By D.
Adams(Ham)
December 4, 2006
This book boldly answers the most common
expostulations raised against Christ by the skeptics. The authors cover the
historical controversies, and the questions posed by The Da Vinci Code, Jesus
Seminar, Acharya S., Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, and the likes. The topics
include; Oral traditions, memorizing culture, textual criticism, canon, the
Jesus mythical god parallels, council of Nicea.
The authors have embarked on a journey into the
insights of the historical accounts of the first century culture that memorized
oral locutions in a community setting. This book exemplifies Christianity on a positive
level, not so much as merely answering the claims set forth the by
skeptics. The authors point out the erroneousnesses of the skeptic mindset, and
their discrepant partial construction of the facts.
An immense number of pages cover textual criticism
and the canonization of scripture. The book commences with terms such as;
source criticism, redaction criticism and literary dependence of the Gospel
writings and the oral tradition and a memorizing culture. In the last chapter
the Christ mythers originally set forth by James Frazer in 1906, the book
answers back with a death blow to these concepts by exposing their frail and
fragile constructs by the misuse of Christian terminology.
In conclusion, "Reinventing Jesus” may
have a misconceived incantation at first glance, but nevertheless the book is a
great resource for the newfangled and the well-seasoned Apologist. This book is
an absolute must have for anyone entering the debate arena.
My opinion of the book is that the authors have
spent a great deal of time (decades) in their research. It is truly time for
other scholars to step up and answer the claims of the skeptics. This book may
well be the start for a new gyration of inspiration of upcoming apologetic
authors. You can find a helpful set of endnotes (64 pages to be exact) and
handy resources for further reading. I highly recommend adding this book to
your shelf as a valuable reference tool whether you are an apologist or lay
Christian.
