A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

Insightful, 22 May 2004
I'm usually a novel reader. I like to be captured quickly when reading, and I find this rarely happnes with biographies or 'non-fiction'. However, Charles R Swindoll has a way of grabbing a hold of you almost immediately and not letting go until the end.

This is his first book in a series on the 'heros' from the Bible. His enthusiasm for the subject, his passionate and witty style of writing are very much an asset. Almost everyone will have heard of David - mostly in Sunday School stories of David & Goliath. What some people will not know is the heart of the man. The things which drove him and made him into the hero - and the things which caused him to go so far from the God he served.

The author brings out every aspect of David's character and life in an easy to read and enjoyable account of his life. The man 'after God's own heart' can be seen as passionate, although not always in the correct way. The chosen of God, although not always working in harmony with his God. Poet, lover, friend and above all else, human.

Mr Swindoll does not paint a rose-tinted picture of David, but lets us know exactly how he was, what drove him and how he reacted in differing circumstances. A man of passion who mainly did The Lord's bidding, but sometimes who would act first and think later. All of this is brought out in thought provovking, clear and at times, witty writing.

For a man who lived in a different time and a different place, we see that people - in all walks of life - have not changed all that much. People are still passionate, loving, hating and oft-times act first then says sorry afterwards. This is the case whether they be kings and queens or humble, poor folk like me.

So, this is warts and all account of one of the most famous characters of Scripture. It points out where David got it right and where he got it worng - sometime spectacularly in both cases.

It's interesting to note that David's is the line that Christ Jesus chose to come from. As the old hymn says, "David's son and David's Lord."

Ultimately there is a lot of David in many of us. It's whether we choose to let it out and work in the right way that matters, in every aspect of our life.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

Insightful, 22 May 2004
I'm usually a novel reader. I like to be captured quickly when reading, and I find this rarely happnes with biographies or 'non-fiction'. However, Charles R Swindoll has a way of grabbing a hold of you almost immediately and not letting go until the end.

This is his first book in a series on the 'heros' from the Bible. His enthusiasm for the subject, his passionate and witty style of writing are very much an asset. Almost everyone will have heard of David - mostly in Sunday School stories of David & Goliath. What some people will not know is the heart of the man. The things which drove him and made him into the hero - and the things which caused him to go so far from the God he served.

The author brings out every aspect of David's character and life in an easy to read and enjoyable account of his life. The man 'after God's own heart' can be seen as passionate, although not always in the correct way. The chosen of God, although not always working in harmony with his God. Poet, lover, friend and above all else, human.

Mr Swindoll does not paint a rose-tinted picture of David, but lets us know exactly how he was, what drove him and how he reacted in differing circumstances. A man of passion who mainly did The Lord's bidding, but sometimes who would act first and think later. All of this is brought out in thought provovking, clear and at times, witty writing.

For a man who lived in a different time and a different place, we see that people - in all walks of life - have not changed all that much. People are still passionate, loving, hating and oft-times act first then says sorry afterwards. This is the case whether they be kings and queens or humble, poor folk like me.

So, this is warts and all account of one of the most famous characters of Scripture. It points out where David got it right and where he got it worng - sometime spectacularly in both cases.

It's interesting to note that David's is the line that Christ Jesus chose to come from. As the old hymn says, "David's son and David's Lord."

Ultimately there is a lot of David in many of us. It's whether we choose to let it out and work in the right way that matters, in every aspect of our life.

Judgemental and complacent, 17 Nov 2008
The last sentence of the introduction reads : "If it's reality you're searching for, welcome to my kind of world and God's way of working". You can guess from this that Chuck Swindoll KNOWS, and anyone who might believe differently from him is just "day-dreaming". He also writes (on the second page) : "In my world of inescapable, face-to-face, gut-level reality, there's not a lot of room left for day-dreaming, certainly not if you hope to help real people get on with real life. And that's exactly what I desire to do." And who are the day-dreamers ? People who like novels, for a start (I'm serious, he writes it !). In the first chapter we learn than the Protestant Reformation and the Independence of the United States was the victory of "the courageous" who did it "God's way" over the "ungodly" (the author's words). It will certainly interest some Christians (but not me, but then I like novels) that "our hearts are desperately wicked" and to read of "a lie from the evil one himself". To the complacent humour, you can add the complacent comments such as : "'I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friend" or "Now it may bring you a bit of comfort to know that..." Oh, and I particularly liked : "You don't raise nineteen kids without a rod... If you have no consistent plan for discipline, you run a circus, not a family".
I gave up by chapter three. I prefer to stay with Frederick Buechner, who clearly "does not know". I prefer to stay with the questions rather than to think I have all the answers - rather than to read somebody who has God in their pocket.

A different, darker, tone than most of Swindoll's work., 26 Aug 1999
As a fan of Chuck Swindoll, I've read and really enjoyed many of his books. This one, however, has a tone I haven't seen before. He paints a dark and foreboding picture of those who love the Lord. 'You may be in the depths of despair,' 'you may be at a very bad time in your life,' 'you may be very unhappy,' 'you may have just lost a loved one,' etc. The book is full of this type of thoughts. I really fell sorry for Swindoll, who, after thirty years in the ministry can say, "But I can't name many true, caring, servanthearted shepherds." He must have had a rough ministry, because a pastor can't live without such people. The book is about 10% Moses and 90% Swindoll's dark lessons to be learned from Moses' life. I liked it about 10%. As opposed to Phillip Yancey's uplifting books, The Jesus I Never Knew, and What's So Amazing About Grace, Moses left me really down.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

Insightful, 22 May 2004
I'm usually a novel reader. I like to be captured quickly when reading, and I find this rarely happnes with biographies or 'non-fiction'. However, Charles R Swindoll has a way of grabbing a hold of you almost immediately and not letting go until the end.

This is his first book in a series on the 'heros' from the Bible. His enthusiasm for the subject, his passionate and witty style of writing are very much an asset. Almost everyone will have heard of David - mostly in Sunday School stories of David & Goliath. What some people will not know is the heart of the man. The things which drove him and made him into the hero - and the things which caused him to go so far from the God he served.

The author brings out every aspect of David's character and life in an easy to read and enjoyable account of his life. The man 'after God's own heart' can be seen as passionate, although not always in the correct way. The chosen of God, although not always working in harmony with his God. Poet, lover, friend and above all else, human.

Mr Swindoll does not paint a rose-tinted picture of David, but lets us know exactly how he was, what drove him and how he reacted in differing circumstances. A man of passion who mainly did The Lord's bidding, but sometimes who would act first and think later. All of this is brought out in thought provovking, clear and at times, witty writing.

For a man who lived in a different time and a different place, we see that people - in all walks of life - have not changed all that much. People are still passionate, loving, hating and oft-times act first then says sorry afterwards. This is the case whether they be kings and queens or humble, poor folk like me.

So, this is warts and all account of one of the most famous characters of Scripture. It points out where David got it right and where he got it worng - sometime spectacularly in both cases.

It's interesting to note that David's is the line that Christ Jesus chose to come from. As the old hymn says, "David's son and David's Lord."

Ultimately there is a lot of David in many of us. It's whether we choose to let it out and work in the right way that matters, in every aspect of our life.

Judgemental and complacent, 17 Nov 2008
The last sentence of the introduction reads : "If it's reality you're searching for, welcome to my kind of world and God's way of working". You can guess from this that Chuck Swindoll KNOWS, and anyone who might believe differently from him is just "day-dreaming". He also writes (on the second page) : "In my world of inescapable, face-to-face, gut-level reality, there's not a lot of room left for day-dreaming, certainly not if you hope to help real people get on with real life. And that's exactly what I desire to do." And who are the day-dreamers ? People who like novels, for a start (I'm serious, he writes it !). In the first chapter we learn than the Protestant Reformation and the Independence of the United States was the victory of "the courageous" who did it "God's way" over the "ungodly" (the author's words). It will certainly interest some Christians (but not me, but then I like novels) that "our hearts are desperately wicked" and to read of "a lie from the evil one himself". To the complacent humour, you can add the complacent comments such as : "'I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friend" or "Now it may bring you a bit of comfort to know that..." Oh, and I particularly liked : "You don't raise nineteen kids without a rod... If you have no consistent plan for discipline, you run a circus, not a family".
I gave up by chapter three. I prefer to stay with Frederick Buechner, who clearly "does not know". I prefer to stay with the questions rather than to think I have all the answers - rather than to read somebody who has God in their pocket.

A different, darker, tone than most of Swindoll's work., 26 Aug 1999
As a fan of Chuck Swindoll, I've read and really enjoyed many of his books. This one, however, has a tone I haven't seen before. He paints a dark and foreboding picture of those who love the Lord. 'You may be in the depths of despair,' 'you may be at a very bad time in your life,' 'you may be very unhappy,' 'you may have just lost a loved one,' etc. The book is full of this type of thoughts. I really fell sorry for Swindoll, who, after thirty years in the ministry can say, "But I can't name many true, caring, servanthearted shepherds." He must have had a rough ministry, because a pastor can't live without such people. The book is about 10% Moses and 90% Swindoll's dark lessons to be learned from Moses' life. I liked it about 10%. As opposed to Phillip Yancey's uplifting books, The Jesus I Never Knew, and What's So Amazing About Grace, Moses left me really down.

A helpful, if brief, look at some of the objections to Christianity and some possible responses, 17 Nov 2006
This is a thorough revision of the book first published in 1986 and it is updated with large numbers of modern references - The Da Vinci Code, Hurricane Katrina, Britney Spears. The book sets out the case for Christianity whilst exploring potential objections about the church, science, the Bible, suffering, Jesus and proof.

It's easy to read with lots of helpful quotations but by necessity in a 200 page book it doesn't delve all that deeply into any of the subjects. Although argued well, I am dubious that it would convert any atheists or agnostics - I suspect it's most helpful as a tool for Christians to be able to "give reasons for the hope that is in you".

..fairly valid counterarguments to atheist statements..., 05 Sep 2001
...I believe that Canon Young has written a readable book, which sets out some fairly valid counterarguments to atheist statements in a reader-friendly manner, which does not attempt to be "high-brow" and academically targeted. This is good, and I can forsee that this book would help present atheists with an explanation of why Christians believe what they do.

A lot of the evidence Young presents is indeed very valid: the archeological evidence surround the Jericho battle, for instance, or the verification of certain events or details in the gospels, or the acts of the apostles.

Some of the analogies used by Young are in fact very effective; this is indisputable. At one stage, for example, he argues that while the Trinity (or any thoughts of Jesus and God as one) are often dispelled by those who cannot visualise 1 in 3 and 3 in 1, wave-particle duality (presenting similar issues) is embraced by most, even if it is difficult (if not impossible) to visualise.

... In fact...I think Young actually argues that the "stalemate" position (with regard to 'concrete evidence' for Christianity - whatever that means) is precisely the "stumbling block" which most Christians must overcome. He doesn't attempt to answer the time-honoured questions which philosophers have posed for centuries, but presents his own opinion. In addition, Young often concedes that the opinions expressed are his own, and that they probably wouldn't cut the quick with atheists. Again, this is balanced with many atheist arguments, which do not impress their validity upon many Christians.

Overall, this is a good summary of why most Christians believe what they do;

Excellent, a well argued case for christ, 20 Aug 2001
This is a good book for both Christians and non-Christians to read. It sets out the case for Christ in a clear and easy to read manner. It helped me a great deal with my understanding of Christ, and my faith. I hope it can do the same for you. Well worth a read!

Superficial and Trite, 03 Jun 2001
John Young provides a defence of the Christian faith for atheists, agnostics, enquirers - and Christians, so says the back cover of the book so being both an atheist and an enquirer I bought it. The back cover also contains an endorsement from Cliff Richard which all things considered I don't find to be that impressive. The format of the book is to take on common, mainly atheistic, objections to Christianity and the Bible, chapter by chapter, and offer a defence against them. The book is also interspersed with cartoons and church and vicar jokes, some of which are mildly amusing. When you get down to it though John's defences are superficial and trite and his allegories are often inapt. Any well informed atheist could so easily shoot him down point by point. I actually laughed out loud when he tackled the 'God of the gaps' argument, you know the one where we just use God to explain the things we don't know yet, the problem being that as science solves ever more of life's mysteries "God just gets gradually squeezed out". At this point I was reading with baited breath wondering how this thorny one would be dealt with. And John's devastating rebuttal is:- Don't think about it.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

Insightful, 22 May 2004
I'm usually a novel reader. I like to be captured quickly when reading, and I find this rarely happnes with biographies or 'non-fiction'. However, Charles R Swindoll has a way of grabbing a hold of you almost immediately and not letting go until the end.

This is his first book in a series on the 'heros' from the Bible. His enthusiasm for the subject, his passionate and witty style of writing are very much an asset. Almost everyone will have heard of David - mostly in Sunday School stories of David & Goliath. What some people will not know is the heart of the man. The things which drove him and made him into the hero - and the things which caused him to go so far from the God he served.

The author brings out every aspect of David's character and life in an easy to read and enjoyable account of his life. The man 'after God's own heart' can be seen as passionate, although not always in the correct way. The chosen of God, although not always working in harmony with his God. Poet, lover, friend and above all else, human.

Mr Swindoll does not paint a rose-tinted picture of David, but lets us know exactly how he was, what drove him and how he reacted in differing circumstances. A man of passion who mainly did The Lord's bidding, but sometimes who would act first and think later. All of this is brought out in thought provovking, clear and at times, witty writing.

For a man who lived in a different time and a different place, we see that people - in all walks of life - have not changed all that much. People are still passionate, loving, hating and oft-times act first then says sorry afterwards. This is the case whether they be kings and queens or humble, poor folk like me.

So, this is warts and all account of one of the most famous characters of Scripture. It points out where David got it right and where he got it worng - sometime spectacularly in both cases.

It's interesting to note that David's is the line that Christ Jesus chose to come from. As the old hymn says, "David's son and David's Lord."

Ultimately there is a lot of David in many of us. It's whether we choose to let it out and work in the right way that matters, in every aspect of our life.

Judgemental and complacent, 17 Nov 2008
The last sentence of the introduction reads : "If it's reality you're searching for, welcome to my kind of world and God's way of working". You can guess from this that Chuck Swindoll KNOWS, and anyone who might believe differently from him is just "day-dreaming". He also writes (on the second page) : "In my world of inescapable, face-to-face, gut-level reality, there's not a lot of room left for day-dreaming, certainly not if you hope to help real people get on with real life. And that's exactly what I desire to do." And who are the day-dreamers ? People who like novels, for a start (I'm serious, he writes it !). In the first chapter we learn than the Protestant Reformation and the Independence of the United States was the victory of "the courageous" who did it "God's way" over the "ungodly" (the author's words). It will certainly interest some Christians (but not me, but then I like novels) that "our hearts are desperately wicked" and to read of "a lie from the evil one himself". To the complacent humour, you can add the complacent comments such as : "'I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friend" or "Now it may bring you a bit of comfort to know that..." Oh, and I particularly liked : "You don't raise nineteen kids without a rod... If you have no consistent plan for discipline, you run a circus, not a family".
I gave up by chapter three. I prefer to stay with Frederick Buechner, who clearly "does not know". I prefer to stay with the questions rather than to think I have all the answers - rather than to read somebody who has God in their pocket.

A different, darker, tone than most of Swindoll's work., 26 Aug 1999
As a fan of Chuck Swindoll, I've read and really enjoyed many of his books. This one, however, has a tone I haven't seen before. He paints a dark and foreboding picture of those who love the Lord. 'You may be in the depths of despair,' 'you may be at a very bad time in your life,' 'you may be very unhappy,' 'you may have just lost a loved one,' etc. The book is full of this type of thoughts. I really fell sorry for Swindoll, who, after thirty years in the ministry can say, "But I can't name many true, caring, servanthearted shepherds." He must have had a rough ministry, because a pastor can't live without such people. The book is about 10% Moses and 90% Swindoll's dark lessons to be learned from Moses' life. I liked it about 10%. As opposed to Phillip Yancey's uplifting books, The Jesus I Never Knew, and What's So Amazing About Grace, Moses left me really down.

A helpful, if brief, look at some of the objections to Christianity and some possible responses, 17 Nov 2006
This is a thorough revision of the book first published in 1986 and it is updated with large numbers of modern references - The Da Vinci Code, Hurricane Katrina, Britney Spears. The book sets out the case for Christianity whilst exploring potential objections about the church, science, the Bible, suffering, Jesus and proof.

It's easy to read with lots of helpful quotations but by necessity in a 200 page book it doesn't delve all that deeply into any of the subjects. Although argued well, I am dubious that it would convert any atheists or agnostics - I suspect it's most helpful as a tool for Christians to be able to "give reasons for the hope that is in you".

..fairly valid counterarguments to atheist statements..., 05 Sep 2001
...I believe that Canon Young has written a readable book, which sets out some fairly valid counterarguments to atheist statements in a reader-friendly manner, which does not attempt to be "high-brow" and academically targeted. This is good, and I can forsee that this book would help present atheists with an explanation of why Christians believe what they do.

A lot of the evidence Young presents is indeed very valid: the archeological evidence surround the Jericho battle, for instance, or the verification of certain events or details in the gospels, or the acts of the apostles.

Some of the analogies used by Young are in fact very effective; this is indisputable. At one stage, for example, he argues that while the Trinity (or any thoughts of Jesus and God as one) are often dispelled by those who cannot visualise 1 in 3 and 3 in 1, wave-particle duality (presenting similar issues) is embraced by most, even if it is difficult (if not impossible) to visualise.

... In fact...I think Young actually argues that the "stalemate" position (with regard to 'concrete evidence' for Christianity - whatever that means) is precisely the "stumbling block" which most Christians must overcome. He doesn't attempt to answer the time-honoured questions which philosophers have posed for centuries, but presents his own opinion. In addition, Young often concedes that the opinions expressed are his own, and that they probably wouldn't cut the quick with atheists. Again, this is balanced with many atheist arguments, which do not impress their validity upon many Christians.

Overall, this is a good summary of why most Christians believe what they do;

Excellent, a well argued case for christ, 20 Aug 2001
This is a good book for both Christians and non-Christians to read. It sets out the case for Christ in a clear and easy to read manner. It helped me a great deal with my understanding of Christ, and my faith. I hope it can do the same for you. Well worth a read!

Superficial and Trite, 03 Jun 2001
John Young provides a defence of the Christian faith for atheists, agnostics, enquirers - and Christians, so says the back cover of the book so being both an atheist and an enquirer I bought it. The back cover also contains an endorsement from Cliff Richard which all things considered I don't find to be that impressive. The format of the book is to take on common, mainly atheistic, objections to Christianity and the Bible, chapter by chapter, and offer a defence against them. The book is also interspersed with cartoons and church and vicar jokes, some of which are mildly amusing. When you get down to it though John's defences are superficial and trite and his allegories are often inapt. Any well informed atheist could so easily shoot him down point by point. I actually laughed out loud when he tackled the 'God of the gaps' argument, you know the one where we just use God to explain the things we don't know yet, the problem being that as science solves ever more of life's mysteries "God just gets gradually squeezed out". At this point I was reading with baited breath wondering how this thorny one would be dealt with. And John's devastating rebuttal is:- Don't think about it.

Paul's inspired teachings placed in the context of his day, 11 Dec 1999
Brad is a gifted teacher with extensive kinowledge that clearly places Paul's inspired teaching as revealed in The New Testament in the context of his times.

FINALLY--AN HONEST POST-BULTMANNIAN RESPONSE!, 24 Dec 1998
I awaited this volume after reading its companion, "Jesus the Jewish Theologian." Christians need to understand Paul as "Saul the Pharisee." Torah-observance was not just a "ploy to win Jews," but was the lifestyle of Paul as a Jew. Hellenism and Redeemer myths are archaic inroads in Pauline scholarship--passe--I hail Young's work as a "breath of fresh air" in the wake of the corpse of "leftist" research.

Nothing really new here, 09 Jun 1998
I got this book with much anticipation because of his previous book Jesus, Jewish Theologian. I was expecting some in-depth analysis of Paul's theology and how it related Judiasm to Gentile Christians. I was disappointed because the book was very sketchy and he basically took the discussion in Jesus, Jewish Theologian and applied it to Paul. In fact there was much redundant material between the two. He also repeated the same details throughout this book. If you haven't read anything by Young, find Jesus, Jewish Theologian and read it. Otherwise, save your time and money.

A good introduction for the study of Jesus, 23 Aug 2007
This is a good introduction for those interested in studying the historical figure of Jesus. Deceptively short as the text is quite small, Sanders provides a welcome antidote to the sensationalist pseudo-history such as Holy Blood Holy Grail and others.

Sanders is correct to state that the study of the historical Jesus is a perilous and frustrating task, not least due to the lack of sources. Sanders cleverly provides a setting for Jesus, putting him fully in his times of first century Galilee and Judaea. He places Jesus vis a vis Judaism and the political climate of Jesus' time. The strength of this book is that it is not encumbered with theology, but is an appraisal of Jesus the man, someone who had, or believed he had, an intimate relationship with God and who saw himself as the man to prepare the Jews for the coming of the kingdom. As Sanders correctly concludes, as a result Jesus was more of a teacher and a prophet than a preacher of repentance.

All in all a recommended book for both Christians and non-Christians wanting a good introduction to Jesus, without sensationalism, be it theological or pseudo-historical.




Infromative, 11 Feb 2006
This is an excellent and readable study of the historical figure of Jesus.

Certainly a Helpful Introduction, 29 Dec 2005
This work provides not just an Introduction to reconstructing the life of the historical Jesus, but also to the modes of biblical criticism. The chapter on the Method and Setting of Jesus' Ministry is particularly valuable, and rightly points out misconceptions about the amount of time Jesus would have spent in Judea as opposed to his native Galilee. The book is well written, and the information it provides set down clearly for comfortable reading. In places more detail might be useful, especially regarding the primary and secondary sources that he uses, although these discrepancies are totally rectified by his more in depth works, such as the celebrated 'Jesus and Judaism,' and his work on Paul.

As to his conclusions, they are both conservative and forward looking. This is not a contradiction, as Sanders really pioneers the view that much can be known about the historical Jesus, while at the same time not straying drastically outside generally accepted scholarly thought. His is a careful, but worthy, reconstruction of the life and times of arguably the most influential figure in history.

Authoritative review of Jesus' life, 01 Oct 2005
Whilst books like the Da Vinci Code continue to dominate people's thinking on religion, books like these based in fact provide a welcome read. This book in particular is probably the best historical book I have read.

Sanders has not only created a book that is authorative and intelletucual, but he does what other academics fail to do - he makes it readable. Sanders focuses only on what can be proved or dissproved and rarely goes into speculation. If he does he always tempers it with a 'we infer'. Sanders goes into some detail about the historical setting of Jerusalm and Jewdasim at Jesus' time to build his case.

What he doesn't do is go into great details about his birth or upbringing, because quite simply, he has no proof or knowledge of it.

Very much a recommended read for all those that interested in trying to understand the facts of Jesus' life as opposed to speculating on it.

Enjoyable, informative, authoritative, 17 Aug 2004
Professor Sanders must be one of those rare academics who can write well for the general public, neither over-simplifying the content nor boring the reader with excessive detail. The book has just the right balance of readability and credibility, and there are new insights on every page. Particularly interesting were the first few chapters, covering the historical and political background. We are all aware that Palestine was "occupied" by the Roman Empire at this period, but what was the nature of the occupation? Was it, for example, comparable to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in the early 1940s? The answer apparently is no, and the situation in Galilee was very different from that in Jerusalem. The book paints a clear picture of what life was like for ordinary people living in that region around that time. In dealing with the events of Jesus's life, Sanders always makes clear the degree of certainty of any assertion. There is a scale, with "beyond all reasonable doubt" at one end and "as likely as not" at the other. People who want simple answers in black and white may be disappointed by this, but ancient history is not an exact science. This is surely the honest approach.

Professor Sanders has been studying this period since the 1960s and appears to be regarded as knowledgeable on Jesus (as well as on Paul). I am not in a position to judge, but certainly the book seems more authoritative than some similar titles written by journalists or by those with a proselytising agenda. Although raised in the Church of England, I read this book as a complete layman. I was aware that I had no idea how much of what I had been taught was true in a historical sense and how much was mere legend, tradition or the personal opinion of my teachers, and I was starting to ask questions like "who wrote the gospels, and when?" and "what did Jesus ACTUALLY say?". This book has taught me a great deal about the origins of this vast religion.

There is perhaps too much emphasis on dates. To the lay reader, the exact years of Jesus's birth and death are less interesting than what happened in between. And while I'm looking for faults, I could mention that there are a few things that are not well explained. For example, the Pharisees are referred to as a party, but what is meant by "party" in this context? Is it something equivalent to a modern political party? Obviously not, though just what kind of a group they were is still not clear to me. But there are few such omissions. All in all, this book gave me the information that I wanted in an enjoyable form, and I happily recommend it.

Insightful, 22 May 2004
I'm usually a novel reader. I like to be captured quickly when reading, and I find this rarely happnes with biographies or 'non-fiction'. However, Charles R Swindoll has a way of grabbing a hold of you almost immediately and not letting go until the end.

This is his first book in a series on the 'heros' from the Bible. His enthusiasm for the subject, his passionate and witty style of writing are very much an asset. Almost everyone will have heard of David - mostly in Sunday School stories of David & Goliath. What some people will not know is the heart of the man. The things which drove him and made him into the hero - and the things which caused him to go so far from the God he served.

The author brings out every aspect of David's character and life in an easy to read and enjoyable account of his life. The man 'after God's own heart' can be seen as passionate, although not always in the correct way. The chosen of God, although not always working in harmony with his God. Poet, lover, friend and above all else, human.

Mr Swindoll does not paint a rose-tinted picture of David, but lets us know exactly how he was, what drove him and how he reacted in differing circumstances. A man of passion who mainly did The Lord's bidding, but sometimes who would act first and think later. All of this is brought out in thought provovking, clear and at times, witty writing.

For a man who lived in a different time and a different place, we see that people - in all walks of life - have not changed all that much. People are still passionate, loving, hating and oft-times act first then says sorry afterwards. This is the case whether they be kings and queens or humble, poor folk like me.

So, this is warts and all account of one of the most famous characters of Scripture. It points out where David got it right and where he got it worng - sometime spectacularly in both cases.

It's interesting to note that David's is the line that Christ Jesus chose to come from. As the old hymn says, "David's son and David's Lord."

Ultimately there is a lot of David in many of us. It's whether we choose to let it out and work in the right way that matters, in every aspect of our life.

Judgemental and complacent, 17 Nov 2008
The last sentence of the introduction reads : "If it's reality you're searching for, welcome to my kind of world and God's way of working". You can guess from this that Chuck Swindoll KNOWS, and anyone who might believe differently from him is just "day-dreaming". He also writes (on the second page) : "In my world of inescapable, face-to-face, gut-level reality, there's not a lot of room left for day-dreaming, certainly not if you hope to help real people get on with real life. And that's exactly what I desire to do." And who are the day-dreamers ? People who like novels, for a start (I'm serious, he writes it !). In the first chapter we learn than the Protestant Reformation and the Independence of the United States was the victory of "the courageous" who did it "God's way" over the "ungodly" (the author's words). It will certainly interest some Christians (but not me, but then I like novels) that "our hearts are desperately wicked" and to read of "a lie from the evil one himself". To the complacent humour, you can add the complacent comments such as : "'I'd like to deliver a beautiful message to you, my friend" or "Now it may bring you a bit of comfort to know that..." Oh, and I particularly liked : "You don't raise nineteen kids without a rod... If you have no consistent plan for discipline, you run a circus, not a family".
I gave up by chapter three. I prefer to stay with Frederick Buechner, who clearly "does not know". I prefer to stay with the questions rather than to think I have all the answers - rather than to read somebody who has God in their pocket.

A different, darker, tone than most of Swindoll's work., 26 Aug 1999
As a fan of Chuck Swindoll, I've read and really enjoyed many of his books. This one, however, has a tone I haven't seen before. He paints a dark and foreboding picture of those who love the Lord. 'You may be in the depths of despair,' 'you may be at a very bad time in your life,' 'you may be very unhappy,' 'you may have just lost a loved one,' etc. The book is full of this type of thoughts. I really fell sorry for Swindoll, who, after thirty years in the ministry can say, "But I can't name many true, caring, servanthearted shepherds." He must have had a rough ministry, because a pastor can't live without such people. The book is about 10% Moses and 90% Swindoll's dark lessons to be learned from Moses' life. I liked it about 10%. As opposed to Phillip Yancey's uplifting books, The Jesus I Never Knew, and What's So Amazing About Grace, Moses left me really down.

A helpful, if brief, look at some of the objections to Christianity and some possible responses, 17 Nov 2006
This is a thorough revision of the book first published in 1986 and it is updated with large numbers of modern references - The Da Vinci Code, Hurricane Katrina, Britney Spears. The book sets out the case for Christianity whilst exploring potential objections about the church, science, the Bible, suffering, Jesus and proof.

It's easy to read with lots of helpful quotations but by necessity in a 200 page book it doesn't delve all that deeply into any of the subjects. Although argued well, I am dubious that it would convert any atheists or agnostics - I suspect it's most helpful as a tool for Christians to be able to "give reasons for the hope that is in you".

..fairly valid counterarguments to atheist statements..., 05 Sep 2001
...I believe that Canon Young has written a readable book, which sets out some fairly valid counterarguments to atheist statements in a reader-friendly manner, which does not attempt to be "high-brow" and academically targeted. This is good, and I can forsee that this book would help present atheists with an explanation of why Christians believe what they do.

A lot of the evidence Young presents is indeed very valid: the archeological evidence surround the Jericho battle, for instance, or the verification of certain events or details in the gospels, or the acts of the apostles.

Some of the analogies used by Young are in fact very effective; this is indisputable. At one stage, for example, he argues that while the Trinity (or any thoughts of Jesus and God as one) are often dispelled by those who cannot visualise 1 in 3 and 3 in 1, wave-particle duality (presenting similar issues) is embraced by most, even if it is difficult (if not impossible) to visualise.

... In fact...I think Young actually argues that the "stalemate" position (with regard to 'concrete evidence' for Christianity - whatever that means) is precisely the "stumbling block" which most Christians must overcome. He doesn't attempt to answer the time-honoured questions which philosophers have posed for centuries, but presents his own opinion. In addition, Young often concedes that the opinions expressed are his own, and that they probably wouldn't cut the quick with atheists. Again, this is balanced with many atheist arguments, which do not impress their validity upon many Christians.

Overall, this is a good summary of why most Christians believe what they do;

Excellent, a well argued case for christ, 20 Aug 2001
This is a good book for both Christians and non-Christians to read. It sets out the case for Christ in a clear and easy to read manner. It helped me a great deal with my understanding of Christ, and my faith. I hope it can do the same for you. Well worth a read!

Superficial and Trite, 03 Jun 2001
John Young provides a defence of the Christian faith for atheists, agnostics, enquirers - and Christians, so says the back cover of the book so being both an atheist and an enquirer I bought it. The back cover also contains an endorsement from Cliff Richard which all things considered I don't find to be that impressive. The format of the book is to take on common, mainly atheistic, objections to Christianity and the Bible, chapter by chapter, and offer a defence against them. The book is also interspersed with cartoons and church and vicar jokes, some of which are mildly amusing. When you get down to it though John's defences are superficial and trite and his allegories are often inapt. Any well informed atheist could so easily shoot him down point by point. I actually laughed out loud when he tackled the 'God of the gaps' argument, you know the one where we just use God to explain the things we don't know yet, the problem being that as science solves ever more of life's mysteries "God just gets gradually squeezed out". At this point I was reading with baited breath wondering how this thorny one would be dealt with. And John's devastating rebuttal is:- Don't think about it.

Paul's inspired teachings placed in the context of his day, 11 Dec 1999
Brad is a gifted teacher with extensive kinowledge that clearly places Paul's inspired teaching as revealed in The New Testament in the context of his times.

FINALLY--AN HONEST POST-BULTMANNIAN RESPONSE!, 24 Dec 1998
I awaited this volume after reading its companion, "Jesus the Jewish Theologian." Christians need to understand Paul as "Saul the Pharisee." Torah-observance was not just a "ploy to win Jews," but was the lifestyle of Paul as a Jew. Hellenism and Redeemer myths are archaic inroads in Pauline scholarship--passe--I hail Young's work as a "breath of fresh air" in the wake of the corpse of "leftist" research.

Nothing really new here, 09 Jun 1998
I got this book with much anticipation because of his previous book Jesus, Jewish Theologian. I was expecting some in-depth analysis of Paul's theology and how it related Judiasm to Gentile Christians. I was disappointed because the book was very sketchy and he basically took the discussion in Jesus, Jewish Theologian and applied it to Paul. In fact there was much redundant material between the two. He also repeated the same details throughout this book. If you haven't read anything by Young, find Jesus, Jewish Theologian and read it. Otherwise, save your time and money.

A thoroughly well-argued exposition, 31 May 1998
Packed with scholarly support for his position, Wells' latest book is not only the best of his other books on the same subject, but also confronts and refutes the various objections made to his theory by conservative scholars and apologists. Time and again, Wells shows how their objections either fail to take all of the relevant evidence into account or miss the point altogether. Anyone interested in investigating the truth about the historical evidence for Jesus should buy the book.

Exemplary study of the "Historical" Jesus., 20 Jan 1998
Wells challenges us with his title of the "Legend" of Jesus. Having obtained our attention, he proceeds with the skill of an historical surgeon. Having laid out his sharp instruments of arguement, he then cleanly cuts into the body of historical reference. Like a conjuror, he performs his magic with flourish and we are left with the bare bones. Being left with the skeleton of a figure left me deprived of seeing the musculature. While I enjoyed the boo