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Summary: OT embellishment of NT
Review: The theory behind this book is this: the gospels vary quite a bit because they were for specific christian sects and were never meant to be compiled together. Each gospel was written for a particular audience with its own religious oral history and take on the OT [when the OT no longer was the "Tanakh" but a complication of predictions or signs about the future messiah Jesus]. Each author was trying reconcile disparate pieces of information that was available at that time. Hence some dissatifation with the early "Mark" gospel and its subsequent embellished by "Luke" and "Matthew" and the abandonment of "Mark" by "John". Helms draws interesting comparisons (some old, some new) between the gospels as well as with situations and phrases (in greek) from Isaiah, Elijah, later prophets, Psalms, and Daniel as well as the occasional pagan and Buddhist references. It is the comparisons between the Greek in the OT vs. NT that allows this book to stand out.
I have read a few books already on this type of topic so I'm a bit jaded. Its too bad about the author's title choice and emphasis of "fictional narrative" of the gospels otherwise he would have a larger readership. However this is not a bad book for its 150pgs and I have learned new things about the NT's relationship with the Greek OT.
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Summary: A clear critique of the historical validity of the Gospels
Review: This book, valuable to the informal reader as well as the researcher, highlights the (seemingly intentionally) embellished nature of the New Testament, and notes the unconvincing arguments of Gospel defenders. With clear and convincing reasoning he exposes various discrepancies in the gospels, indicating how history was exaggerated to satisfy prophecies. Writing as literary critic the author does not pick an argument with the Christian faith and acknowledges the value of the Gospels as works of art, but strips the religious baggage from the New Testament books. Chapters address the fictional nature of theology, nativity legends, miracles, passion narratives and resurrection accounts. The book's non-emotional style shouldn't offend the believer who is brave enough to question dogma, yet the well-researched and uncompromising text should arm the skeptic with large-bore ammunition in arguing with Bible-defenders,
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Summary: Devastating Critique of Gospels' Historicity
Review: This immenseley fascinating book will hold your attention from the first page (where Mr. Helms describes what one thinks is Jesus of Nazareth only to learn it is actually the life of Apollonius of Tyana) to the last. Unlike most freethought books, which are often heavy on bombast and weak on documentation, this book uses literary criticism to show that most of the alleged events described in the four canonical Gospels most likely never occured. Mr. Helms does not merely assert that the miracles did not happen, much more importantly, he shows where the Gospel authors likely got the material to compose them. In nearly all cases, the material was taken from the Old Testament (particularly the Greek Septuagint). With painstaking comparisons, Helms demonstrates that when the Gospels write of the activities and miracles of Jesus they often use the very words of earlier incidents in the Old Testament. For example, many of the miracle stories are merely rewrites of the miraculous activities of Elijah and Elisha described in First and Second Kings. For instance, of Elijah's miracle of the cruse of oil and barrel of meal being sustained in the woman of Zarephath's scarcity, we read these words "He arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city" (I Kings 17:10). Of Jesus healing in the city of Nain we read in Luke 7:12 "Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city..." Helms notes that the city of Nain has since been excavated and there was no gate to this city. But that is irrelevant. The Gospels are not historical documents and were never written to give one objective, historical data; they were written in order that you might believe (St. John 20:30-31). If a gate was not actually present at the edge of the city of Nain, it was necessary that the Lukan evangelist invent it since the purpose was to emphasize how the Christ story "fulfilled" or was an anti-type to the earlier one. In essence the New Testament stories are pawning off of the credibility of the widely respected Septuagint. Peter's walking on water is remarkably similar to a nearly identical story from Buddhism that would have been known to First Century residents of Palestine because of the presence of Buddhist missionaries in Alexandria. Christians of the conservative stripe (and perhaps some who are more liberal) will not like Helms' book. In fact, their reviews of "Gospel Fictions" tell us little about the book itself and a great deal about their sense of anger and disgust with being challenged with something they cannot refute. When a situation like that occurs all intellectual and spiritual honesty has gone out the window. I have heard there exist Christian refutations of "Gospel Fictions" but if they are anything like the work of most apologetics ministries they are most surely ad hominem attacks and smears against the writer. They frequently attempt to dispose of literary criticism by saying they want "real" evidence not literary techniques as if the gospels constitute any kind of serious evidence themselves that would stand up in a court of law. These Christian critiques of the critiques usually boil down to childish pouting. You need to read this book regardless of where you fall in the divide between faith and skepticism. The argument that the gospels are the supreme, literary fictions of our culture cannot be easily dismissed.
Rating:
Summary: Short and Succinct
Review: This is a short and highly-focussed study of the Gospels as seen within their historical context. It probably won't interest the fundamentalist believer but is a gem for a history buff or skeptic who sees the Bible as a literary work written by and for people motivated by their immediate circumstances rather than divine revelation.
Rating:
Summary: Very well written, a revelation
Review: This is a short simple little book. Anyone who is familiar with the Christian Gospels knows that they vary from each other in various details. This book provides and explanation why and in the process explains how they came to be written. The first Gospel to be written was that of Mark. It however from a doctrinal point has some problems. There is no mention of the Virgin birth, Mark in quoting a number of prophecies in the Old Testament misunderstands and misquotes them, the description of Jesus?s Baptism suggests that he only becomes the Son of God at that point and not at his birth and lastly the women who observe the resurrection tell nobody. Helms suggests that the Gospel of Luke attempts to deal with these issues by providing details about the birth, it quotes correctly from the Old Testament and it tries to make sense of the baptism of Jesus and gives a different account of the resurrection. The process of working out the events of Jesus life rather than coming from a historical narrative are often constructed by looking at Old Testament prophecies and then creating events which mirror these prophecies. Helms gives as an example of this Mathew?s use of a prophecy in Isa 7:14-16 to predict the Virgin Birth. It is clearly a passage which illustrates a suggestion that King Pekah of Israel will not reign for long. Mathew has misunderstood the nature of the prophecy. The writing of the Gospels has thus not come about from an inquiry into the historical Jesus but rather as a result of the Gospel writers creating a legend that fits in with their communities view of the personality and nature of Jesus. Helms refers to the large number of other Gospels which were in circulation `such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Phillip, the Secret Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene which have been disregarded from the Cannon. The survival of the current Gospels reflects their acceptance by the church as reflective of acceptable doctrine. The chapter on the biblical miracles is perhaps the best in the book. A number of these, especially the raising of the dead are borrowing?s from the Old Testament. Again it is shown how Mark presents a view of Jesus using clumsy magic like tricks whilst in the later Gospels the magic is replaced by Godlike power. However there is a discussion about the story of Jesus arrest and the cutting of of the ear of the servant of the high priest. This starts off as a simple story but the later Gospels tease out a miracle with the curing of the ear. The source of the miracles is shown clearly to be a number of Old Testament stories which have been copied closely. This book also shows the different treatment of miracles in the Gospels. In John they are proof of supernatural power and a reason to believe. In the other Gospels they are the result of the faith which Jesus inspires in people, Unlike some authors, Helms believes in the existence of a historical Christ. He believes that the crucifixion and the baptism by John the Baptist were both inconvenient stories whose inclusion can only be explained by the fact that they happened. He suggests that a good deal of work has been undertaken by the writers of the Gospels to incorporate these stories in such a way that it fits in with Jesus divine nature. The story of the Baptism is the clearest example. Baptism was aimed at removing sin from a person. Why then was Jesus baptised? The later Gospel writers have incorporated dialogue from John the Baptist suggesting to Jesus that his Baptism was unnecessary as a means of dealing with this dilemma. All in all an easy to read and interesting little book
Rating:
Summary: Too bad such analysis doesn't reach a wider audience
Review: This is a very enjoyable, to-the-point book on the possible origins of the gospels. It is the sort of book that wouldn't be terribly controversial if the subject were not The Holy Bible. The Bible as we've known it for centuries is a literary and philosophical inspiration. This book is not advised for those who require their Bible to be historically and literarily perfect. Helms examines the discrepancies, theories and possibilities of Bible authorship and presents some very convincing ideas. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out where the Bible really came from.
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