Jesus the Man
by Barbara Thelrlng
Bantam Press (tel.: 416-340-0777)
Toronto, 1994
Of all the people who have existed, Jesus is by far one of the most fascinating, if not one of the most loved, of all men.
Jesus the Man is the work of Barbara Theiring, an experienced biblical scholar. When she first began studying the life of Jesus in greater detail, her purpose was to discount the growing number of biblical scholars who argued that Jesus was not the man that the Roman Catholic Church would have us believe he was.
Not only were her discoveries unable to support the Church’s teachings but they actually showed that the Church, through systematic manipulation and deceit, used Jesus as a means to increase its own power to continue its quest for world domination and wealth.
There are many arguments presented in l this book that will be seen by some as I heretical, outrageous and scandalous:
Jesus was not born of virgin birth, Jesus did not die on the cross, and therefore, was not ressurected, to name but just a couple.
Her book is part of a growing body of literature spawned by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls In the 1940s. The Scrolls were released by the Vatican only 50 years later, earlier this decade.
The ancient writings call Into question some of the most cherished teachings of the Church.
Thelrlng succeeds at finding a writing style that is reader-friendly for those of us who are non-academics.
Along with Illustrations of the Qumram excation site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and a long bibliography, this book whets your thirst for more information on the history of Christianity.
Obviously, this Is not a book for those whose religious beliefs prevent them from considering alternative points of view.
However, If you are an open-minded, spiritual person who seeks the TRUTH, regardless ofwhether this truth contradicts what you think to be the TRUTH, this book will changeyour life forever.
