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A God Named Josh: Uncovering the Human Life of Jesus Christ
The Life of Jesus Like You've Never Imagined
Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say I am?" It's a question that still needs an answer today. With deft, insightful, and humorous strokes, award-winning biographer Jared Brock weaves archaeology, philosophy, history, and theology to create a portrait of Jesus we've never seen before.
This is a groundbreaking biography about the historical Jesus we don't usually think The child refugee. The "carpenter" who most likely worked with stone. The adult who walked at least 21,525 miles in His lifetime and yet never tasted tomatoes or potatoes. The itinerant rabbi whose real name wasn't Jesus. The political revolutionary whose brutal murder was secretly masterminded by a power-hungry mafia family.
More than a fascinating biography, A God Named Josh seeks to illuminate Jesus of Nazareth from new perspectives, grounded in history, that will surprise Christians and atheists alike.
"The same wonderful story, the same incredible Savior, the same good news... but written with such clarity that everything you thought you knew about Jesus will seem new and exciting."--STEVE BROWN, founder of Key Life and author of Laughter and Lament
"Prepare Jesus is about to become thrillingly, subversively, dangerously, gloriously interesting again."--MARK BUCHANAN, author of God Moving at the Speed of Your Soul
Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say I am?" It's a question that still needs an answer today. With deft, insightful, and humorous strokes, award-winning biographer Jared Brock weaves archaeology, philosophy, history, and theology to create a portrait of Jesus we've never seen before.
This is a groundbreaking biography about the historical Jesus we don't usually think The child refugee. The "carpenter" who most likely worked with stone. The adult who walked at least 21,525 miles in His lifetime and yet never tasted tomatoes or potatoes. The itinerant rabbi whose real name wasn't Jesus. The political revolutionary whose brutal murder was secretly masterminded by a power-hungry mafia family.
More than a fascinating biography, A God Named Josh seeks to illuminate Jesus of Nazareth from new perspectives, grounded in history, that will surprise Christians and atheists alike.
"The same wonderful story, the same incredible Savior, the same good news... but written with such clarity that everything you thought you knew about Jesus will seem new and exciting."--STEVE BROWN, founder of Key Life and author of Laughter and Lament
"Prepare Jesus is about to become thrillingly, subversively, dangerously, gloriously interesting again."--MARK BUCHANAN, author of God Moving at the Speed of Your Soul
- GenresChristianSpirituality
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2023
33 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Jared Brock
5 books48 followersJared Brock is the author of Bearded Gospel Men, A Year of Living Prayerfully, and The Road to Dawn.
Jared is the director of three films including PBS's Redeeming Uncle Tom with Danny Glover, and he has written for Esquire, Huffington Post, Smithsonian, and TIME.
Follow Jared Brock on Facebook.
Jared is the director of three films including PBS's Redeeming Uncle Tom with Danny Glover, and he has written for Esquire, Huffington Post, Smithsonian, and TIME.
Follow Jared Brock on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 13, 2023
Other than the gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Holy Scriptures, A God Named Josh: Uncovering the Human Life of Jesus Christ by Jared Brock stands as the first biography of Jesus that I’ve read. The book combined Scriptural accounts and secular history relating to Jesus of Nazareth aka Yeshua aka Yehoshua.
It took me nearly a month to read A God Named Josh as it’s a lengthy book. The author brilliantly organized this biography, and I loved learning new historical insights. Chapter 5 (The Relational Josh) uncovered Jesus’ familial connections and showed how interconnected his followers and family were. Chapter 7 (The Philosophical Josh) fascinated me and deepened my understanding of Yehoshua’s teachings. Chapter 8 (The Economic Josh) will challenge any Christian to think about the use of money. For me, the book’s greatest impact came from the chronicling of Yehoshua’s day-by-day journey from the triumphal entry to the resurrection. I’ll never look at a cross the same way and the author reconciled the resurrection accounts beautifully (something I’ve never been able to do in my own readings).
Every so often, Jared Brock stepped out of biographer mode and into a theologian or apologetic defender of the faith role. Most of the ideas in A God Named Josh stay within mainline evangelical framework, but sometimes the author challenges traditional interpretations and makes good cases for his ideas (though I didn’t come into agreement with every point). I recommend reading with an alert, discerning eye as there are plenteous suppositions (some presented as such and some quietly inserted). I often used the provided Scripture references to check up on the author’s ideas. Personally, I thought some of his interpretations were out of context or construed in a way that may or may not be correct and true. The book and its ideas made me examine certain Bible passages with a new view.
In A God Named Josh, Jared Brock writes in an intelligent, but relatable tone for Millennials, and included occasional crassness (mentioning the disciples’ stones) and infrequent misogyny (could have been easily avoided, and didn’t mesh with the way he elevated female disciples in other points in the book). I enjoyed this book and expect it to stay with me for a long time. 4.5 Stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
It took me nearly a month to read A God Named Josh as it’s a lengthy book. The author brilliantly organized this biography, and I loved learning new historical insights. Chapter 5 (The Relational Josh) uncovered Jesus’ familial connections and showed how interconnected his followers and family were. Chapter 7 (The Philosophical Josh) fascinated me and deepened my understanding of Yehoshua’s teachings. Chapter 8 (The Economic Josh) will challenge any Christian to think about the use of money. For me, the book’s greatest impact came from the chronicling of Yehoshua’s day-by-day journey from the triumphal entry to the resurrection. I’ll never look at a cross the same way and the author reconciled the resurrection accounts beautifully (something I’ve never been able to do in my own readings).
Every so often, Jared Brock stepped out of biographer mode and into a theologian or apologetic defender of the faith role. Most of the ideas in A God Named Josh stay within mainline evangelical framework, but sometimes the author challenges traditional interpretations and makes good cases for his ideas (though I didn’t come into agreement with every point). I recommend reading with an alert, discerning eye as there are plenteous suppositions (some presented as such and some quietly inserted). I often used the provided Scripture references to check up on the author’s ideas. Personally, I thought some of his interpretations were out of context or construed in a way that may or may not be correct and true. The book and its ideas made me examine certain Bible passages with a new view.
In A God Named Josh, Jared Brock writes in an intelligent, but relatable tone for Millennials, and included occasional crassness (mentioning the disciples’ stones) and infrequent misogyny (could have been easily avoided, and didn’t mesh with the way he elevated female disciples in other points in the book). I enjoyed this book and expect it to stay with me for a long time. 4.5 Stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
May 29, 2023
In A God Named Josh, Jared Brock has written a fresh perspective about the life of Jesus. He named God Josh and in it he refers to him by this name. The book begins by exploring the genealogical of Jesus and goes all the way to him dying on the cross and rising up from the grave. He enlightened on all of the twelve disciples and their backgrounds using scripture where readers can grasp who they were. He explored in great detail how Jesus related to the women he was around at the time, the Romans, Pharisees, just to name a few. He looked at the rabbi clothing and how they dressed. Jared explained how we can take lessons from Yehoshua and our appearance. First, we need to remember not to judge others on how they look on the outside. He shared how there isn’t many people who were considered attractive or well-dressed who made an impact. These included William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and Mother Teresa. He clarified how we shouldn’t dress in anything that could cause us to distract someone else. The book also revealed the significance of following economic principles and using wisdom in our money and spending. He broke this down into twelve principles such as, “use your money to show mercy, make a budget, or rather, count the cost, give and lend to the poor without question”.
I would recommend this remarkable book about Jesus and his historical life story to anyone who is ready to dive into a new version about His life. I thought it was interesting to see how he compared Jesus’ murder to being committed by a mafia family. He tried to think of things people don’t typically think about in reading Jesus’ story. He even dramatic shared that Jesus burped, farted, and did other things. I will admit that this isn’t something I have really considered while reading scripture before. I liked the idea of naming God after Josh but it was honestly a little confusing as to why the author chose this name. I personally felt he could have just called God, God. I think it was more of a way where readers can understand the scriptures and the story in today times. One of my favorite chapters was the last chapter detailing Jesus’ journey to the cross and dying for sins. He violently tried to describe the scene of Jesus being tortured and abused. This was very eye opening at imagining the scene. I also liked how he looked at the explanation of the resurrection and some of the possibilities that people tend to believe and it led up to what if Jesus really did resurrect.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”
I would recommend this remarkable book about Jesus and his historical life story to anyone who is ready to dive into a new version about His life. I thought it was interesting to see how he compared Jesus’ murder to being committed by a mafia family. He tried to think of things people don’t typically think about in reading Jesus’ story. He even dramatic shared that Jesus burped, farted, and did other things. I will admit that this isn’t something I have really considered while reading scripture before. I liked the idea of naming God after Josh but it was honestly a little confusing as to why the author chose this name. I personally felt he could have just called God, God. I think it was more of a way where readers can understand the scriptures and the story in today times. One of my favorite chapters was the last chapter detailing Jesus’ journey to the cross and dying for sins. He violently tried to describe the scene of Jesus being tortured and abused. This was very eye opening at imagining the scene. I also liked how he looked at the explanation of the resurrection and some of the possibilities that people tend to believe and it led up to what if Jesus really did resurrect.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”
September 6, 2023
This novel appealed to me because of the author. I had read a number of his earlier books, including The Road to Dawn and A Year of Living Prayerfully, so when I learned he had a new book out and what the subject was, I jumped at the chance to read and review this book.
I appreciated how the author gave readers a peek into Jesus’ daily activities, demonstrating that he was a real person who existed in a real historical period and location.
The author discussed the lives of the twelve disciples using scripture, which I found to be effective. I like how he looked at Jesus’ relationships with the disciples and how he respected women of that time. I enjoyed how the author skillfully dispels various widespread misconceptions about Jesus, his teachings, his disciples, his childhood, and his vocation just to name a few.
The book includes details concerning Jesus of Nazareth's past from the Bible and other documents. Some of the ideas this author made me consider I hadn't thought of before. After finishing this book, I gained fresh perspectives on Jesus's life in Rome as well as an insight into historical politics and customs of the times. The final few chapters, which were set during the week leading up to Passion Week, were gripping and, to put it simply, eye opening. I walked away from this book with a new and fresh look at the life of Jesus.
This book is for you if you're seeking for a readable, thought-provoking, and enlightening look at Jesus' daily existence in the first century.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/
I appreciated how the author gave readers a peek into Jesus’ daily activities, demonstrating that he was a real person who existed in a real historical period and location.
The author discussed the lives of the twelve disciples using scripture, which I found to be effective. I like how he looked at Jesus’ relationships with the disciples and how he respected women of that time. I enjoyed how the author skillfully dispels various widespread misconceptions about Jesus, his teachings, his disciples, his childhood, and his vocation just to name a few.
The book includes details concerning Jesus of Nazareth's past from the Bible and other documents. Some of the ideas this author made me consider I hadn't thought of before. After finishing this book, I gained fresh perspectives on Jesus's life in Rome as well as an insight into historical politics and customs of the times. The final few chapters, which were set during the week leading up to Passion Week, were gripping and, to put it simply, eye opening. I walked away from this book with a new and fresh look at the life of Jesus.
This book is for you if you're seeking for a readable, thought-provoking, and enlightening look at Jesus' daily existence in the first century.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/
April 13, 2023
This book is undoubtedly the most fascinating one I have ever read on the person and work of Jesus. Brock's writing style is wonderful and the book is very readable, even with a bit of humor here and there. I like how he gives possibilities and differing views and how he blends in historical information from other sources. He includes new insights I have never seen before and touches on just enough Greek to be interesting, such as puns. He explores Jesus' family structure and the character of each of his disciples. He also has a wealth of information on the political and cultural conditions of the day. He even reviews descriptions of people of that day to give hints of what Jesus might have looked like. He does the same for how Jesus might have dressed and what he might have eaten.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this book is Brock's clarification of misunderstandings, of ideas Christians have been taught or assumed. An example is the function and composition of the Sanhedrin of that time. At the time of Jesus it was more of an ad hoc advisory group for the high priest, not the more organized Great Sanhedrin of centuries later. He explains many confusing issues, such as why there are two high priests named in Luke 3:1-2.
Old and new believers alike will find much thought provoking information and eye opening insights in this book. It would be a good book to use in a class or small group. I recommend it.
While I was offered the opportunity by the publisher to review this book, I have not received a copy from them. I was able to read the book through my local library and complete this review. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this book is Brock's clarification of misunderstandings, of ideas Christians have been taught or assumed. An example is the function and composition of the Sanhedrin of that time. At the time of Jesus it was more of an ad hoc advisory group for the high priest, not the more organized Great Sanhedrin of centuries later. He explains many confusing issues, such as why there are two high priests named in Luke 3:1-2.
Old and new believers alike will find much thought provoking information and eye opening insights in this book. It would be a good book to use in a class or small group. I recommend it.
While I was offered the opportunity by the publisher to review this book, I have not received a copy from them. I was able to read the book through my local library and complete this review. My comments are an independent and honest review.
August 26, 2024
A history of Jesus as told almost strictly using the bible and other faith-based sources, and through the eyes of an evangelical Christian with no pretenses of being a secular historian. (Not being a Christian myself, I cannot vouch for the accuracy.) The author has an excellent voice, presentation style while at times coming off like a sermon; I really enjoyed the comparisons and contrasts. I wish he had used mainly historical sources versus faith-based ones, but I'm clearly not the target audience. Recommended for those that believe the way the author does; Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth is a better secular biography.
July 5, 2023
Awesome review of the scripture
I have never had these perspectives (all backed up by scripture) presented to me before. This was really well written and intellectually stimulating. Made me think!
I have never had these perspectives (all backed up by scripture) presented to me before. This was really well written and intellectually stimulating. Made me think!
March 2, 2025
I loved this book. Lived. Loved. Loved it. I may not agree with, like, 1% of what it says, but it’s an absolutely 100% beautiful book. I wish there was a Spanish edition I could give all my friends.
May 1, 2023
I loved it!
Brock blends a narrative retelling of the gospels with historical context, meaning we get lots of research and detail, but it’s nothing like the dry and distant style of commentaries. It is engaging, vivid, and imaginative.
I learned so much about Jesus and the historical context he lived in. Definitely recommend.
Brock blends a narrative retelling of the gospels with historical context, meaning we get lots of research and detail, but it’s nothing like the dry and distant style of commentaries. It is engaging, vivid, and imaginative.
I learned so much about Jesus and the historical context he lived in. Definitely recommend.
May 23, 2023
A super-enjoyable study of the life of Jesus.
My full video review: https://youtu.be/vNWaR4NeV6A
My full video review: https://youtu.be/vNWaR4NeV6A
November 28, 2025
Really good, popular level presentation of some great scholarship.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews