Sabtu, 13 April 2013

Good Books On The Life Of Jesus Christ

By Camille Nicholson


Readers looking for books on the life of Jesus Christ will have plenty to choose from. There is no other historical figure who has been the subject of more writing over the past two thousand years. It does not matter weather a reader is looking for a religious, historical or philosophical perspective, there are more than enough works to keep them busy for years.

The most famous and widely read book about the life and times of Christ is, of course, The Bible. Specifically the New Testament and the four gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were the disciples who's work are generally believed to best represent the teaching of Christ during his lifetime.

The most commonly encountered problem with the gospels is no one really knows when they were written. Some people believe they were compiled shortly after the death of the Messiah, whilst others think that they were not put down on paper till maybe a hundred years later. Many people feel that the gospels are just old oral traditions that were finally written down and do not accurately represent the happenings in Nazareth so many years ago.

There is still so much controversy around the life and teachings of Jesus. Many people are not sure what to believe and like to read a variety of works. This is a good way to see all sides of the argument and piece together their own view. Without some knowledge of the social, political and cultural aspects of life in the middle east two thousand years ago it is almost impossible to have an accurate idea of the what is likely to have happened.

Many authors spend their entire working lives studying the authenticity of their sources. It is crucial to understand how the Christian church has developed over the centuries. There is so much to learn and many aspects must be accurately synthesised. Readers must learn to critique their sources carefully and be willing to do a lot of research.

The highly regarded German author Gunther Bornkamm spent his life and academic career trying to put together an accurate and understandable approach to Christianity. As a highly educated man he had access to many sources and presented his findings in such a way that both intellectuals and lay people could understand them. He aimed for a factual examination of Nazareth at the time of Christ, not a romanticized account had been popular at the time.

Even today there are many new and controversial works being published that challenge the established views of Jesus. Some of them are focused on the exploration of the Pagan world and its well established religious beliefs. As Christianity spread across Europe it had to deal with and incorporate these ancient beliefs.

The old beliefs have been incorporated into the modern Christian doctrine and can often be found very near to the surface. This makes the study of Christianity even more fascinating. Books on the life of Jesus Christ are still so popular because they are able to appeal to everyone and have still not answered the question. Was Jesus really the son of God?




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