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Summary: Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography
Review: Seeking deeper insight into each person in the Blessed Trinity, I picked up Rabbi Jesus, excited at the prospect of learning more about Jesus's contemporary life. How sad that the author could not leave open the possibility of Jesus's divinity. Instead on page 2 he states categorically that Christ was the product of an illicit love affair and goes on to develop a fictional account of His life loosely based on historical research. This book is a great disappointment. It masquerades as legitimate scholarship yet delivers a sordid, unsupported invention.
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Summary: You can't judge a book by its cover
Review: The cover drew me to this book, a beautifully renditioned Jesus by Rembrandt, and I grabbed it up on my way out of the bookstore. A truly blasphemous work! The author took my breath away with his derisiveness toward the Son of God. Portraying Jesus as hysterical, a failed exorcist, a rabbi who bullied and whined at his disciples, just to list a few of the outrageous claims... this author denies the virgin birth, the resurrection, and everything we as Christians believe in and hold dear. I'm appalled, as I'm sure many Christians would be upon reading this travesty.
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Summary: No clue as to the Divinity of Jesus
Review: There are many fine reviews of this book already on Amazon.com and I applaud all who have waded through this tome of fiction (where my local [book store] has it on display, by the way). Like others, I found what was lacking in the text to be more disturbing than what was present. For a religious leader (I concluded from his bio that Chilton is an Episcopal priest), Chilton completely lacks comprehension of Jesus' divinity. From his birth to his death, Jesus was aware of His place in the world and his mission. Scripture tells us that He knew Who He was and what he was about. You could not comprehend this from reading Chilton's book. He would do well to read the Gospel of John and the Letter to the Hebrews - not with a critical eye, but with an open heart to the message. He would do well to read "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell and other similar treatises. Chilton's lack of physical/historical evidences and his direct contradiction of Scripture forces the Christian reader to file his book under "Historical Fiction". Still, I appreciated the sense of the culture of the time, even if Chilton has no comprehension of the Divine Jesus.
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Summary: A complete waste of time and money
Review: This book appears to tell more about Jesus as a Jew. More about his upbringing in Ancient Israel to enlighten Christians, However it couldn't be farther from that. Mr. Chilton speaks of his own personal opinions rather than any physical evidence. He doesn't seem to know the first thing about Ancient Judaism. I don't think the man even knows what a "talit" is, because he refers to it as a common robe. It is in fact a very sacred prayer shawl that was worn by both Jewish men and women, and is very important in researching Jesus' Hebraic roots. Mr. Chilton compares Jesus to Buddha in an equal manner- compares the living Lord Jesus Christ to Buddha! He also claims that Jesus isn't the son of God, and that he was born of a premarital affair between Mary and Joseph. Mr. Chilton claims to be a man of God, but I'm not sure which Bible he has been reading. This book was a total waste of my money and time. The claim that Mr. Chilton was going to introduce his readers to a Jewish Jesus is totally false, he doesn't even cover basic Jewish traditions and celebrations. Don't waste your time or money on this one.
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Summary: READ THIS BOOK !!!!
Review: This book has changed the way I think about Jesus. I was a Christian before I read this book and a Christian, I remain. This book is a wonderful and demanding exploration into his ministry. Ye of little faith avoid this book at all costs! Those who love truly Jesus, might risk this venture and grow in your understanding of his most neglected aspect, Jesus the man.
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Summary: Not for Fundamentalists (neither religious nor secular)...
Review: This book is a very good piece of work. Chilton's fresh and engaging style will get you hooked and you won't be able to stop reading it. A slight warning is needed: the author is both a priest and a scholar, please approach this book with tolerance and an open mind. Take it for what it is. If you expect a purely secularist or a purely religious point of view you will be disappointed. This is not a book for fundamentalists (neither religious nor secular), you should read it with no preconceptions on the historical Jesus. Even if you don't agree with all of of Chilton's views (I certainly don't), you won't regret reading this book. It is a great intellectual experience. The author does seem to contradit himself at points and he makes some wild claims that he doesn't bother to back up which is why I gave him only three stars. It is a good read nevertheless.
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Summary: The Hobbit in Middle East
Review: This book purports to be an intimate biography, but it delivers a fanciful tale more in line with Hobbit tales than serious examination of historical documentation. The author oftens provides documentation then dismisses it and goes on with his own fantasy about what he thinks might have happened to explain the events. I was amazed the author is listed as a clergyman. I hoped the book would provide accurate information about the time period based on archaeological research, but the author's flights of fancy called the other information into question. If the author had listed the book as fiction/fantasy, it might have had some credibility, as a biography, it is useless.
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Summary: Thought-provoking fiction presented as product of research!
Review: This books dissapoints anyone who is really interested in the facts surrounding Jesus' life and works. You can write a novel based on the life of Jesus. In fact, many writers have done it. But what you CANNOT do is sell a book as based on scholar research and then start your paragraphs with "we can imagine", "we must suppose", or "I think". Please, Mr. Chilton, leave that to the novelists! If your imagination is more important than the Bible itself, you've clearly missed the mark. Not even some good details about Jewish life and thought can make up for the speculative approach of the book. Moreover, the author's presuppositions are held no matter the evidence. For instance, to assert that Luke 7:31 ("We played the flute, but you would not dance...") brings to light Jesus' traumas as a child who was rejected because of his uncertain father is really beyond me! Reading Chilton's book, one gets the idea that anyone can write anything about a historical character presenting any opinion as an evidence based on research and scholarship!
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Summary: terrible
Review: This is a very deceptive book. I thought I would like it. The picture alone made me want to buy it. Yet, after I did a little background research regarding what was written in the book, I am glad I didn't get it. Chilton reduces Jesus the Jewish Messiah, and God in the Flesh to a crazy magic wielding rabbi. I didn't care for it. He denies almost all of the historic christian doctrines, that are very rooted in in the tanakh (OT) and can also be proven by extra biblical Jewish resources. You are better off reading anything by CS Lewis for sound theology or how about reading the Bible for starters? Be very careful with this book as the facts are mixed with a lot of half truths and unproven shady ideas.
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Summary: Imaginative, but unsubstantiated bio
Review: This was an interesting, well-thought out, personal biography of Jesus. HOWEVER, Mr. Chilton does not really attempt to explain why we should believe his choices in "filling in the blanks" of Jesus' history. Why should be believe his vision of Jesus' vision of the "Chariot" ? Why should we believe that Jesus was trying to fulfill the prophesies of Zechariah? His explanations of the Tranfiguration, and of the Resurrection appearances are unconvincing. The reader is asked to accept too much based on faith in the author. This was ultimately an unsatisfying read. (His book on Rabbi Paul was easier to digest and believe.)
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