| Plot Summary of Jesus: Life or Legend? |
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"Now in its second edition (1990, 1997), this up-to-date book has the power to inspire, fascinate, and infuriate, depending on one's presuppositions or lack of them. The open minded and genuine seeker of solid historical fact and sensible analysis will be richly rewarded; and the doubting, liberal, hair-splitting type will be richly refuted. Thiede is not afraid to open with statements like 'It is one of the myths surrounding the New Testament that the first disciples were poor and simple people and that one of the miraculous hallmarks of Christianity is that its message was spread by, and indeed entrusted to, such people'. The next 200 pages are then devoted to respectfully but assertively making this expert statement secure.
The sections covered are: 'How were the documents about Jesus compiled?', 'How ancient and reliable are the documents about Jesus?', and 'How Jesus came to Rome'. Each of these sections is divided into very readable chapters, and each is packed with the most recent discoveries of archeology of the New Testament times, and reports on the ongoing controversies concerning redating of certain of the earliest papyrus scrolls, including some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The style is accessible and all technical terms are fully explained. Thiede's academic credentials are of the highest quality and his lines of argument are lucid. The tone is rarely if ever dogmatic, as arguments and evidence that leads to conclusions based on the balance of probability are freely admitted. A superb vindication of the historicity of the documents and the veracity of the witnesses."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Jesus: Life or Legend? |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Kind Of History
Time of history:
- Ancient Roman Era
- 0-1000 AD
History of religion?
Yes
Religion?
- General Christians!
Subjects of this Historical Account
Religion? (if plays a major part)
- Jews!
Is the portrayal sympathetic?
- Sympathetic
From a certain profession/group?
- religious leaders
Intelligence of subject of
history:
- Smart
Main Adversary
From a certain profession/group?
- politician/elected ruler
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Religion? (if plays a major part)
- Pagans!
Ethnicity? (if plays big part)
- White/European
Is the portrayal sympathetic?
- Neutral
Setting
Big City?
Yes
City:
- Rome
- Jerusalem
Middle East?
Yes
Middle East
- Israel
If applicable, liberal/conservative?
- Historian is very moderate
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
How much gore?
- 2 ()
How fast-paced is the book?
- 5 ()
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Book makes you feel...
- challenged
How much focus on stories of individuals?
- Focuses on brief history of a lot of players
How much romance?
- 1 ()
Is book humorous?
Yes
If humorous, kind of humor
- Dry-cynical
Minor characters feature lots of:
- politicians
Pictures/Illustrations?
- None
Length of book
- 201-250 pages
How much emphasis on small details?
- 9 ()
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