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Salt & Light: The Complete Jesus
Salt & Light: The Complete Jesus is the highly acclaimed and award-winning definitive statement concerning Jesus of Nazareth, history's most compelling figure. The single most important book about the Historical Jesus in the last 30 years, more comprehensive than Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands a Verdict and more powerful than C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 10, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 20, 2022
As a believer, I was very interested to read this book. I respect a strong premise and this book was going to break through the walls between science, history, and Jesus Christ. I read it intently trying to see if Dean was 100% successful in proving his thesis.
The historical information is presented in an approachable way, much like many Christian writers from the past. The documented information is hard to deny and even as a believer, I learned new things I didn’t know before. The pacing makes it easy to pick up and read for hours or a couple of minutes at a time. I enjoyed the images accompanying the writing, too.
A wonderful treatise on the life and death of Jesus. A book both believers and nonbelievers will find enjoyable. A recommended read for anyone looking for truth and light.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
The historical information is presented in an approachable way, much like many Christian writers from the past. The documented information is hard to deny and even as a believer, I learned new things I didn’t know before. The pacing makes it easy to pick up and read for hours or a couple of minutes at a time. I enjoyed the images accompanying the writing, too.
A wonderful treatise on the life and death of Jesus. A book both believers and nonbelievers will find enjoyable. A recommended read for anyone looking for truth and light.
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
August 3, 2022
An extraordinary deep dive into the life of an extraordinary man, Jonathan Geoffrey Dean’s Salt & Light; The Complete Jesus presents a masterful guide for inquiring minds to the definitive life and ministry of Jesus. The first edition to his two-book series, this book offers an intelligently posed wealth of knowledge, garnered from many years of research and fueled by the layman author’s ignited curiosity.
As a whole, the book was written in search of the entire true scope of Jesus’ life and works, particularly as an earnest way of seeking to answer three simple questions, 1. Who was Jesus? 2. What did he do? 3. What did he say? However, instead of focusing on the religious elements, author Jonathan Geoffrey Dean leaves his faith out of his search, choosing to focus primarily on the academic aspects, which works out very well throughout the book.
Albeit while there is no simple answer to discovering the complete life of Jesus, however, the level of work ethic, thorough research, comparative analysis, and discernment employed by author Dean raises the bar for other books of this nature to meet.
Moreover, as thorough, as it is well-written, this work provides a masterful reading venture that is part historical dissertation, populated with literate reaches into obscured aspects of biblical texts, such as the Gospels, and Acts, which contain elements of the true history of Jesus.
Moreover, the information contained in this book is catalytic in the way that it does well to offer definitive, perception-altering data when it comes to the life of Jesus, often bruising long-standing myths and alternate religious-based concepts previously known, concerning the life of Jesus. Meanwhile also included are instances of contact with those around him used to establish a credible timeline of his life and ministry.
Altogether, author Jonathan Geoffrey Dean did well in answering his proposed questions via sorting through the broad spectrum of information providing sources on the life of Jesus. In part 1 of the book, he delves into the explanation of how myth can become reality and shares the intriguing example of the life of Betty Crocker to prove his point. Additionally, he shares his methodology of reviewing available source materials while meticulously narrowing down the material to a concisely viable list and was able to establish a credible timeline of the true life of Jesus. He examines what made a source useful, including parameters that proved useful in narrowing the scope of truth. Then in part 2 he delves into answering his aforementioned questions by also studying other resources of information including scriptures from Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Pagan perspectives.
Altogether, I enjoyed reading Jonathan Geoffrey Dean’s, Salt & Light; The Complete Jesus and believe this would make a fantastic documentary. This was an absolutely phenomenal read that piqued my curiosity and excited my mind. This was a work that was easy to relate to because it came from a well-versed layman’s perspective and not from the religious perspective bogged down by dogma. I enjoyed the thoroughness of his methodology and look forward to reading the second book in this series. This is a must read for seekers of the true Jesus.
As a whole, the book was written in search of the entire true scope of Jesus’ life and works, particularly as an earnest way of seeking to answer three simple questions, 1. Who was Jesus? 2. What did he do? 3. What did he say? However, instead of focusing on the religious elements, author Jonathan Geoffrey Dean leaves his faith out of his search, choosing to focus primarily on the academic aspects, which works out very well throughout the book.
Albeit while there is no simple answer to discovering the complete life of Jesus, however, the level of work ethic, thorough research, comparative analysis, and discernment employed by author Dean raises the bar for other books of this nature to meet.
Moreover, as thorough, as it is well-written, this work provides a masterful reading venture that is part historical dissertation, populated with literate reaches into obscured aspects of biblical texts, such as the Gospels, and Acts, which contain elements of the true history of Jesus.
Moreover, the information contained in this book is catalytic in the way that it does well to offer definitive, perception-altering data when it comes to the life of Jesus, often bruising long-standing myths and alternate religious-based concepts previously known, concerning the life of Jesus. Meanwhile also included are instances of contact with those around him used to establish a credible timeline of his life and ministry.
Altogether, author Jonathan Geoffrey Dean did well in answering his proposed questions via sorting through the broad spectrum of information providing sources on the life of Jesus. In part 1 of the book, he delves into the explanation of how myth can become reality and shares the intriguing example of the life of Betty Crocker to prove his point. Additionally, he shares his methodology of reviewing available source materials while meticulously narrowing down the material to a concisely viable list and was able to establish a credible timeline of the true life of Jesus. He examines what made a source useful, including parameters that proved useful in narrowing the scope of truth. Then in part 2 he delves into answering his aforementioned questions by also studying other resources of information including scriptures from Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Pagan perspectives.
Altogether, I enjoyed reading Jonathan Geoffrey Dean’s, Salt & Light; The Complete Jesus and believe this would make a fantastic documentary. This was an absolutely phenomenal read that piqued my curiosity and excited my mind. This was a work that was easy to relate to because it came from a well-versed layman’s perspective and not from the religious perspective bogged down by dogma. I enjoyed the thoroughness of his methodology and look forward to reading the second book in this series. This is a must read for seekers of the true Jesus.
August 31, 2022
As an unwavering atheist, who believes wholeheartedly in the existence of Jesus, I was very much looking forward to reading this book, and its evaluation of the authenticity of his divinity, from the point of view of an author immeasurably more knowledgeable on the subject than I. Whilst Jonathan Dean certainly doesn’t disappoint – he is an extremely high quality author, who has undeniably studied, researched and analysed his subject comprehensively – I will admit that it was a slightly tougher read than I was expecting.
There are a couple of reasons for this. I am actually somewhat loath to critique this book in any way which may be perceived as negative, as it is genuinely a work of pure professionalism, literary articulation and serious graft – in fact, everything books were ever intended to be. But it is extremely academic. I am shamefully unfamiliar with the Bible, and I have to say it’s for that reason that I may have struggled with Salt and Light a little at times. Sure, it’s easy enough to understand and follow, but keeping engaged may be challenging for any but those with a profound interest in the subject. The evaluation of Christ’s divinity is carried out exclusively from sources gleaned from the gospels, but because of the format Jonathan has chosen – continuous comparison and correlation within specific contexts, rather than a chronological narrative of Jesus’s life – it did feel a little scattergun in its approach, hence the reason why I think some rudimentary knowledge of the Bible is essential to make the most of it. The second half is more resembling of this, as it starts to focus primarily on the last couple of years of Jesus’s life, through the mission and the miracles to the Passion and, ultimately, the Resurrection. All of this is studied and appraised in an exceptionally balanced and considered manner (I have to assume), with objectivity – though I must admit, there were odd occasions when I wondered at Jonathan’s subjective conclusion, such as his decisions into what elements he is happy to adopt as markers of credibility. That aside, for an atheist like myself, it is refreshing to see the life of Jesus explored and appraised in a down to earth rather than blindly faithful way. Ultimately, then, whilst I won’t give it away, when Jonathan presents his final conclusion about the authenticity of the divinity, I found myself a little crestfallen.
This is a very good book, with a huge amount of work clearly having gone into it. Its quality and credentials are unquestionable. For a layman like me, it could have presented a more reader-friendly experience, but then most will not be reading it in the way I did; it is a reference book, to be read in context-considered moments, and that is exactly how Jonathan has presented it. A tough book, but a triumph nonetheless, and a very interesting, informative and ultimately quite satisfying read.
There are a couple of reasons for this. I am actually somewhat loath to critique this book in any way which may be perceived as negative, as it is genuinely a work of pure professionalism, literary articulation and serious graft – in fact, everything books were ever intended to be. But it is extremely academic. I am shamefully unfamiliar with the Bible, and I have to say it’s for that reason that I may have struggled with Salt and Light a little at times. Sure, it’s easy enough to understand and follow, but keeping engaged may be challenging for any but those with a profound interest in the subject. The evaluation of Christ’s divinity is carried out exclusively from sources gleaned from the gospels, but because of the format Jonathan has chosen – continuous comparison and correlation within specific contexts, rather than a chronological narrative of Jesus’s life – it did feel a little scattergun in its approach, hence the reason why I think some rudimentary knowledge of the Bible is essential to make the most of it. The second half is more resembling of this, as it starts to focus primarily on the last couple of years of Jesus’s life, through the mission and the miracles to the Passion and, ultimately, the Resurrection. All of this is studied and appraised in an exceptionally balanced and considered manner (I have to assume), with objectivity – though I must admit, there were odd occasions when I wondered at Jonathan’s subjective conclusion, such as his decisions into what elements he is happy to adopt as markers of credibility. That aside, for an atheist like myself, it is refreshing to see the life of Jesus explored and appraised in a down to earth rather than blindly faithful way. Ultimately, then, whilst I won’t give it away, when Jonathan presents his final conclusion about the authenticity of the divinity, I found myself a little crestfallen.
This is a very good book, with a huge amount of work clearly having gone into it. Its quality and credentials are unquestionable. For a layman like me, it could have presented a more reader-friendly experience, but then most will not be reading it in the way I did; it is a reference book, to be read in context-considered moments, and that is exactly how Jonathan has presented it. A tough book, but a triumph nonetheless, and a very interesting, informative and ultimately quite satisfying read.
September 15, 2022
Back in March, Jonathan Dean emailed me to make me aware of his book Salt & Light the complete Jesus. Interestingly, this book is comprised of 32 chapters. Thirty-two is said to be the number of Covenant which serves as a foundation for the story of God's people.
This book is deemed to be created for all readers who wish to find the real Jesus’ complete story. There are preliminaries and references for further reading and appendices with side discussions.
I was pleased the book began with the analogy of a picture, taken from the house church in Dura-Europos, Syria; paired with Jesus obscured. I started reading this ebook on Sept 11th and on page eight, in my reader, I saw a reference to this date.
The first chapter begins with noting the questioning, confusion, and considerations of different faiths /opinions of Jesus. Applying four rules to filter many hundreds of potential sources appeared to be a logical and necessary step though one might question persuasive interpretation in that the four rule filter selected would promote pure intellectuality and perhaps suppress the pure emotion and sensation that many of us use to react to certain stimuli.
This book does speak of skepticism of the “almost indisputable facts” about Jesus. We are informed Jesus' followers spread the story of Jesus through preaching and teaching. And more than factual history followers were glancing at the opinions of their authors. Accordingly, I relied on the appendices to gain a more comprehensive understanding of occurrences.
Moving on, the uncertainty in how to go about identifying “authentic” information is understood. We are aware of the destruction of historical records throughout history- be it by fire or an act of war where one must recognize cause and effect happens in our daily lives as it did in history. Destruction leaves holes in the collective historical records and a myriad of methods are used to recover it. Thankfully, collaborative programs have been created to help store historical records through libraries and historical connections.
Overall, this book does read like an academic reference book filled with analysis, and discernment. Scholars' date deductions were challenged citing the author's own research and analysis. I appreciate that he wrote about the complications he ran into while striving to find sources. He recognized and made us aware of the number- play distorts and the importance of looking at the context of a fragment. There were many intriguing images included that were new to me. Furthermore, he reminds us there were manuscripts found that were bundled and unrecorded for 1,500 years.
In closing, I admire the passion and dedication Jonathan Geoffrey Dean had in creating this book and recognize Christian belief in God and His Son Jesus is often a reliance based on faith's spiritual beauty rather than proof.
This book is deemed to be created for all readers who wish to find the real Jesus’ complete story. There are preliminaries and references for further reading and appendices with side discussions.
I was pleased the book began with the analogy of a picture, taken from the house church in Dura-Europos, Syria; paired with Jesus obscured. I started reading this ebook on Sept 11th and on page eight, in my reader, I saw a reference to this date.
The first chapter begins with noting the questioning, confusion, and considerations of different faiths /opinions of Jesus. Applying four rules to filter many hundreds of potential sources appeared to be a logical and necessary step though one might question persuasive interpretation in that the four rule filter selected would promote pure intellectuality and perhaps suppress the pure emotion and sensation that many of us use to react to certain stimuli.
This book does speak of skepticism of the “almost indisputable facts” about Jesus. We are informed Jesus' followers spread the story of Jesus through preaching and teaching. And more than factual history followers were glancing at the opinions of their authors. Accordingly, I relied on the appendices to gain a more comprehensive understanding of occurrences.
Moving on, the uncertainty in how to go about identifying “authentic” information is understood. We are aware of the destruction of historical records throughout history- be it by fire or an act of war where one must recognize cause and effect happens in our daily lives as it did in history. Destruction leaves holes in the collective historical records and a myriad of methods are used to recover it. Thankfully, collaborative programs have been created to help store historical records through libraries and historical connections.
Overall, this book does read like an academic reference book filled with analysis, and discernment. Scholars' date deductions were challenged citing the author's own research and analysis. I appreciate that he wrote about the complications he ran into while striving to find sources. He recognized and made us aware of the number- play distorts and the importance of looking at the context of a fragment. There were many intriguing images included that were new to me. Furthermore, he reminds us there were manuscripts found that were bundled and unrecorded for 1,500 years.
In closing, I admire the passion and dedication Jonathan Geoffrey Dean had in creating this book and recognize Christian belief in God and His Son Jesus is often a reliance based on faith's spiritual beauty rather than proof.
January 31, 2023
“Salt & Light; The Complete Jesus” is a deeply researched publication that attempts to impart understanding and knowledge relating to the existence of an extraordinary human being, Jesus of Nazareth. His personality, works, and words are the backbone of this meticulous read, as substantiated by the Canada-based researcher and award winner, Jonathan G. Dean. This book seeks to reconstruct beliefs and disintegrate confusing information and views about Jesus as professed by diverse religions such as Judaism, Christian, Islam and Buddhism.
Dean dives deep into history critically analyzing dozens of ancient writings and popular academic works in an expedition that readers will establish as worthwhile, commendable, and impressive at the end. The author’s rigorous task gives birth to this much needed publication, full of wit, detail and fact after brilliantly centering his analysis on three major facets of Jesus that keep readers engaged in anticipation and curiosity throughout the thirty-one chapters of this extensive read. His efforts cross boundaries and break biblical parallelism, in order to be effective in separating reality about Jesus from common myths, a pleasurable adventure that makes readers glued to devour this book in one go.
The segments of the book include Dean’s entire research process, methodologies and a sound list of sources, capped with a solid list of references, endnotes, classical art, images and charts, all merging to shape this book into a magnificent Christian masterpiece. The clever inclusion of intriguing questions at the beginning of each chapter prepares readers for the content ahead while ensuring continued anticipation and hope to learn something new with the flipping of every new page.
“Salt and Light: The Complete Jesus” is a rare eye opener that satisfies readers with impressive knowledge communicated in a clear and lively language, and one that will definitely be grabbed from bookshelves because of its exceptional and well-edited text, and irresistible objective. Dean has set the story right for the most significant figure in history, Jesus of Nazareth, making this a central Christian resource, and a worthy addition in academic research and scholarly work.
Dean dives deep into history critically analyzing dozens of ancient writings and popular academic works in an expedition that readers will establish as worthwhile, commendable, and impressive at the end. The author’s rigorous task gives birth to this much needed publication, full of wit, detail and fact after brilliantly centering his analysis on three major facets of Jesus that keep readers engaged in anticipation and curiosity throughout the thirty-one chapters of this extensive read. His efforts cross boundaries and break biblical parallelism, in order to be effective in separating reality about Jesus from common myths, a pleasurable adventure that makes readers glued to devour this book in one go.
The segments of the book include Dean’s entire research process, methodologies and a sound list of sources, capped with a solid list of references, endnotes, classical art, images and charts, all merging to shape this book into a magnificent Christian masterpiece. The clever inclusion of intriguing questions at the beginning of each chapter prepares readers for the content ahead while ensuring continued anticipation and hope to learn something new with the flipping of every new page.
“Salt and Light: The Complete Jesus” is a rare eye opener that satisfies readers with impressive knowledge communicated in a clear and lively language, and one that will definitely be grabbed from bookshelves because of its exceptional and well-edited text, and irresistible objective. Dean has set the story right for the most significant figure in history, Jesus of Nazareth, making this a central Christian resource, and a worthy addition in academic research and scholarly work.
January 20, 2023
🏆 2022 BIBA® Non-Fiction: The Historical Jesus Winner!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews