Sifting through centuries of mythmaking, Reza Aslan sheds new light on one of history's most influential and enigmatic figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived: the age of zealotry, an era awash in apocalyptic fervour. Balancing the Jesus of the Gospels against historical sources, Aslan describes a complex figure: a man of peace who exhorted his followers to arm themselves; an exorcist and faith healer who urged his disciples to keep his identity secret; and the seditious 'King of the Jews', whose promise of liberation from Rome went unfulfilled in his lifetime. Aslan explores why the early Church preferred to promulgate an image of Jesus as a peaceful spiritual teacher rather than a politically conscious revolutionary, and grapples with the riddle of how Jesus understood himself. Zealot provides a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told. The result is a thought-provoking, elegantly written biography with the pulse of a fast-paced novel, and a singularly brilliant portrait of a man, a time and the birth of a religion.
Publisher: Saqi Books
ISBN: 9781908906298
Number of pages: 318
Weight: 250 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 30 mm
‘Revealing and always finely written’ - The Telegraph
'A riveting biography’ - The New Yorker
‘A lucid, intelligent page-turner’ - Los Angeles Times
'Zealot, a book on the life of Jesus written by a man not only with scholarly credentials but who had for a period of time converted to Christianity before reverting back to Islam, was fascinating.' - The Guardian
‘If little is certain about Jesus’s life, rather more is known about his times, which Aslan evokes with commendable diligence. Zealot becomes, in part, a handy primer of first-century Middle Eastern history. … Aslan clearly admires Jesus, and, at the risk of inflaming the wrath of Fox News, his freedom from any obligation to buy the son-of-God stuff permits fresh and refreshing contemplation … At its core, Zealot is a gentle dispute with the modern notion of Jesus, whom we are generally encouraged to perceive as a forgiving and boundlessly tolerant sort.’ - New Humanist
‘A special and revealing work, one that believer and skeptic alike will find surprising, engaging and original.’ - Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
‘Compulsively readable … this superb work is highly recommended’ - Publishers Weekly
‘A vivid, persuasive portrait of the world and societies in which Jesus lived and the role he most likely played in both’ - Salon
‘A book of outstanding research and a gripping read. Page after page of excellent prose offer insight into what it was like to be living under Roman oppression and why there was a multitude of messiahs offering hope and freedom.’ - The Middle East in Europe
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