Stolen Identity: The Conspiracy to Reinvent Jesus

Stolen Identity: The Conspiracy to Reinvent Jesus is an important book in the debate over the real Jesus, a debate that author Peter Jones insists is "now a dominant theme in contemporary religious discussion." (p. 169) One of the easiest ways to frame the debate about the real Jesus is by recalling two popular movies of recent years: The Da Vinci Code and The Passion of the Christ. The former represents the Gnostic Jesus while the latter represents the biblical Jesus. Jones, Adjunct Professor at Westminster Seminary California, studied Gnosticism at Harvard alongside Elaine Pagels (p. 157), the now well-known scholar who has "rehabilitated the Gnostic 'Christians' by portraying them as forgotten heroes of an old class war between the politically motivated orthodox bishops and their hapless spiritual victims." (p. 158) And so Jones wades into the debate over the origins of Christianity as much as he analyses the debate over the real Jesus. To briefly recap the debate, in recent years several high profile scholars, such as Elaine Pagels and Bart Ehrman, have peddled the theory that Gnosticism was an alternative Christianity, "Gnostic Christianity," which existed alongside orthodox Christianity. One was right-wing and narrow (orthodoxy), the other left-wing and wide (Gnosticism). This is the "New Myth of Christian Origins," as N.T. Wright calls it. According to Pagels et al., orthodox Christianity won out simply due to its ability to achieve the balance of political power. This, of course, is the postmodern mindset. Theological conflicts, we're told, are about power not truth (p. 161). Jones employs his expertise in Gnosticism to compare the respective views of the Gnostic Jesus and biblical Jesus on several issues including: God, Jesus' message, Jesus' humanity, Jesus' deity, sexuality, spirituality, morality, Jesus' death, and Jesus' resurrection. One of Jones' primary texts for representing the Gnostic Jesus is the Gospel of Thomas given its alleged early date of writing and alleged commonality with the canonical gospels. When the comparison is all said and done, it becomes clear that Gnosticism and orthodox Christianity are quite disparate, and the New Myth of Christian Origins a dud. A summary of Jones' comparison appears on on pp. 167-68 in tabular form and this table alone makes the book worth the purchase. Jones also quotes the two most renowned scholars of Gnosticism today - Hans Jonas and Kurt Rudolf - neither of which identifies Gnosticism with Christianity. In fact, Rudolf is quoted as saying that one of the most important results of German scholarship in the 20th century is the conclusion that Gnosticism was originally a non-Christian phenomenon (p. 164). Stolen Identity is important for readers who come down on both sides of the debate over the real Jesus. For those holding to the New Myth of Christian Origins, this book will give them a credible perspective from the other side. Christians and others who espouse the tradition

Peter Jones brings his expertise to this . He leads us back to the 1940's when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The scrolls presented a different picture of Jesus than the Biblical one. The Gnostic view of Jesus is merely a spiritual. While the Biblical view shows he is human and divine. Jones lays the views side by side to allow readers to draw their own conclusions. Each person must choose for not choosing is making a choice. I appreciate the way Jones presents the information in an easy to understand manner. I recommend this book for those confused after reading the Di Vinci Code.

Peter Jones was one of the few men that were sounding the warning bells about the neo-Gnosticism which was becoming increasingly popular as Christian academia slumbered. His book, Stolen Identity, clearly articulates the vast differences between Christianity and Gnosticism by quoting both the New Testament canon and the Gnostic texts. It is quite clear that, contrary to what some modern scholars like Pagels and King say, Gnosticism was *not* just another form of Christianity; rather, it was a completely different religion that sought to incorporate Christianity into its fold by taking Christ's teachings and giving them a pantheistic twist. Its doctrines were completely opposed to orthodox Christianity. In chapter 10, he shows how the contemporary popularizers of the "Gnostic Gospels" craze are not neutral at all, but instead, have an agenda of destroying orthodox Christianity and promoting a post-modern form of ancient paganism. Jones uses the last chapter as an apologetic for historic, orthodox Christianity. He goes a little into textual criticism with such things as the "Gospel" of Thomas and the Q source. He also makes the argument for the Resurrection of Christ from the actions, beliefs, and martyrdoms of the disciples. If you have friends or relatives who buy into the DaVinci Code nonsense, this book might be good to read up on or give to that friend or relative.

In Stolen Identity Peter Jones clearly shows the differences between Christianity and Gnosticism. He places their teachings side by side on a range of subjects: the God of Jesus, the humanity and divinity of Jesus, Jesus and spirituality and sexuality, and the morals, death and resurrection of Jesus. His discussion of the difference between faith and "gnosis" highlights some key distinctions. "Faith reaches out beyond the self whereas `gnosis' goes within. Faith respects the otherness and majesty of God; `gnosis' makes one the same as God. Faith requires revelation and gladly submits to God's Word; `gnosis' is self-revelation with no need of the Bible." Jones is more than qualified to address this subject. His doctoral research was in Gnostic literature. He combines scholarly analysis with every day relevance. This is a great answer to Dan Brown's best selling The Da Vinci Code, which is a modern day repackaging of Gnosticism. This goes beyond Cracking Da Vinci's Code, a book that Jones co-authored, by providing a thorough examination of Gnostic texts and teaching. It would be hard not to conclude from the analysis that Gnosticism, unlike Biblical teaching, is a complicated theology that obviously conflicts with Scripture. Even worse, it calls evil good and good evil. Jones writes, "Here `Ialdaboath's (Yahweh, the Creator) command' or law is associated from the beginning with evil. The Torah is transformed into a book of soul-destroying lies. Keeping `God's law' is life-threatening error, which is diametrically opposed to the health of the soul. In this version of Genesis, the Serpent, whom the Bible says was the wisest, or most cunning, of all the creatures, has become not just clever but good. God, the wise and good Creator, has become not just a fool but the personification of the Devil." This stems from the Gnostic teaching that its God, the Father of the All, had nothing to do with the material world. Gnostics believe that matter is evil. Jones summarizes their view of the Fall like this: "The creation of matter is the root of all evil, so Yahweh (who created matter) is really the source of all evil." The Gnostics see physical life as the product of a blind and foolish Creator. Death and life are illusory and their true nature has to be ascertained through mystical insight or gnosis (secret knowledge). Gnosticism is a form of liberation from the bonds of the physical. In contrast to the esoteric teaching of Gnosticism, the Biblical revelation is like a fountain of pure water. In particular, Jones sensible teaching on sexuality is refreshing. The Scriptures uphold "the goodness and exclusiveness of heterosexuality, the significance of monogamous lifelong marriage, and the blessing of children." In ancient Gnosticism, physical sex is evil, and spiritual sex is everything. The latter is seen as means of becoming one with the All. In summarizing the Biblical view of sex, Jones writes, "Sexuality is not for the

I recently read Dan Brown's controversial novel "the DaVinci Code" The only reason I read the DaVinci code in the first place is because I recently received "Cracking DaVinci's Code" as a gift. I wanted to read the orginal book before I read the refutation. I wanted to know what exactly I was up against. "Cracking DaVinci's Code" was helpful, but I found myself wanting more information about Gnosticism and how it compared to Biblical Christianity. I saw "Stolen Identity" was written by one of the authors of "Cracking DaVinci's Code" so I decided to check it out. This book gives a very comprehensive comparison of Gnosticism and Biblical Christianity. Even though there are people who claim Gnosticism is just another form of Christianity, this book makes it clear that Gnosticism and Biblical Christianity are worlds apart. It even goes so far as to say that Gnosticism is at its root, anti-Christian. This books lays the Gnostic teaching and the Biblical teaching side by side on a variety of issues including God, sex, the death of Jesus and His Resurrection. I highly recommend "Stolen Identity" to anyone who is struggling with doubt because of "The Davinci Code" This book will encourage you and ease your mind. This book is clear, concise and easy to understand. It is extreamly well researched and well written. I believe that every Christian needs to be equipped to respond to the questions brought up by the "DaVinci Code" Burying your head in the sand and denying the issue is not the answer. No one can remain neutral when it comes to Jesus Christ. Each of us has a choice to make. We can accept Him as Lord and Savior or we can mock Him as a fool and a liar. But no matter what choice we make, there are eternal consequences. The stakes are much too high to make this choice lightly. This book will give you the facts to make an informed decision. This book has given me renewed confidence in the Bible and has strengthened my faith in Jesus Christ. I highly recommend this book. Gnosticism is a ideology that must be reckoned with. It will not just go away. In fact, I believe Gnosticism will become increasingly widespread and influencial. I believe that Gnosticism is something all Christians will have respond to more and more in the days to come. This book will help you understand what the issues are and how to respond in a way that is both intelligent and Biblically sound.