The Birth of Christianity: Reality and Myth

It shows some very interesting connections between the Christianity practised today and sources other than what Jesus and his team practised.

Joel Carmichael presents a most compelling argument for the evolution of the Christian paradigm from Jesus being one of many "End of the World" zealot agitators, to becoming the Son of God, to becoming "Lord." He paints an historical picture of Palestine (and the rest of the Roman empire) during the period immediately preceeding the life of Jesus until a century afterward that changes the way most of us will think of that place and time again. Furthermore, he helps explain the critical role of Paul and the pagan "gentiles" (with their own mythology) in creating the mystery of Jesus out of the Man Jesus. Students of systems, complexity theory and chaos theory will recognize the forces at play in the evolving nature of Jesus, an evolution that continues to the present day. Just like the study of paleontology, however, it is impossible to understand the systems we witness today without a thorough understanding of the context in which they evolved. This book attempts (rather well) to do just that. There are many devout Christians who decry the need for understanding the context because they believe the scriptures to be perfect as they are, preserved by the very hand of God. Yet to study their context causes you to see immediately the flaw in that line of reasoning. Carmichael helps us see the scriptures from the point of view in which they were written, not from a 21st century point of view, and the difference is not insignificant! It is kind of a shame that the modern-day zealots are not likely to either read such a book, or appreciate its merits...it might make a difference in our world if they did...

Carmichael provides a wonderfully tight account of the early events of the time of Jesus and afterwards. For readers in any way familiar with history rather than the apologetics that made mythology of the Jesus story, this book will provide the most cogent view of the available knowledge. He accounts for the events in ways that make sense, considering the religious, political, and cultural contexts of the Mid-East. This book made apparent to me why the magical stories arose and why the maneuverings of Paul enfolded as they did. Carmichael's progression of ideas is a bit confusing, and I found that reading the notes first made the going easier. Nevertheless, his historianship makes this the best of the growing ranks of "historical Jesus" books available.

The Author, Joel Carmichael takes us back in time to the period spaninning the life of Christ, focusing in on one hundred years before and after the crucifiction. He accurately accounts for the periods, customs, the raging battle with the foreign occupational power of Rome, the conflicts between the religious practices, the struggle between the [fundamentalist] purists and the placaters to Rome. He makes the time period come alive and shows a different picture than one we are led to believe. Was Christ a bringer of peace and love or was Christ a rabble-rouser with a militant agenda. Who invented Christianity: Christ, Paul, the apostles, Constantine? You'll have to read the book. It is quite a fascinating journey through time.