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Comments (42)

Zealot

the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
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1 to 25 of 42 items
Feb 06, 2023jaqmartial1 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Interesting perspective! Somewhat in line with my views. A little confusing when you do not have a full knowledge of the scriptures. Had to skip some parts when the author went into specific details.
Nov 12, 2021Shuken_1989 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
"Zealot" is a narrative biographical history written by Dr. Reza Aslan, focused on Jesus of Nazareth, that is to say the historic Jesus. Dr. Aslan is a scholar of religion with a cum vitae that includes mastery of dead languages and a…
Oct 19, 2020bpbiblio rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
That the historical Jesus of Nazareth actually lived is pretty undeniable, but who he really was has been almost completely obliterated by time and the church. In this fascinating work, Reza Aslan peels away the layers of myth that the…
Jun 11, 2019thmcaulay rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A refreshing academic perspective.
Jun 09, 2018DavidSpencer99 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The author is a “scholar of religions,” not a religious scholar, and that distinction shows in his approach to the man whose story formed one of the world’s largest religions. Going into historical records found in Jewish, Christian, and…
Feb 02, 2018dnk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Once again, I'm kicking myself for waiting two years to read something. While this book explores Jesus the person, not Jesus Christ, the messiah, it isn't simply about the man's life. Aslan describes the context that Jesus' movement…
Aug 04, 2016gritslover rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This take on Jesus was totally unexpected for me. Still considering everything I read. Thought provoking, super interesting.
May 19, 2016horthhill rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
"Zealot: The life and times of Jesus of Nazareth" by Reza Aslan was OK but not my favourite 'historical Jesus' book - which is a bit of a favourite genre of mine.
Mar 19, 2016JP_Wright rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I give this book a 6 star rating! Very well researched material not to mention an incredible story telling that engages the reader. It took Reza Aslan 20 years to do the research and put this together. I will warn you that if you grew up…
Jul 19, 2015WMarlow rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
The author gives lots of detail about the politics of the day and gives plenty of references. Very interesting.
Jul 16, 2015evelinatx rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An eye-opening, mind-expanding book. For those who have been relying to understand Jesus through sermons and Bible studies, it offers a refreshing dose of historical context. The edge is twofold, however. On one hand, the things Jesus…
Jun 18, 2015
For those of you who are familiar with the work of a group of religious/biblical scholars known as "the Jesus seminar" , this book adds very little new information. He largely summarizes the work of other scholars. However, he writes in…
Apr 14, 2015Kunterbunt rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I greatly enjoyed reading Aslan's "Zealot" as it has brought me closer to who I believe the "real Jesus" was. Certainly nothing in common with the Jesus of the old myths. This man was a rebel, a revolutionary thinker and most of the…
Apr 04, 2015
My main purpose in reading 'Zealot' was to learn more about the 'real' Jesus and what 'really' happened. With this in mind, I enjoyed Aslan's accessible (if sometimes enthusiastic) writing style, his clear and consistent perspectives and…
Jan 29, 2015
Before I attempted to write my comments on the book, I read the ones already posted. I found them very thoughtful, and they covered the ground I was to tread. As a person who has been indoctrinated in, and has studied the Bible on my…
Jan 06, 2015kianting rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is a good book it tells me the state of affairs during Jesus time, I cannot get the same details reading the bible. This allows me to appreciate and understand the actions that is being done in the bible.
Nov 15, 2014Christinalibrary rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Aslan does an acceptable job of providing vital historical information around Jesus' ministry as well as the situation in Jerusalem around the time of the second temple. He does, however, oddly dismiss the many miracles, Jesus' willingness…
Nov 08, 2014SeattleSaul rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
As other note, there is "nothing new here," but given the enormous influence of this one man and his followers, it is perhaps worth a once-in-a-generation review. I do wish though that the chronology would have been more sequential. …
Nov 01, 2014damurrelet rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Excellent critical reviews…
Sep 13, 2014Chidad rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is first-rate scholarship, witty, and learned and captures, what has been standard stuff in the more progressive seminaries, and theology programs. Brimming full of the latest biblical scholarship, Aslan gives us an eye into the real…
Aug 30, 2014Luvgoodreads rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
A long slog that keeps flipping back on itself and repeating what's already been said. I kept waiting for clarity, and didn't really find it until the last few pages. I found the voluminous notes section to actually be more interesting and…
Aug 15, 2014rafavallina rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I'm surprisingly disappointed. I was looking forward to this book after I read all the reviews praising it, but it did not deliver to my expectations. Although many of the historical elements it mentions are really interesting and…
snooker56
Aug 03, 2014snooker56 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Says nothing new and says it very badly.
Apr 13, 2014AEPowers60 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Very informative history of the politics of first century Judea. Also very enlightening regarding religious terminology and what words like "messiah" meant to someone living in that region and time versus how they are commonly understood…
Feb 16, 2014DanglingConversations rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Nothing new in this book to those who have studied the topic but this is an excellent synopsis of known documentation placed in easy to understand context for a politically complex time. The conclusion is a thought provoking polemic.…