long portions of the book that present the traditions of Jesus from non-biblical sources and I could imagine that the average reader would become disinterested. For those looking to expand their knowledge on the historical Jesus I recommend this book very highly.

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George N. Wells
5.0 out of 5 starsJesus, Jesus, wherefore art thou Jesus?May 11, 2000
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I guess it all started with the pre millennium madness. More and more biblical scholars are following the footsteps of scholars who have attempted to find the actual person behind the gospel accounts.
"Deconstructing Jesus" isn't an easy read. Unless you have been diligently studying in this field you will find many references to authors you have never heard about. The field is rife with people studying this question.
Bottom line, as I understand it, is that the Jesus that contemporary Christianity follows is a multi-layered construction that has evolved over time to fit the needs of the current culture and political climate. The roots of this construction are all over the first century Middle East and various philosophies. From Cynic, to Gnostic, through Zealot, and everything in between has been woven into the picture that we get of "The Man From Nazareth" (or, was he a Nasserite or Nasorean?).
For the serious student of Christology or church history this book is an excellent criticism of all the current thinking in this area of scholarship. I doubt that the average pew-sitting Christian will be overjoyed with this book but the scholarship will, eventually, be the stuff of many homilies.
Will you find the historical Jesus in this book? No. But you will find an early Church struggling with a polyglot of beliefs attempting to blend them into a cohesive fabric of faith. Perhaps it is that dynamic that has kept "The Church" alive for two millennia. Mysticism and Gnostic thinking are on the rise again and "The Church" on the eve of another evolutionary move -- here's the first map of the territory ahead.
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T. K. Mikkelsen
4.0 out of 5 starsAn Different Look at JesusJune 20, 2013
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I believe this is one of the first books where Robert M. Price touches on the subject of the historicity of Jesus. Price does a very good walk through the different aspects of evidence for a historical Jesus and shows how all the evidence slowly fades away. He does not yet come to the conclusion that Jesus is pure myth in this book, the is for later books, but he does say that we can know next to nothing about the historical Jesus from the evidence we have.


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Amazon.com: When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity during the Last Days of Rome (9780156013154): Richard E. Rubenstein: Books

Amazon.com: When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity during the Last Days of Rome (9780156013154): Richard E. Rubenstein: Books




When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity during the Last Days of Rome First Edition
by Richard E. Rubenstein (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 215 customer reviews







ISBN-13: 978-0156013154
ISBN-10: 0156013150Why is ISBN important?
----------------------


Editorial Reviews

Review



"[Rubenstein] has taken one of the major religious controversies of the early Christian church, a controversy that consumed its energies for most of the fourth century, and turned it into a flesh-and-blood encounter of real people that reads like an adventure story."-The Christian Science Monitor
"A splendidly dramatic story . . . Rubenstein has turned one of the great fights of history into an engrossing story."-Jack Miles, The Boston Globe; author of God: A Biography



About the Author



RICHARD E. RUBENSTEIN is professor of conflict resolution and public affairs at George Mason University and an expert on religious conflict. A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, he was a Rhodes Scholar and studied at Oxford University. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia.




Product details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Mariner Books; First edition (July 10, 2000)
Language: English
More about the author
› Visit Amazon's Richard E. Rubenstein Page


215 customer reviews
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Dr. Terrence McGartyTop Contributor: Photography
5.0 out of 5 stars

Excellent Retelling of the Nicene Creed ControversiesDecember 23, 2018
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The book by Rubenstein is exceptionally well written and approachable by the lay reader. It addresses the topic of Christology, namely just what was Jesus Christ, man, God, both, and are there three Gods, one, a blend. This has been a major issue in Christianity. It is a monotheistic religion, namely one God, but in the Gospel writing we see Jesus as Son of God, but equal to the Father, and then the Holy Spirit, somehow a third entity acting upon the Apostles. Add to this mix the background of many in Greek philosophy and Greek philosophical terms. Finally add the ascension of Constantine, the "first" Christian emperor in Constantinople who see a cacophony of voices with opinions on this "Trinity" of Gods, yet being just one God. Rubenstein notes that battles would ensure at bakers, merchants, sailors, bar keeps as to what Jesus and the three really were. To Constantine he needed unity not dissension.

The battle was between, at this time, Arians and non-Arians. Arians saw Jesus as Son of God with all that such a relationship brings. The non-Arians are those who saw unity in the Trinity, unity and equality.

Enter Greek, its words, its meanings, its philosophical underpinnings. Enter also the collection of egos acting as Bishops fighting viciously against opposing sides, seeking the approval of Constantine with execution being the adversarial tactic.

The book takes you from before Nicaea to during the Council to many of the events proximate to its ending. It covers the theological issues, the political intrigues, and the religious infighting. There were Councils after this which settled a few issues but not all.

A key set of observations that the author opines on are:

1. The dominant role of Constantine, who at this point is frankly not even a Christian not having been baptized until just before his death.

2. The lack of almost any role by the Bishop of Rome, now the Pope in the Catholic Church. It would not be until the beginning of the next millennium that the concept of a powerful Pope would evolve.

3. The sustaining of a multiplicity of views in the context of deadly conflict.

In the end Rubenstein alludes to the fact that Mohammed and his interpretation had but one God, the Father if you will, and that Jesus was a prophet, as was Moses and in turn as was Mohammed. This simplicity Rubenstein argues was what the Muslim faith spread so rapidly, it simplified so much of the extreme complexity of the Christology. Yet I would argue that this was but one of the many reasons for its spread. One must remember that Muslim faith spread from about 625 onwards whereas the events in this tale are surrounding the period of Nicaea, 325, three hundred years earlier. I would argue that it also was the oppression of the Emperors in Constantinople, the wars with the Persians, the influx of Germanic tribes and a conflux of many other factors.

There is also the maintaining of the Arian faith amongst the newcomers such as the Lombards which lasts well into the 7th Century. There is the detailed theological work using Aristotle by Aquinas in the 13th century and finally the abandonment of this by Ockham in the 14th century, reverting to faith rather than reason.

The greatest challenge in a book of this type is setting the stage for Greek words and meanings circa the 4th century. Such terms as person, essence, substance, and so forth, have meanings in Greek at the time which were modified from Aristotle and his followers, and then as we get to the Scholastics, modified again, and frankly read today may have no nexus to the reality of the time and place of these arguments. I would like to have seen some discussion of this issue, one which I have struggled with in trying to understand early 7th century works. Add to this the complexity of meanings as one crosses the Mediterranean, from Constantinople to Alexandria, then to Syria and beyond.

Overall Rubenstein does a great job for a book of this type. The writing is clear, focused, organized. The explanation and very reasonable and the interplay with the Greek is included. For anyone interested in the battle with Christology this is a superb beginning.

Creeds and their enforcement are sensitive issues. The Eastern Orthodox Church still has core differences, and even amongst Western churches there are material discrepancies. Thus public shows of reciting one Creed or another can and do often result in conflicts, often based upon gross ignorance of the underlying issues. Rubenstein adds to our understanding greatly.

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ta
4.0 out of 5 starsinterestingJanuary 29, 2018
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This book is a history of the Arian controversy. Rubenstein presents the history mostly from a political perspective instead of a theological perspective — probably because the controversy was much more political than theological. That is, the Trinity Doctrine was finally adopted as a result of politics (force) instead of theology (persuasive Scriptural argument). For a discussion of the theological and philosophical development of the Trinity Doctrine, see First Three Centuries: Or, Notices of the Lives and Opinions of Some of the Early Fathers, With Special Reference to The Doctrine of the Trinity by Alvan Lamson. Rubenstein’s history shows that, for the most part, Christians did not act much like “Christians” during the Arian controversy. Most preferred traveling the easy road of imposing their view by force, with “a winner take all” attitude, than taking the arduous road of persuasion.

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Clay GarnerTop Contributor: Philosophy
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars'Tradespeople felt perfectly competent to debate abstract theological issues and to arrive at their own conclusions'October 11, 2017
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“In a sermon delivered at his church in Constantinople [381], Gregory . . .

“If in this city you ask a shopkeeper for change,” he complained, “he will argue with you about whether the Son is begotten or unbegotten. If you inquire about the quality of bread, the baker will answer, ‘The Father is greater, the Son is less.’ And if you ask the bath attendant to draw your bath, he will tell you that the Son was created ex nihilo [out of nothing].” (6)

Key issue - Son created or eternal?

“Gregory’s wry comment is fascinating both for what it says and what it implies. It suggests that ordinary tradespeople and workers felt perfectly competent—perhaps even driven—to debate abstract theological issues and to arrive at their own conclusions.’’ (6)

This seems. . .different to the modern ear. Analysis, meditation, careful reasoning - what a thought!

“It reveals that disputes among Christians, specifically arguments about the relationship of Jesus Christ the Son to God the Father, had become as intense as the centuries-old conflict between Christians and pagans.’’ (6)

“And it implies that Arianism, which orthodox Christians now consider the archetypal heresy, was once at least as popular as the doctrine that Jesus is God.’’ (6)

“Gregory’s shopkeeper questions whether Jesus Christ is “begotten or unbegotten”—that is, whether he is a creation of God or the Creator Himself. The bath attendant says that he was created “from nothing,” meaning that he was brought into existence like the rest of God’s creatures. And the baker asserts that Christ is separate from and lesser than God. All these are Arian positions, so called because they were developed in sharpest form by an Alexandrian priest named Arius. The ill-fated George was also an Arian: one who believed that Jesus Christ was, indeed, the holiest person who ever lived, but not the Eternal God of Israel walking the earth in the form of a man.’’ (6)

Rubenstein writing as a historian, not a theologian. Hence, although explaining the doctrinal, Biblical, religious ideas carefully and clearly, most of the focus is the political, personal, military, economic influences.

Arias and his fundamental arguments likewise are drawn quickly but throughly. For example. . .

“Was Christ, then, to be considered human? In one sense, the answer was yes. Jesus of Nazareth was a real man, not some divine apparition or mask of God. But his moral genius and the importance of his mission raised him high above even the greatest prophets. The Savior was sui generis. Many Arians believed that the Eternal had somehow conceived him (or conceived of him) before time began, and used him as an instrument to create the rest of the universe.’’

Jesus vital in god’s purpose. Nevertheless. . .

“Even so, they insisted, he could not possibly be God Himself. How could an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good Creator experience temptation, learn wisdom, and grow in virtue? How could he suffer on the Cross and die the death of a human being? Surely, when Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” he was not talking to himself! When he admitted that nobody knows the day and hour of Judgment, “not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only,” he was not just being modest. And when he told his disciples that “the Father is greater than I,” he meant exactly what he said. (6)

This presentation is countered with clear explanation offered by Athanasius. . .

“Yet he had to be both fully human and fully divine, argued Athanasius. Could the death of a mere human being redeem our sins, grant us immortality, and, eventually, resurrect our physical bodies? Of course not! But could Omnipotent God, the Beginning and the End, suffer for our sake without becoming human? The answer was equally plain. Therefore, whether or not it seemed “reasonable” to people schooled in Greek philosophy, Jesus Christ was both true man and true God. Hosius would surely have found this exposition convincing. His people—the people of western Europe—would not accept a Jesus who was too much like them. They knew they were feeble sinners, struggling to survive in a hostile environment. The Christ they wanted and needed was a High God who could save them by His grace and comfort them through the ministrations of His Church.’’

This was one objection. In fact, many Christians still accept this. There was another. . .

“In fact, Arian theology implicitly reduced the role of the institutional Church. If Jesus’ life and character were supposed to serve ordinary Christians as a usable model of behavior, the principal mission of the clergy would be to help people transform themselves, not maintain theological and political unity throughout the empire. This was another reason Constantine would probably favor the doctrine of Alexander and Athanasius. The Church he needed was one that would help him keep order among ordinary folk: people who would never become immortal unless God decided for reasons of His own to save them.’’ (62)

Desire for power, control, authority, was probably decisive.

Wow!

Contents -

An Incident in Alexandria
The Silence of Apollo
A Quarrel in God’s House
The Great and Holy Council
Sins of the Body, Passions of the Mind
The Broken Chalice
Death in Constantinople
East against West
The Arian Empire
Old Gods and New
When Jesus Became God

Principal Characters

Rubenstein’s sociological foundation shows here . . .

“One underlying question was this: To what extent were the values and customs of the ancient world still valid guides to thinking and action in a Christian empire? Some Christians, among them Arius and Eusebius of Nicomedia, had a stronger sense of historical continuity than others. Those whose ideas and social relationships were still shaped to a large extent by the optimistic ideals and tolerant practices of pagan society, and for whom Christianity seemed a natural extension of and improvement on Judaism, tended to be Arians of one sort or another.’’ (73)

‘Christianity as extension of Judaism’ is obvious. Jesus was a Jew!

“By contrast, the strongest anti-Arians experienced their present as a sharp break with the past. It was they who demanded, in effect, that Christianity be “updated” by blurring or even obliterating the long-accepted distinction between the Father and the Son.’’

‘Update Jesus!’ What???

“From the perspective of our own time, it may seem strange to think of Arian “heretics” as conservatives, but emphasizing Jesus’ humanity and God’s transcendent otherness had never seemed heretical in the East. On the contrary, subordinating the Son to the Father was a rational way of maintaining one’s belief in a largely unknowable, utterly singular First Cause while picturing Christ as a usable model of human moral development. For young militants like Athanasius, however, ancient modes of thought and cultural values were increasingly irrelevant. Greek humanism and rationalism were shallow; Judaism was an offensive, anti-Christian faith.’’ (73)

The key issue, the decisive idea, was to turn eyes away from the human messiah. Why? Focusing on a mystery, an incomprehensible puzzle, left priests and the church to intercede. Power is good, more is better.

Along with the exposition of the ideas, Rubenstein devotes many pages to analysis of the personalities. Constantine, Arius, Athanasius, Eusebius, etc.,etc.. Outstanding!

Includes a list at the end. Lists about forty names. Excellent!

Two-hundred fifty nine notes. One map. No photographs. Eleven page index (links worked great).

About the author -

“RIchard E. Rubenstein is professor of conflict resolution and public affairs at George Mason University and an expert on religious conflict. A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, he was a Rhodes Scholar and studied at Oxford University.’’

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Amazon.com: The Case Against the Case for Christ: A New Testament Scholar Refutes the Reverend Lee Strobel (Audible Audio Edition): Robert M. Price, LLC Secular Media Group: Books

Amazon.com: The Case Against the Case for Christ: A New Testament Scholar Refutes the Reverend Lee Strobel (Audible Audio Edition): Robert M. Price, LLC Secular Media Group: Books




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Audible Sample

The Case Against the Case for Christ: A New Testament Scholar Refutes the Reverend Lee Strobel Audible Audiobook– Unabridged
Robert M. Price (Author, Narrator), Secular Media Group, LLC(Publisher)
3.4 out of 5 stars 57 customer reviews

Leading New Testament scholar Robert M. Price has taken umbrage at the cavalier manner in which Rev. Lee Strobel has misrepresented the field of Bible scholarship in his book The Case for Christ. Price exposes and refutes Strobel's arguments chapter-by-chapter. In doing so, he has occasion to wipe out the entire field of Christian apologetics as summarized by Strobel. This book is a must-read for anyone bewildered by the various books published by Rev. Strobel.

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Case for Christ, Revised & Updated: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of…
Lee Strobel
4.7 out of 5 stars 996
#1 Best Seller in New Testament Biographies
Audible Audiobook
AUD 23.06
57 customer reviews
3.4 out of 5 stars
3.4 out of 5 stars

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4 star 14%
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David Evans
4.0 out of 5 starsExcellent.May 11, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Wonderful point by point rebuttal of the stilted, worn out apologetic saws in Strobel’s shameless pseudo-skeptical tome. Price raises many of the same questions that arose in my mind repeatedly as I perused Strobel’s work, and he eloquently elaborates erudite counter arguments to each of the hopelessly inerrantist claims of each apologist interviewed in “The Case For Christ”, effectively laying the axe of Reason to the root of superstition and unwarranted belief that has nourished the Christian religion for two millennia. A few scattered typos prevented a five star recommendation.

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KailuaFlyer
5.0 out of 5 starsReturn to FormJune 30, 2019
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A well written, well thought out, logically consistent and amply supported book akin in its thoroughness to his earlier works.


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George Walter Hageman
5.0 out of 5 starsThe truth about the "Case for any stupid belief system you might have."August 23, 2019
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Humor was good but took a bit to get into :). Very good very complete ... don't read "The Case for X" without it.


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Gill
5.0 out of 5 starsUtter Destruction.August 4, 2017
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This book totally destroys christian apologetics.The author, Price, is very knowledgeable about the topics. He's also funny and witty at times which helps keep things more interesting despite the dull topic. (the bible)
I don't see a reason fot anyone hating this book other than they're biblical literalists.

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Rus
3.0 out of 5 starsSmart and thorough but not for the casual readerJune 22, 2014
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Found this book takes a lot of focus and can be difficult to read. The author does seen to be thorough but the casual reader will get lost fairly easily. Seems to target those who already are somewhat familiar on the subject.

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Josh Gaitan
4.0 out of 5 starsWhy should christians have all the fun?August 26, 2017
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This book is needed. In my travels online where I might post a word or statement suggesting there isn't a god, there is usually a few who bray about Lee Strobel's books. When I say that "yes I have read them, have you read the case against the case for crhist?" they call me a troll and leave in a huff. This book has given me greater insight as an atheist and new tools to use. And shows you just how deep that rabbit hole goes that is christianity.

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StarStuff
5.0 out of 5 starsFascinating: fact-based and loaded with informationFebruary 25, 2017
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Robert Price has written a scholarly, thorough, fact-based refutation of Strobel's book, "The Case for Christ". It is well-referenced and well organized. It is not, however, an "easy read". Price's writing is clear and concise, but he has included an enormous amount of information, which requires the reader's full attention. (This is very much in contrast to Strobel's book, which is very dumbed-down even when compared to most other books on Christian Apologetics.)
Price goes beyond a simple rebuttal of Strobel's claims, by digging deeply into the huge amount of scholarly Biblical research that has been done over the past 200-300 years. This research reveals the Bible's rich, complex, nuanced heritage, which is far more interesting - and factually defensible - than Strobel's simplistic attempts to "investigate" what he has already pre-decided to believe.

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Matthew Beachy
4.0 out of 5 starsLots of good readingJune 20, 2013
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Mr. Price does a really good job of skewering the opposition with withering wit, which is well deserved (imo). Theists who have read Strobels's book would do well to watch it be dismantled handily. Sadly, very few even care to see if it can stand up to scrutiny.
I remember 'The Case For Christ' as a christian and thought it to be extremely clever.
Of course, at the time (and for years later) I studiously avoided anything that would 'draw' me away from the faith.

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The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (Case for ... Series): Lee Strobel: 0025986345860: Amazon.com: Books

The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (Case for ... Series): Lee Strobel: 0025986345860: Amazon.com: Books



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The book consists primarily of interviews between Strobel (a former legal editor at the Chicago Tribune) and biblical scholars such as Bruce Metzger. Each interview is based on a simple question, concerning historical evidence (for example, 'Can the Biographies of Jesus Be Trusted?'), scientific evidence, ('Does Archaeology Confirm or Contradict Jesus' Biographies?'), and 'psychiatric evidence' ('Was Jesus Crazy When He Claimed to Be the Son of God?'). Together, these interviews compose a case brief defending Jesus' divinity, and urging readers to reach a verdict of their own. & nbsp;Read more... 

Introduction : Reopening the investigation of a lifetime -- 

pt. 1. Examining the record -- 
1. The eyewitness evidence : Can the biographies of Jesus be trusted? / with Dr. Craig Blomberg -- 
2. Testing the eyewitness evidence : Do the biographies of Jesus stand up to scrutiny? / with Dr. Craig Blomberg -- 
3. The documentary evidence : Were Jesus' biographies reliably preserved for us? / with Dr. Bruce Metzger -- 
4. The corroborating evidence : Is there credible evidence for Jesus outside his biographies? / with Dr. Edwin Yamauchi -- 
5. The scientific evidence : Does archaeology confirm or contradict Jesus' biographies? / with Dr. John McRay -- 
6. The rebuttal evidence : Is the Jesus of history the same as the Jesus of faith? / with Dr. Gregory Boyd -- 

pt. 2. Analyzing Jesus -- 
7. The identity evidence : Was Jesus really convinced that he was the Son of God? / with Dr. Ben Witherington III -- 
8. The psychological evidence : Was Jesus crazy when he claimed to be the Son of God? / with Dr. Gary Collins -- 
9. The profile evidence : Did Jesus fulfill the attributes of God? / With Dr. D.A. Carson -- 
10. The fingerprint evidence ' : Did Jesus - and Jesus alone - match the identity of the Messiah? / with Louis Lapides -- 

pt. 3. Researching the resurrection -- 
11. The medical evidence : Was Jesus' death a sham and his resurrection a hoax? / with Dr. Alexander Metherell -- 
12. The evidence of the missing body : Was Jesus' body really absent from his tomb? / with Dr. William Lane Craig -- 
13. The evidence of appearances : Was Jesus seen alive after his death on the cross? / with Dr. Gary Habermas -- 
14. The circumstantial evidence ' : Are there any supporting facts that point to the resurrection? / with Dr. J.P. Moreland -- 
Conclusion : The verdict of history : What does the evidence establish - and what does it mean today? -- 
List of citations -- Notes -- Index 


If you were a journalist, how would you handle a news story so big it would utterly eclipse all other world events? How thorough would your investigation be? How many hard-hitting questions would you ask? How carefully would you consult with top experts to get detailed, accurate answers? 

Lee Strobel knows firsthand. It was as an award-winning reporter for the Chicago Tribune and an avowed atheist that he first investigated the greatest news story of all -- the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Now, in The Case for Christ, he presents compelling evidence and expert testimony for the claims of Christianity. As a seasoned journalist with a Yale law background, Strobel systematically tracks down his leads and asks the blunt, tough questions you would want to ask -- questions that can make or break the Christian faith. He refuses contrived, simplistic answers. 

Instead, he pieces together hard facts through interviews with a dozen of the country's top scholars. Written in the style of a blockbuster investigative report, The Case for Christ is a provocative and spellbinding read, marshaling expert testimony and persuasive evidence. With unerring instincts, Strobel ferrets out: Historical evidence: Do we possess reliable documents concerning the life, teachings, and resurrection of Jesus? Scientific Evidence: Is there archaeological substantiation for the historical accounts about Jesus? Did Jesus perform miracles? Psychiatric Evidence: Did Jesus really claim to be God? What evidence is there that he fits God's profile? Fingerprint Evidence: What does prophecy have to say about Jesus? Other Evidence: Jesus' death, the missing body, eyewitness accounts, and claims of personal encounters. The Case for Christ reads like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But, it's not fiction. It's a riveting journey to the truth about the most remarkable event in history: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And it's a revealing, personal testimony to his power to transform people yet today -- even the most case-hardened, cynical journalist



Lee Strobel
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4.7 out of 5 stars 996 customer reviews

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! OVER 5 MILLION COPIES SOLD!

Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God? Former atheist and Chicago Tribune journalist Lee Strobel says yes! In this revised and updated bestseller, The Case for Christ, Strobel cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools such as Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis, asking hard-hitting questions - and building a captivating case for Christ's divinity.

Strobel challenges them with questions like, How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence for Jesus exist outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event?

Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and twice nominated for the Christian Book of the Year Award, Strobel's tough, point-blank questions read like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But it's not fiction. It's a riveting quest for the truth about history’s most compelling figure.

The new edition includes scores of revisions and additions, including updated material on archaeological and manuscript discoveries, fresh recommendations for further study, and an interview with the author that tells dramatic stories about the book's impact, provides behind-the-scenes information, and responds to critiques of the book by skeptics.

As The Case for Christ and its ancillary resources approach 10 million copies in print, this updated edition will prove even more valuable to your spiritual journey.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lee Strobel was the award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and is the bestselling author of The Case for Christ, The Case for Christ Devotional, The Case for Christianity Answer book, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and The Case for Grace. With a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale, Lee has won four Gold Medallions for publishing excellence and coauthored the Christian Book of the Year. He serves as Professor of Christian Thought at Houston Baptist University. Visit Lee’s website at: leestrobel.com




Product details

Series: Case for ... Series

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Zondervan; Updated, Expanded edition (September 6, 2016)
Language: English
› Visit Amazon's Lee Strobel Page

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Biography
Lee Strobel (www.LeeStrobel.com), with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and a spiritual skeptic until 1981. His books include four Gold Medallion winners and the 2005 Christian Book of the Year (coauthored with Garry Poole). He and his wife live in Colorado.



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996 customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5 stars


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lee strobel case for christ jesus christ highly recommendgreat book must read new testament well written son of godeasy read excellent book open mind years ago search for the truthrecommend it to anyone many questions well researchedclear and concise death and resurrection eyewitness


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Larry Hilton
5.0 out of 5 starsTo Infinity & Beyond!May 23, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Lee Strobel's "A Case for Christ" was highly instrumental in leading me to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior. Coming from a scientific background, I was also skeptical about this whole "religion thing". However, the methodical scientific approach and evidence he discovered in his search for the truth, convinced me it is far more logical to place my faith in Jesus than not. I can do nothing but highly recommend this book and the movie if you are searching for the truth about Jesus Christ.

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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsRead the book! Watch the movie!June 11, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Lee was an Atheist, and his wife, an Agnostic.What makes this book so interesting, even as a believer, is the fact that Lee, former legal editor for the Chicago Tribune, embarked on a 2 year investigation into the reality of Christ. 

Was Jesus who He said He was? Did He really exist in the flesh? Are the biblical accounts just made up? Were there eye witness testimonies to miracles that supposedly happened through Jesus? Can groups of people maintain eye witness accounts without those stories becoming totally altered after passing down through even the first 20 people let alone generations?

The really great thing about Lee's "investigation" was that he set out to prove that his wife, who became a believer, and all the rest of us, were caught up in a huge scam. Experts in the fields where Lee's questions could be addressed were engaged in this quest. This book is not fiction!

Also, the movie, if you see it, does a great job of summarizing the whole investigation, and you get to "meet" those who were called on to fully answer Lee's questions, and they are not actors.

94 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 starsApologetics for beginnersAugust 30, 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

As a student of Christianity and other religions for a while now, I found this book to be a big disappointment. I was drawn to it given the description of it by many of my peers - a hard look at the evidence from a skeptics perspective. Some even go as far as to say an atheist seeking to disprove Christianity being convinced by the evidence. This interested me in the book - what did Strobel find that was so compelling that it could change a staunch atheist's mind? I was genuinely interested in the answer for my own faith journey.

However, after reading this book, I can say the atheist narrative simply does not hold water with me. Strobel was clearly not trying to disprove Christianity here - not even to "give it a fair trial by weighing the evidence".

In the first chapter, he describes what began the journey - his wife converted to Christianity (much to his dismay), but then he noticed that she was becoming a better person. He says, “Instead, I was pleasantly surprised – even fascinated – by the fundamental changes in her character, her integrity, and her personal confidence ... I wanted to get to the bottom of what was prompting these subtle but significant shifts in my wife's attitudes". This is a great motivation to investigate the religion - but it is certainly not what the narrative suggests - something like "I set out to show her that Christianity is a sham".

Secondly, every scholar Strobel interviews is a Christian, most seminary-educated and many actively working at a seminary. We know this from the pages of credentials Strobel gives us and his habit of asking every expert if their research has strengthened or reduced their faith (spoiler: all say strengthened). This is not to say Christians aren't good scholars (two of them are undeniably genuine experts in their fields - hailed by Christian and secular scholars), but I find it very hard to believe a committed atheist would forego all secular scholars and seek out only Christians for an objective look at the evidence. I suspect the purpose was to present the illusion that all biblical scholars are strengthened in their faith due to their research, which simply is not the case.

Thirdly, and most importantly for me, I do not feel Strobel gives skepticism the trial he claims to, nor the trial it deserves. He is content to accept vague and/or circular explanations (we should trust the disciples' word in the Bible because we have no reason not to - after all they wrote the Bible) and toward the middle and end of the book he is actually putting arguments for Christianity into the mouths of the experts (isn't it true that there is proof of the eclipse at the Crucifixion because a church historian quoted a lost text that talked about it?). He ignores major controversies outright and skirts legitimate problems about biblical authorship, biblical inconsistency, translation/transcription issues, etc. that any half-interested skeptic would know about and takes almost every assertion presented without question.

In the rare case that Strobel does raise a somewhat skeptical objection, he generally presents the most outrageous position a skeptic could take, setting up a strawman argument. An example of what I mean (obviously paraphrased for brevity):

Strobel: Are there non-Christian sources that support the story of Jesus as described in the Bible?
Expert: Yes (a generally cogent argument here)
Strobel: But wait, this author says that Jesus never even existed! What do you say to that?
Expert: We're confident Jesus existed because we have tiny snippets of text that mention him in a Jewish religious book, a pair of Jewish/Roman histories, and a Roman letter.
Strobel: Clearly, there is overwhelming corroborative evidence that Jesus is the unique Son of God!

My problem with this is that the objection raised is extreme - *most* academics and people at large - including atheists - believe that a man named Jesus existed, they're just not sure that he was who Christians have claimed he was (God). Secondly, showing that a human being named Jesus very likely lived does not prove that he is divine or that anything else written in the Bible is true. By presenting the argument this way, he is waving off all the legitimate concerns scholars have raised over the centuries by deconstructing the least plausible of them all.

In sum, what all of these means to me is that Strobel is either dishonest in his motivation/backstory (setting out to disprove Christianity) to create a more compelling apologetic, or he is criminally negligent in his investigation. Either way, I do not recommend this for anyone who want more than superficial confirmation of their active Christian faith. For anyone else who is interested in a real investigation, there is no shortage of books or courses - see Bart Ehrman's books and/or the religious curriculum on The Great Courses for a good start.

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Chef Perry
5.0 out of 5 starsBest book next to the Bible.April 3, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
It's hard to rate this book with only 5 stars. I was raised a Mormon. After leaving the cult due to the Mormon inconsistencies and contradictions I found myself in a state of limbo. I didn't know what to believe. I knew that a God existed but wasn't sure if it was the Christian God, the many many Hindu gods or maybe some deity that was unknown and impersonal.
The Case for Christ was a critical look at Christianity from the perspective of an atheist. Lee Strobel left no stone unturned. He tackled the historicity of the person Jesus, the resurrection account, miricals and every objection to which I wanted answers.


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Paul Muwanguzi
5.0 out of 5 starsCompellingAugust 20, 2017
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I am a christian. My parents were born again long before I was born. My father was immensely and I mean it, immensely transformed after receiving christ. We prayed three times a day, and I was a firm beleiver in Christ simply by reading the bible and listening to men of God. Mama always spoke vividly about the Kingdom yet to come. It is the happiest time of my parents lives, speaking about Christ. I therefore knew christ without reviewing the evidence. Reviewing the evidence in this book has given me a new drive and commitment to the cause and now I am altogether stronger and better grounded. I wish I had read this book years ago! I would definately have had better use of my time witnessing for christ.

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B. Neuls
5.0 out of 5 starsFive StarsFebruary 23, 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Well written and logical. A must for anyone investigating the validity of the claims of the Gospel.

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알라딘: 예수, 선생으로 만나다 by 한인철

알라딘: 예수, 선생으로 만나다 by 한인철

예수, 선생으로 만나다
한인철 (지은이)청송2016-06-10
정가
17,000원
판매가
17,000원 (0%, 0원 할인)


334쪽
152*223mm (A5신)
468g

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목차


1장 왜 역사적 예수인가?-예수믿기에서 예수살기에로
2장 예수의 자리-유대교,헤룻가,그리고 로마제국
3장 예수의 가르침-하나님의 나라
4장 예수의 삶-고통의 치유와 공동식사, 그리고 비폭력적 저항
5장 예수의 동시대인 읽기-함께 아파함과 냉혹한 비판
6장 십자가에 처형된 예수-일벌백계
7장 다시 살아난 예수-그러나 아직 끝나지 않았다
8장 하나님이 된 예수-나케아 별장의 야합
9장 예수 새로 보기-선생 예수
10장 다시 태어나는 기독교인-예수의 길벗