The Human Christ: The Search for the Historical Jesus

The first thing you need to know is that Allen can write well, a rarity among biblical scholars. Beyond that, her book is simply the best overview of the search for the real Jesus on the market today. She starts with the death of Jesus, then goes on to trace all the important theological and quests since then to discover the truth about Jesus. Hundreds of the most recent findings in biblical research are mentioned. Want to know how just how widespread literacy was in Jesus' time? See page 25. Or how normative JEsus' teachings were in his lifetime? See page 32. Most interesting, however, is the historical background of the search for the real Jesus, and how completely the researchers have failed. Time and time again, they reiterate the same tedious findings and time and time again they are proven wrong. PLEASE read this book.

I've read several books on the search for the historical Jesus, including those by Albert Schweitzer, David Strauss, Renan and A.N. Wilson. But Charlotte Allen;s book, "The Human Christ," is the most deeply researched, lucidly told and even-handed sweep of mankind's quest for the "real" Jesus. Allen is especially vivd about the Palestine & Rman culture of Jesus's era and she'd crafty about presenting the idea and a brief background of all the Jesus theorists since the Middle Ages----up to and including the Jesus Seminar of the 1990's and computered form search of the New Testament writers. My surprise is that this highly readable, fearless book has received so little attention by mainstream reviewers. (I wonder if that's because Mrs. Allen is a highly talented, knowledgeab;e free-lancer instead of an academic with a string of college acronyms by her name.)

The book brings together an enormous amount of material as it describes the search for the historical Jesus, not only in serious scholarship, but in novels, and films. It is a marvelous bibliographical resource. And it traces certain fashions in perception of Jesus rather ruthlessly and deservedly. I discovered the great scholar John A.T. Robinson through this book and will always be grateful for that and much more. I very much enjoyed the discussion of the fiction writers Renan, Flaubert, and the author of Quo Vadis, whose name I can't spell, and the further discussion of Hollywood Christians versus lions movies. Excellent and very thought provoking. This is an invaluable survey for its depth and breadth. We must be reminded over and over again that what we think is brand new in Jesus research isn't new at all. It's been done and done. High recommended. Anne Rice, New Orleans, La.

This is a rare treat. Allen combines scholarship, an excellent writing style, deep cultural insight, and fearlessnes to come to terms with the way Jesus has been understood in a huge variety of social contexts through time. Her survey of intellectual history, which debunks the debunkers from the Apostolic age to our own, has predictably raised the hackles of many. Why? Her final message urges intellectual humility, a trait not often found among those who tackle this huge subject. Few have done it so successfully.

Great step by step review of thought concerning who Jesus really was. Lofty thoughts of two thousand years of genius and creativity are made simple and discussed in a straight forward style. Ms. Allen always writes in layman's language but never in a condescending fassion. A wonderful addition to any Jesus library. A reference book that can be read like a novel. Well done.