Zealot by Reza Aslan
8 out of 10There is a gap between what is said about Jesus Christ the word-made-flesh and what is known about Jesus of Nazareth the man. Reza Aslan puts that into perspective by discussing the setting of 1st-century Palestine. At the time, there were many traveling leaders claiming to be the prophesized messiah. There were also many people looking to reestablish the Kingdom of God in direct contrast to Roman occupation. Jesus's message lived on after he was executed for sedition. The religion based on his teachings has subtly transformed sacred texts in many ways to attract converts. Though even without malintent, words and phrases across many languages are prone to misinterpretation. In the end, the neutral (non-supernatural) description of the Son of man solidifies him as a light reasonably followed across millennia.