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Audiobook9 hours
Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus
Written by Thomas Cahill
Narrated by Brian F. O'Byrne
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
From the bestselling author of How the Irish Saved Civilization and The Gifts of the Jews, his most compelling historical narrative yet.
How did an obscure rabbi from a backwater of the Roman Empire come to be the central figure in Western Civilization? Did his influence in fact change the world? These are the questions Thomas Cahill addresses in his subtle and engaging investigation into the life and times of Jesus.
Cahill shows us Jesus from his birth to his execution through the eyes of those who knew him and in the context of his time-a time when the Jews were struggling to maintain their beliefs under overlords who imposed their worldview on their subjects. Here is Jesus the loving friend, itinerate preacher, and quiet revolutionary, whose words and actions inspired his followers to journey throughout the Roman world and speak the truth he instilled-in the face of the greatest defeat: Jesus' crucifixion as a common criminal. Daring, provocative, and stunningly original, Cahill's interpretation will both delight and surprise.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
How did an obscure rabbi from a backwater of the Roman Empire come to be the central figure in Western Civilization? Did his influence in fact change the world? These are the questions Thomas Cahill addresses in his subtle and engaging investigation into the life and times of Jesus.
Cahill shows us Jesus from his birth to his execution through the eyes of those who knew him and in the context of his time-a time when the Jews were struggling to maintain their beliefs under overlords who imposed their worldview on their subjects. Here is Jesus the loving friend, itinerate preacher, and quiet revolutionary, whose words and actions inspired his followers to journey throughout the Roman world and speak the truth he instilled-in the face of the greatest defeat: Jesus' crucifixion as a common criminal. Daring, provocative, and stunningly original, Cahill's interpretation will both delight and surprise.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Author
Thomas Cahill
Thomas Cahill is a scholar and writer.
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Reviews for Desire of the Everlasting Hills
Rating: 3.783653821153846 out of 5 stars
4/5
208 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Between 1995 and 2013, Thomas Cahill released a series of books called The Hinges of History, about, as one might guess, critical turning points the history of western civilization. This book, the third in the series, is about the impact Jesus, his teachings, and his followers had on history.Cahill presents the Mediterranean world before the birth of Jesus, what we know about his life--and yes, historians that have studied his time agree he existed--and how his teachings and his followers changed the prevalent worldview after him. He examines not just what the New Testament tells us directly, but what textual analysis tells us about the New Testament. This includes when the Gospels were written, the clear evidence that different Gospels were written at different times, closer to or further from the death of Jesus, that some parts of the New Testament were apparently based on an earlier source document closer to Jesus' own lifetime, etc. And of course, Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul all show different cultural, social, and economic backgrounds, reflected in how they tell Jesus' story, including what incidents they tell or omit, or emphasize or de-emphasize.Interwoven with all this is the broader history of the region and era, how this affected the Jesus movement as well as broader Jewish culture--because for much of this period, the Jesus movement was simply one of many Jewish splinter belief groups. Of the many Jewish denominations of the time, only two, the Pharisees and the Christians, survived the end of the ancient world. Unfortunately, they became fratricidal enemies, with the Christians, in the long run, doing overwhelmingly most of the damage.Cahill is at all times both careful and respectful, valuing every culture's contributions. The previous volume in this series was The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels, while the next one was Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter. This is a serious look at an important piece of our history, not an evangelical work. It's well-written, thoughtful, and in the case of this audiobook edition, I liked the job the narrator did.Recommended.I bought this audiobook.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The hinge in history that has been the central pillar of Western civilization is not a cultural change nor a particular people but one man, Jesus of Nazareth. Thomas Cahill explores the developments of thought before and after Jesus in Desire of the Everlasting Hills through the lens of Greco-Roman and Jewish cultures, his mother Mary, Paul, Luke, Early Christians, and John to reveal how one life both continued and changed the progression of Western thought.Over the course of 320 pages, Thomas Cahill focused on Jesus of Nazareth as the central figure in the West. However from the outset Cahill makes it clear that the role of Jesus is how others perceived him both during his life and after his time on Earth. While following Jesus during his ministry, Cahill highlighted the essential Jewishness of Jesus’ message and how some considered his message unrealistic while others found hope. After Jesus’ time on Earth, a phrase I must use since Cahill does not state one way or another on the event of the Resurrection save mentioning it, the essence of his divinity was shaped by Paul’s Jewish perspective, Luke’s gentile perspective, and John the Evangelist’s intimate perspective. Cahill’s conclusion is that while Jesus is central to the West, the West as a whole has essentially ignored his teachings but a small few due resulting in the slow but development of the ideas that define Western civilization.While Cahill’s analysis and themes are a thought provoking read, I did have some serious issues. The first is the same as in his previous book, The Gift of the Jews, which is in some of Cahill’s interpretation and subsequent logical construction of his evidence whether through scripture or an analysis of non-Biblical sources to weave his thesis. The second is partially related and that is Cahill tries to weave a middle course between Jesus as man and Jesus as divine without really take a stand either way. While objectivity can be commended, the book read as a Christian trying too hard to look discuss Jesus from a secular point of view.Regardless of one’s view of Jesus of Nazareth, no one can deny that he is the central figure of West. Thomas Cahill attempts to bring forth Jesus through the view of those around him and how they interpreted his life and teachings. While Desire of the Everlasting Hills is not a perfect book, it is thought-provoking in viewing Jesus of Nazareth back in the first century AD and into today’s increasing secular society.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I don't think I could possibly sing the praises of this book enough. It is an excellent discourse on just what is so special about Christ and about the faith, Christianity, named after him. Cahill is an intelligent, rational thinker and an articulate, nearly poetic, individual both at the same time. This is a very rare combination indeed, and one that leads Cahill in this book, as in the others I've read by him, to be able to work through problems logically, cogently explain the solution he's reached, and, even when you disagree with that solution, offer you some deep insights along the way.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This book is an interesting look at the cultures, people, languages, and events that shaped the world around Jesus. From the influence of Alexander the Great and the Greeks on the Jews to the personalities and writing styles of Jesus's early followers, many intriguing influences are discussed. While not comprehensive, Cahill's mostly-secular work is both engaging and accessible.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is a brief introduction to the historical context and meaning of the New Testament. Cahill has also written How the Irish Saved Civilization and The Gifts of the Jews, tying these works together in a theme of the "hinges of history". Cahill's prose is often eloquent, and he is very interesting on the themes of recent historical scholarship regarding the timing and dating of the books of the New Testament. His eloquence and evident belief, however, render some of his judgements about the historical significance of events a bit suspect.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A great introduction to the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. Written in a very readable style with a flair for bringing to life the many characters that surrounded Jesus. Cahill successfully demonstrates the shift in culture and world view brought on by his subject. The effect Jesus had on Western Civilization.Cahill is the author of The Gifts of the Jews", "How the Irish Saved Civilization", "Sailing the Wine Dark Sea", and "Mysteries of the Middle Ages" all from the series called "Hinges of History". What the author sees as "the evolving Jewish idea that there must be life beyond this life" (p48) I see as God's progressive self-revelation. While he confirms his belief in God's justice and the hereafter, he is primarily addressing the movement of culture and ideas. He is looking at the same thing from a different vantage point in order to shed more light.Apparently in the interest of making the book very readable he didn't bother himself or his readers with documentation for many of his assertions. It would have been nice if he had.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The world as Jesus knew it, Jesus as known by his followers, the early Jesus movement,its split from Judaism, analysis of each gospel, its author, its audience, its purpose.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5One of the best Christian History books I have ever read. Emotional, touching. He sometimes gets bad reviews. I dont care.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Message: Jesus was a communist.There is an inordinate emphasis on how much Jesus apparently hated rich people. Very little discussion on saving souls. Maybe this is a legitimate read of the Gospels, but I'm not sure.