Zealot Book Reviews

AUTHOR
Reza Aslan
SCORE
4
TOTAL RATINGS
1,048

Zealot by Reza Aslan Book Summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A lucid, intelligent page-turner” (Los Angeles Times) that challenges long-held assumptions about Jesus, from the host of Believer
 
Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the “Kingdom of God.” The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was executed as a state criminal. Within decades after his death, his followers would call him God.
 
Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history’s most enigmatic figures by examining Jesus through the lens of the tumultuous era in which he lived. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against the historical sources, Aslan describes a man full of conviction and passion, yet rife with contradiction. He explores the reasons the early Christian church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary. And he grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself, the mystery that is at the heart of all subsequent claims about his divinity.
 
Zealot yields a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told even as it affirms the radical and transformative nature of Jesus’ life and mission.
 
Praise for Zealot
 
“Riveting . . . Aslan synthesizes Scripture and scholarship to create an original account.”—The New Yorker
 
“Fascinatingly and convincingly drawn . . . Aslan may come as close as one can to respecting those who revere Jesus as the peace-loving, turn-the-other-cheek, true son of God depicted in modern Christianity, even as he knocks down that image.”—The Seattle Times
 
“[Aslan’s] literary talent is as essential to the effect of Zealot as are his scholarly and journalistic chops. . . . A vivid, persuasive portrait.”—Salon
 
“This tough-minded, deeply political book does full justice to the real Jesus, and honors him in the process.”—San Francisco Chronicle
 
“A special and revealing work, one that believer and skeptic alike will find surprising, engaging, and original.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
 
“Compulsively readable . . . This superb work is highly recommended.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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Book Name Zealot
Genre Religion & Spirituality
Published
Language English
E-Book Size 7.63 MB

Zealot (Reza Aslan) Book Reviews 2024

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Well written, but flawed.. While it is an interesting piece of work regarding Israel 2000 years ago, it has very little to offer regarding Jesus. The author's opinions and conclusions regarding Jesus take as much faith as the Bible to believe. I would have preferred less obviously slanted adjectives in a historical piece.

Insightful. A very insightful and easy to read book. A real page turner that will keep the interest of any open minded reader.

Exceptional. The level of understanding displayed in this book is compelling. I never had any understanding of 1st century history, this book did wonders for my examination of the world we live in. I commend the author for writing so eloquently on a subject that will surely be tossed aside by the "fundamentalist Christians", but if read by enough open minded individuals it is a very interesting conversation.

Okay. So i had problems with the book as did many thats alright he had a different perspective i had mine thats the way the world works that being said i wanted to say HE DOES HAVE A RELIGIOUS DEGREE BUT NOT A HISTORY DEGREE OF ANY KIND he is not a historian as some foolishly believe . Look it up thats what the internet is for !" That being said i think its a different twist on a hero where he believes jesus to be a villain and a fool i don't agree but i will respect his thoughts to my own beliefs he is misguided and perhaps teaching teens and young adults and to some making a cult I'm not quite sure this is the case but i think people sgould look for truth themselves and look in history books and check the Bible and see in you think JESUS actions were the actions of a liar a fool a villain don't let this man fool you into believing blindly i read the book fully and thought it was to be read with a closed mind as to not purge ones beliefs but to think on the book and what it mean don't not read the bible and just read this that is not finding facts thats reading a book and deciding with out reading about the main person mentioned in this book in other books !? Please read the Bible THEN read this book then make your own decisions its the best thing for you.

Very well written. Beleiver or not this is a must read. It puts Jesus in the historical context of the times and also helps ground in reality what is related in the Bible. This is an objective and detailed work, that in addition to be informative, is utterly captivating. Bravo!

The zealot. I enjoyed the historical sense of time and place the author created. He clearly has many facts and history right. Yet, He ruined the book with his haughty, cynical and dismissive writing style. One minute he is exclaiming what Jesus was actually thinking, saying or doing and then in the next paragraph he contradicts himself and heads down another "and Jesus was thinking" road. From page one this book is rife with this problem. He seems to clearly believe Christianity rise is nothing more than a bit of luck. It was insulting to me. One can only imagine the protests in the streets, violence and jihad against the author if he had taken this tone against Mohammad. With Christianity it's no problem to reduce and dismiss its beginnings with a historical shrug. No one gets that mad. Lets see if he has true courage to write about what Mohammad was thinking and doing during Islam's beginning. Wouldn't that be interesting.

Great book. I read it twice before and I’m looking for his other books.

Amazing. If you love history you will love this book. Very educational. It's not a book about religion but about figuring out who Jesus really was.

Zealot The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazerath. Sensationalism, way too many exaggerated adjectives, extremely speculative TRIPE

A Very Insightful Read. Zealot is a fascinating book. I gained a lot of insight by Mr. Aslan's scholarship on the history of the region and his logical conclusions into the nature of the political and religious relationships and their pertinence to the Gospels.

Perfect books, a must read!. This book is written in a casually intellectual style that is simply beautiful. A great read for anyone that is interested in learning the history of biblical times and Jesus of Nazareth from a historically accurate standpoint . Mr. Reza Aslan uses religious document such as the New and Old Testaments to paint an eye-opening and refreshing portrait of the revolutionary peasant who sparked what became one of, if not the most influential movement in global history. Those who argue the conclusions and assertions Mr. Aslan makes in his book, and criticize his knowledge and expertise on the subject because of his religious and cultural positions have very clearly not read his book or drastically misunderstood his message. This book is a must read for anyone curious in the roots of history's most arguably significant person, and the movement he caused. I will recommend this to all my friends and family.

well researched. Reza puts an incredible amount of depth behind his writing.

Wow. This is not a scholarly work, this is a smear job mascarading as research.

Good book. Holy hell what an interesting book, the author gives so many details it is at times hard to comprehend because just when you thought you wrapped your head around one fascinating thought he gives you another thing to think about. Also I should mention that this book is probably way beyond my reading level but either way it was a fascinating read

Nice biography. Enjoyed reading it!

Amazing. I'm a Jew. Dr. Aslan is a true scholar. Definitely a book worth reading. I very much enjoyed it!

Wow, that was different. This was a great insight to the times, turmoil and political landscape that Jesus had lived in. It has actually strengthened my faith in Jesus and what his message to the world was. Faith, hope and charity. I really liked the story of the early church and how my religion came to be. I highly recommend this book. Eugene Gorman

Brilliant and Eye Opening. From all of the press, I expected a far more biased book. Dr. Aslan has compiled a phenomenal work on Jesus the Man and the Historical Jesus. A must read for anyone who wants a historical glimpse at the founding of Christianity and a view on how it has grown and morphed from the teachings of it's founder.

Garbage. It's open season on Jesus. Were the roles reversed, there would be riots in the streets.

Facts. I didn't like the previous comment: keep in my he is a muslim. Dr. Aslan is a professor in History of religions. He has a Theology degree from Harvard where he studied among other subjects, the New Testament. His books are well written and are based on the facts. Many Christian authors have written books about Middle East and Islam, so I believe someone with Aslan's credentials can definitely write about life of Jesus .

Pure Evil. A Muslim who’s a extreme leftist views. Blasphemy in its finest. Don’t waste your money this book is very much not from God it’s from the Devil.

Good historical account of Jesus of Nazareth. I have started reading this book and I find it engaging thus far. The author is a historian and a theologian (Harvard School of Divinity). He also holds a creative writing MFA from Iowa Writers' Workshop: the text is historical/scholarly and it is also stylistically beautiful. Right now, I'm reading about why they used incense during sacrifices during Jesus' time. This book is worth giving it a try.

Awesome. Read it! Agree or not. Will get you thinking. Read it!

Curious?. I was only browsing through this book, and turned to the page in the middle of the book where he said, the author; that the resurrection of Jesus was not an historical event. The resurrection hinged on that event and that solid fact only, w/o it the apostle Paul claimed, that if it hadn't that our faith was in vain, I think Paul knew a bit more than this fool...

good informative book. I love how the only bad things that critics can say about the book is that the author is a Muslim

Interesting insights. Some of key conclusions apply to any religion or ancient stories!

Fantastic. Eye-opening. Love it.

Excellent. I think he gives a great complete portrayal of first century Hellenistic Palestine. You can find a bit of this is you also read Josephus Jewish antiquities and Maccabees. I read those while in college and I had come to the same understanding of a land that was struggling with finding peace, common ground and a sense for the poor to feel like this was also their land.

Worth It. Whether one agrees with the arguments in this book or not it is a worthy enterprise. Much can be learned about life in the time of Jesus and what helped contribute to the rise of Christianity. This is basically a scholarly work written for the masses, and written well. It does not force one to discard one's faith; it enhances knowledge, and gives another view. It should not be dismissed by clergy and lay alike.

Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover?. It more than complicates the purchasing decision when Christ is represented on the book cover as a caucasian - wasn't he a middle eastern Jew? Hum, I think (at the very least) there's some deceptive advertising in play here. Caveat emptor…

Not for the weak hearted. Read if you are honest with yourself. No opinion on the content. It is to be judged by you. But critisims on grounds of “how dare a muslim …” is not valid. Judge content, not the messenger.

Fantastic. This book has been an intellectual boon to me. It opens up scores of questions and will force me to dig deep within to address questions regarding my faith.

Sexy Jesus. This is a Jesus I can get on board with. A true freedom fighter. This kind of depiction of Jesus is so much more believable- someone I can truly relate to in this day and age. Enjoy the read, this book paints an incredible landscape of this crazy time in history.

Wow. I would say zealot is truly a masterpiece...a true page turner! highly recommend

A better understanding of Jesus. The author has brilliantly educated me and offered me a better understanding of Jesus through describing the facts and understood events of that time through studied historical analysis. It is too bad that some modern interpretations of Jesus have lost sight of his true intentions and principles.

Not Quite What I Was Looking For. While entertaining and at the same time providing a good amount of historical context, "Zealot" fell short of my expectations. I was particularly excited after the first few chapters that provided a great buildup/lead-in to the emergence of Jesus. What followed was a little bit of a let down, diving somewhat into scriptural analyzation/scrutinization, but not to the extent I wanted. It is worth a read, but didn't satisfy my hope for evidentiary text.

Excellent. A genuine non fiction page turner! Paints as complete a picture as possible, given scriptures and historical context, of the actual figure of Jesus. It also provides important distinctions between the person and the Jesus of religious worship, all while written in captivating prose. A truly great read.

Compelling Look at Jesus the Man. I loved this book! I love reading about theology spiritual thinking and religions, but this was a great read, well researched, and most importantly it made real sense. The most believable version of what happened so very long ago that I have read.

Just food for thought.. While no one can be certain of how everything in history unfolded-hence the word history; you can know this much-The Word of God is in only One book and mankind's "history" was written by the ones who killed the heroes.....

A riveting account of Jesus the Man. I grew up as a Christian so I have heard the spiritual narrative of Jesus the Messiah, but I have always wondered about Jesus the Man-Jesus of Nazareth. Reza Aslan acknowledges the lack of historical records of Jesus the Man, but still provides an accurate picture based on historical context and a critical eye on each of the writings about him. Reza Aslan writes with conviction which makes the dense historical narrative engaging. It is a must read for atheists like myself and Christians alike, and anyone else interested in this extraordinary man's life.

Good work. The guy makes me feel closer to Jesus better than the bible

Very well written scholarly piece. It is a shame to see someone judge someone by their religion and say that this book is biased from a Muslim point of view. They fail to understand that facts and documentation take precedence over any bias that might arise. Dismissing someone's academic achievements solely on the basis of their religion is the antithesis of religious tolerance.

Unbiased and for thinkers. You have to be completely ignorant if you're offended by this book. Aslan, while of another faith, put time and care into this book with only one intent: to educate. Well done, Sir. You know the difference between faith and truth.

Great historical perspective. Great book which gives a historical perspective of the life and times of Jesus. Balanced view of both factual history of the Roman Empire and it's impact on Jerusalem plus the theory behind the faith and philosophy of current day religion. Good read!

Garbage with a Capital Z. I have a bachelor’s degree in history and read history exclusively. This is not history. This book is one-third poorly annotated history, one-third opinion and one-third conjecture. The author constantly slams the accuracy of Gospel writers using Josephus as his “Gospel truth.” The last time I was in school writing history papers, the writings of Josephus were placed alongside those of Plutarch and Suetonius in terms of their level of veracity. You have to look at these authors more as entertainment than history because the “truth” in a lot of what they write cannot be verified. Neither can you find original source material. We have nothing in Josephus’s, or the Gospel writer’s, handwriting. Yet, the author makes pronouncement upon pronouncement as if he is stating or debunking “facts.” He even states that readers of Luke’s Gospel who lived at the time of Jesus would have known that what Luke wrote was factually inaccurate and that Luke knew what he wrote was technically false. That is a bold statement of opinion and not fact in a work of “history.” He quotes Jesus predicting the destruction of Jerusalem saying that these words were “put into his mouth” by the “evangelists” after the fact. Oh, really? The author’s statement, whether true or not, is not supported by facts available to us today. The only people who would know for sure would be the writers and the followers who heard Jesus preach. He calls Jesus’s miracle stories “embellished” and “Christologically convoluted” and that none of them can be historically validated. Based on that logic, neither can the existence of Pontius Pilate be validated. Outside of what was written about him there has been only one contemporary monument discovered with his name on it and even the provenance of that piece has been questioned. He starts one paragraph “It is astonishing that centuries of biblical scholarship have miscast these words” as if he has been somehow enlightened to the truth that centuries of scholars have missed. Sadly, the author misses the point of the bible scholars altogether and then misses the point of the passage with his new “enlightened” interpretation. There is no question that this guy has an axe to grind with his former adopted religion. He is dead set on placing Jesus’s feet firmly on the ground and labeling him a mere “bandit.” Anyone who wishes to denigrate the Bible as inaccurate mythology now has plenty of “scholarly” ammo at their disposal. What in the world made this author think he can write an accurate and definitive “history” of Jesus? He can’t. He tried. And, he failed miserably. Don’t waste your money or your time. Come to think about it, I’m going to ask for my money back!

Dumb. Don't get it waste it's a waste of your money.

Zealot. Loved the book.

TRASH. Don't waste your money.

Confused. Who's the White guy on the cover?

Sneaky. Am I to be impressed by the reviews of a few secular, humanistic critics? And the book written by a man whose own religion dictates to its believers that Jesus was only a man and Christians are polytheist infidels who deserve subjugation or worse? Furthermore, I don't care where he went to school.

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Summary of Zealot by Reza Aslan

The Zealot book written by Reza Aslan was published on 16 July 2013, Tuesday in the Religion & Spirituality category. A total of 1,048 readers of the book gave the book 4 points out of 5.

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