JESUS: AN HISTORIAN'S REVIEW OF THE GOSPELS

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Summary: The New Testament as an historical document
Review: Grant has managed to treat the life of Jesus as one would treat any historical figure. He has sidestepped centuries of interpretation and misinterpretation, and presents a portrait of Jesus based on the actual historical evidence. It is not the Jesus we are used to, and Grant's own interpretations challenge many common assumptions

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Summary: Intriguing History
Review: I ran across this book while looking for the Jesus Seminar series. I decided to pick this one up to compare with the JS books, and it compares favorably. It is written in a much more "approachable" fashion than the JS works, and Grant seems to recognize the fine line he treads between historical research into Jesus' life and offending Christians' beliefs. As a history buff I found it intriguing, and I will look for more books in this line--fact-based historical research without a political or religious agenda. I find it interesting that some Christians are offended by revelations into the historical acts of Jesus, or the differentiation between his acts and the works of the founders of the Christian church some years later. An honest attempt to research the actual mission of Jesus should only help scholars & Christians better understand him.

Rating:
Summary: The Jesus of History
Review: This book provoked many feelings, from curiosity to hate. Perhaps this is just what Michael Grant expected or wanted. He should be commended for taking on such a controversial subject. The inclusion of works other than the Bible, however, would have given the book a greater historical impact. Unfortunately, Michael Grant fails to follow his original thesis of fully explaining the Gospels in a historically correct fashion. The one constant in the book is Grant's writing style, it reads easily. Read the book it will either make one a better Christian or cause one to seek a new religion either way it will be an experience.