Perhaps the most controversial book
of 2013, Zealot by Reza Aslan examines the life of Jesus of Nazareth
from a historical, not spiritual, perspective. By examining the political and
economic circumstances of first century Palestine, Aslan speculates about the
movements and motives of Jesus. The Jews of Palestine were cruelly oppressed by
both the Roman Empire and corrupt High Priests. Aslan believes that Jesus was
trying to raise an earthly rebellion against both. Many reviews have been
written about this book and some scholars state that Aslan’s ideas are not new
and some of his facts and hypotheses are questionable. Nevertheless, Zealot is an interesting book and a good introduction for those who know little or
nothing about first century history. According to this book, Jesus was an
illiterate peasant who struggled to overthrow the Romans and return Israel to
the Law of Moses. Mr. Aslan is a skilled writer and his explanation of the
early history of Christianity is engaging and easily understood. The struggle
for control of the early Christian Church (between those who wanted it to
remain a Jewish sect and those who wanted to accept Gentiles) is explained in
depth. The late first century was a time of turmoil for Christians and Jews. A
Jewish revolt against the Romans resulted in a crushing defeat, the destruction
of the Temple in Jerusalem and the expulsion of the Jews from Palestine. This
series of events determined the future of the Christian Church as well as the
fate of the Jewish people to this day. Regardless of religious belief, Zealot is a good introduction to a part of history many know little about.
