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Jesus: A Very Brief History
‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . .’
With over two billion followers today, Jesus of Nazareth is the most influential person to have walked the earth. But why has he had such an enormous impact?
Written by a world authority, this brief history begins by assessing Jesus the man – his Jewish heritage, his message, his friends and enemies, and his eventual execution. Helen Bond then considers Jesus’ legacy, starting with the accounts of his life in the New Testament. She also looks at other early portrayals of Jesus, at the spread of Jesus-devotion during the Middle Ages, and at what Jesus means to people today – both in the Church and in secular culture.
With over two billion followers today, Jesus of Nazareth is the most influential person to have walked the earth. But why has he had such an enormous impact?
Written by a world authority, this brief history begins by assessing Jesus the man – his Jewish heritage, his message, his friends and enemies, and his eventual execution. Helen Bond then considers Jesus’ legacy, starting with the accounts of his life in the New Testament. She also looks at other early portrayals of Jesus, at the spread of Jesus-devotion during the Middle Ages, and at what Jesus means to people today – both in the Church and in secular culture.
128 pages, Paperback
Published April 20, 2017
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 24, 2020
So I wanted to read more Historical Nonfiction next year. I started early, oops.
It's short and sweet and gets to the point. It goes into just enough detail to be a gateway into further research. There's a list for further reading at the back as well as an index and a glossary.
I'm a history graduate so I appreciated actually going into something in that area again. I studied a much later period than this so it's also somewhat new.
Honestly I find it harder to review nonfiction. I would probably go into more in this area of study and am planning on reading the one I have on Judas soon.
It's short and sweet and gets to the point. It goes into just enough detail to be a gateway into further research. There's a list for further reading at the back as well as an index and a glossary.
I'm a history graduate so I appreciated actually going into something in that area again. I studied a much later period than this so it's also somewhat new.
Honestly I find it harder to review nonfiction. I would probably go into more in this area of study and am planning on reading the one I have on Judas soon.
June 4, 2019
A short yet detailed and rewarding look at the historical context of, and evidence for the life of Jesus.
The book does consider the various ancient texts that refer to the story of Jesus both within and (more numerous) outside of cannon, comparing and evaluating them using a secular historical approach. While the author takes a very agnostic approach to the actual person of Jesus, she remains respectful in tone both to the person of Jesus and to the traditions built around that person. The author uses this thread as the centre around which she brings in many fascinating facts about this little corner of the Roman world at a particularly interesting time.
The book does consider the various ancient texts that refer to the story of Jesus both within and (more numerous) outside of cannon, comparing and evaluating them using a secular historical approach. While the author takes a very agnostic approach to the actual person of Jesus, she remains respectful in tone both to the person of Jesus and to the traditions built around that person. The author uses this thread as the centre around which she brings in many fascinating facts about this little corner of the Roman world at a particularly interesting time.
August 3, 2020
Just as the title says; Jesus, a very brief history. A great book to read if you are about to dive into the history of, particularly early, Christianity. The various historical sources for the life of Jesus are mentioned and a few of the events that influenced the direction the faith would take. It really is very brief but hopefully there's enough here to make you curious to know more about the life and influence of one of the most significant figures in world history.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews