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Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
by Reza Aslan

Published: 2013-08-15
Hardcover : 299 pages
1 member reading this now
17 clubs reading this now
3 members have read this book
Recommended to book clubs by 1 of 2 members
Who was the Jewish peasant who, two thousand years ago, walked across what is now Palestine to gather followers with the goal of establishing the Kingdom of God? Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with ...
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Introduction

Who was the Jewish peasant who, two thousand years ago, walked across what is now Palestine to gather followers with the goal of establishing the Kingdom of God? Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction; a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves with swords; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity a secret; and ultimately the seditious "King of the Jews" whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his brief lifetime. Aslan explores the reasons why 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 of Nazareth's life and mission. The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel: a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time and the birth of a religion.

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Be sure to watch the Oliver interview
by GreenArr0w (see profile) 06/24/14

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Member Reviews

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by sandy w. (see profile) 06/23/19

 
by Jan M. (see profile) 08/07/17

 
  "Zealot"by Nancy G. (see profile) 06/24/14

We found this to be a fascinating time in history about a fascinating person. Aslan differentiates between history and faith, nevertheless there were members of our group who chose to skip this discussion.... (read more)

 
  "Zealot"by Dorothy M. (see profile) 10/16/13

The author claims his work is deeply and thoroughly researched, but his conclusions were unconvincing. It was not a broad and well thought-out work.

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