Desire of the Everlasting Hills : The World Before and After Jesus

Rating:
Summary: Offers some mindblowing new perspectives on Christianity
Review: What if Jesus wasn't divine? What if he was just a good man -- possibly a perfect one (whatever that means), but definitely mortal? This is the hypothesis I remember most from the book. There are others, which doubtless future reviewers will discuss.

Bible scholars have long known that the first three gospels --- Matthew, Mark and Luke --- are fundamentally different in content and presentation than the fourth. While these present a vivid picture of a very human Christ, John's book is full of imagery and theology; as for instance in the famous 3:16 verse "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son..." or in the words of Christ himself "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..." -- that sort of thing. It is John's gospel that has given rise to the divinity of Jesus. Cahill points to evidence suggesting that John's book was written by a Pentecostal-type preacher in an isolated church many many decades after Jesus' crucifixion. Long enough to ensure that what we've always accepted as gospel truth may in fact be merely words placed in the mouth of a legend.

Think about that. If the book has been left out, Christ would be on par with the Buddha --- an ordinary man who led a good life and was in some way enlightened. None of this Holy Trinity stuff. (I am of course being simplistic, but you get the idea.)

Of course such arguments have turned up before. But this time, the author is a Christian. Sickeningly so in places --- I almost threw the book aside when I got to page 306 and found that "Mankind's most effective check on the Alexanders and the Caesars, the Universal Declaration (of Human Rights by the UN in 1948) could have been issued only from Judeo-Christian sources..." Well, maybe I'm taking that out of context. But there are certainly chapters were you can almost hear the author yelling that it's us, the Christians (assuming the reader is one), versus the world.

Still, he makes up for it, putting aside what often seems to be Christianity's most fundamental tenet -- that it is the ONLY source of truth and goodness and urges us to do what seems right as human beings.

I've often felt that Christ was okay and that it was the Christians who were the question mark. This book says its okay to think that, possibly even correct. (I'll admit it, I'm biased whenever an author agrees with me!) Hopefully there will be more books that deal with rethinking Christianity, whose intolerance and false morality through the centuries has caused a lot more suffering than most wars.

Rating:
Summary: an entertaining, but sometimes frustrating, rehash
Review: Like his previous books, the author offers an entertaining, but sometimes frustrating, glimpse of ancient history. He gives a nice recap of the period preceding Jesus and the impact he had on human thought. But the author does not really offer any new insights - a difficult task since the subject is one of the most analyzed in history.

The big problem I have with the book is in the writing. Using two adjectives before each subject becomes tiring, and insulting, to the reader. Nor does Cahill's casualness ("Earth to Jesus: Hello!") jibe with his subject matter.

Rating:
Summary: Frank, gabby, open-eyed, and insightful.
Review: Thomas Cahill is attempting something very difficult here. He is trying to tell the story of the person about whom everyone else has already told the story. He is trying to stand in the cataract of Jesus scholarship and grab out a few choice coins (not rocks), without getting drenched by a spray of technical verbiage. He is trying to write a biography that is chatty and colloquial, but also based on clear reasoning and sound scholarship. He is trying to write in a fair-minded manner about someone everyone either loves or claims to like in a deconstructionist manner that, finally, amounts to something resembling fear.

I have read quite a few similar attempts by non-scholars, or by scholars on Sunday afternoons, to do something like this, and I feel this one comes off pretty well. Probably the closest comparisons might be A. N. Wilson's skeptical Jesus, A Life (inferior), or Philip Yancey's mushy-evangelical The Jesus I Never Knew (not bad).

As you can see from reviews below, Cahill manages to offend a lot of Christians and secularists. Considering all the chances he is taking, both with style and substance, one might call that an accomplishment.

My advice would be to read a chapter before deciding if this is your style, if possible. I almost always found his arguments reasonable and informed, and I have read a lot of these books, on all sides. For me, the fact that he has literary pizzazz, and is not afraid to make a joke, maybe even a pun, does not hurt. This is not a book written by a robot. Cahill treats the text with the respect of relating it to the world of our experience, even if he is sometimes a tad groanish in doing so. Furthermore, while not a scholar, Cahill relies on a few fairly reasonable ones -- no, that does not include anyone in the Jesus Seminar, but unfornately, neither does it include N. T. Wright, in my view the best -- and he brings a fair amount of ecclectic background knowledge to the texts. (I was shocked to find him referring to the Chinese philosopher Yuan Zhiming, for example, who I thought was my secret.)

If some disrespectful comment here on John or another Gospel bothers you, try Craig Blomberg's Historical Reliability of the Gospels. If you ae attracted to the subtitle, "The World Before and After Jesus," but find too little about Jesus' impact on history, I might recommend Christianity on Trial, the fascinating works of Vishal Mangalwadi, or the relevent chapter of my own Jesus and the Religions of Man. If you're offended by Cahill because he makes bad jokes, I can't help you there. But I think he is ultimately serious about Jesus, and I'm with him there.

David Marshall / [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking but uneven
Review: This book is sandwiched by two excellent beginning chapters that focus on the social and historical context of Jesus ("the world before") and by two very finely done final chapters on the impact of Christ's message up to our own time ("the world after"). I didn't find the material in between, in particular the chapters on Paul and Luke, to be as satisfying. This material seemed more theologically-oriented, and I came away with the impression that Mr. Cahill is not quite at home with theology. An established scholar could very easily pick apart his arguments and points of reference. I didn't feel that Mr. Cahill had much of credible substance to add about Paul, the most controversial and fascinating of the apostles. For that reason I gave the book 3 stars (whereas I'd give How the Irish Saved Civilization 5 stars in a heartbeat) although I hasten to add that Desire... is definitely worth reading. Mr. Cahill's writing is always eloquent and insightful.

Rating:
Summary: For All To Read!!
Review: This book is for anyone. It does not force the Christian view on one if they just want to descover who the historical Jesus was. On the other side of the coin, it will open the eyes of many Christians that only see Jesus from the Bible. Cahill brings in the culture and history and weaves it with the narratives from the Bible. By just knowing the stories from the Bible one only knows the Biblical Jesus. But when Jesus is placed in his context one can learn more about who this man was. Excellent Book!!

Rating:
Summary: Hinge of History
Review: Thomas Cahill, author of HOW THE IRISH SAVED CIVILIZATION and THE GIFTS OF THE JEWS, offers and inspiring exploration of Jesus Christ and his impact upon the world for these past two thousand years. He examines Jesus' life within the context of the social, political and economic structures of the day, painting a detailed picture of Christ that is scripturally accurate, at once fully divine and fully human.

This multilayered portrait reveals Jesus as carpenter, son, teacher, friend, healer, leader, prophet, messiah and ultimately Word made flesh. Beyond this, offers the Jesus of today - the central figure of history whose Gospel message of love, compassion and peach has brought (despite the frailties of his followers) salvation to the world.

Unlike many books of piety, DESIRE OF THE EVERLASTING HILLS, also stands as an engaging historical narrative: well-crafted, structured yet flowing, and passionate with attention to both scriptural integrity and historical detail. Mr. Cahill's third entry in his HINGES OF HISTORY series is one that can be read with pleasure and contemplation. It is a fine work deserving of time and attention.

Rating:
Summary: The book doesn't measure up to the title
Review: I am glad I didn't buy the book - I borrowed it. Cahill is in over his head. For example, he states that Jesus taught us to be kind and love one another and for this he lost his life. Earth to Cahill - Jesus lost his life because he said he was the "one who was to come" in response to the High Priest's question regarding his identity. By this he meant that he was the Messiah. Had he said "no" he would have walked out a free man. This is just one misrepresentation. Another is his discussion on "looking at women lustfully" - Cahill totally misses the point. Jesus' immense influence on history is an excellent topic and if you are interested buy Kennedy's "What if Jesus had never been born". Don't waste your money on this book.

R. C. Lewis

Rating:
Summary: Engaging. Makes You Want to Read More
Review: The most wonderful aspect of this great book is that Cahill invites the reader to explore further with other writers who have been more 'scholarly' about this topic, in particular Raymond E. Brown's work on the New Testament. Additionally, Mr. Cahill is a terrific wordsmith. He knows how to engage you, move you, help you understand. His analysis of the four gospels and their particular distinctions are very well done. One can appreciate the differences between Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John without getting hysterical about their inconsistencies. He addresses the tough questions of Christianity and does a nice, even handed job. There is nothing offensive about this book at all, regardless of your denomination. In particular, the section concerning the Apostle Paul and his life as a spreader of the "Good News" is inspiring and helps one understand the political and religious atmosphere of the first century A.D. For that alone, this book is worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: Frank, gabby, open-eyed, and insightful.
Review: Thomas Cahill is attempting something very difficult here. He is trying to tell the story of the person about whom everyone else has already told the story. He is trying to stand in the cataract of Jesus scholarship and grab out a few choice coins (not rocks), without getting drenched by a spray of technical verbiage. He is trying to write a biography that is chatty and colloquial, but also based on clear reasoning and sound scholarship. He is trying to write in a fair-minded manner about someone everyone either loves or claims to like in a deconstructionist manner that, finally, amounts to something resembling fear.

I have read quite a few similar attempts by non-scholars, or by scholars on Sunday afternoons, to do something like this, and I feel this one comes off pretty well. Probably the closest comparisons might be A. N. Wilson's skeptical Jesus, A Life (inferior), or Philip Yancey's mushy-evangelical The Jesus I Never Knew (not bad).

As you can see from reviews below, Cahill manages to offend a lot of Christians and secularists. Considering all the chances he is taking, both with style and substance, one might call that an accomplishment.

My advice would be to read a chapter before deciding if this is your style, if possible. I almost always found his arguments reasonable and informed, and I have read a lot of these books, on all sides. For me, the fact that he has literary pizzazz, and is not afraid to make a joke, maybe even a pun, does not hurt. This is not a book written by a robot. Cahill treats the text with the respect of relating it to the world of our experience, even if he is sometimes a tad groanish in doing so. Furthermore, while not a scholar, Cahill relies on a few fairly reasonable ones -- no, that does not include anyone in the Jesus Seminar, but unfornately, neither does it include N. T. Wright, in my view the best -- and he brings a fair amount of ecclectic background knowledge to the texts. (I was shocked to find him referring to the Chinese philosopher Yuan Zhiming, for example, who I thought was my secret.)

If some disrespectful comment here on John or another Gospel bothers you, try Craig Blomberg's Historical Reliability of the Gospels. If you ae attracted to the subtitle, "The World Before and After Jesus," but find too little about Jesus' impact on history, I might recommend Christianity on Trial, the fascinating works of Vishal Mangalwadi, or the relevent chapter of my own Jesus and the Religions of Man. If you're offended by Cahill because he makes bad jokes, I can't help you there. But I think he is ultimately serious about Jesus, and I'm with him there.

David Marshall / [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Engaging and readable
Review: Having just read this book and read some of the reviews, I felt compelled to write one myself. A book like this will obviously have short comings and can be picked apart by anyone who has done any scholarly research on the subject, but for the most part it does a good job of providing a lot of information and putting the information in proper context. It's also a very readable book about subject matter that can be very boring at times. I found it pretty laughable that most of the negative reviews of this book were from people from the South and Texas, whom I'm sure have only read the King James version....and might even read the "Left Behind" series of books.........scary!!!! Without proper knowledge of the politics, history and culture of the world at that time, or the difficulties that the different translations can create.......no one can offer a valid opinion. Although, it's safe to say that all those bible thumpers from the South are reading the bible in the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.....right? This book does a good job of putting the story of Jesus in it's proper context. But, no hard feelings hillbillies....I mean....God's on our side, so let's bomb Arabs......yyeeeeeeehhhaaaaawwwwww!!!!!