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    The Christ Files: How Historians Know What They Know about Jesus
    The Christ Files: How Historians Know What They Know about Jesus
    The Christ Files: How Historians Know What They Know about Jesus
    Audiobook2 hours

    The Christ Files: How Historians Know What They Know about Jesus

    Written by John Dickson and Professor Alanna Nobbs

    Narrated by Simon Vance

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    About this audiobook

    Uniquely among the world’s religions, the central claims of Christianity concern not just timeless spiritual truths, but tangible historical events. At the heart of the of the Christian faith are things that are meant to have happened in Palestine between 5 BC and AD 30. It’s as if Christianity happily places its head on the chopping block of public scrutiny and invites anyone who wants to come and take a swing.Some of Christianity’s claims are so spectacular that they provoke a firestorm of questions, scrutiny, debate, and misinformation whenever they are discussed. The popularity of The Da Vinci Code and the frequent airing of TV documentaries delving into the darker uncertainties of Christianity show that such skepticism flourishes in the Western world today. In The Christ Files you will learn how historians know what they know about Jesus. Historian John Dickson embraces the need to examine Christianity’s claims in the light of history, opening readers to a wealth of ancient sources and explaining how mainstream scholars—whether or not they claim Christian faith personally—reach their conclusions. Christianity arrived on the historical scene at a time of great literary activity. While many texts penned by ancient philosophers, historians, poets, and playwrights can reliably inform us about Jesus himself and about the culture in which he lived, others are not so credible. Dickson skillfully highlights both types of sources along with the historical methods used to study Christianity’s claims. He also shows how historians asses the reliability of available data, and provides an honest but informed perspective on where historical issues are clear-cut and where personal faith comes into play. The Christ Files is a must-read for those looking to expand their understanding of early Christianity and the life of Jesus.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperChristian Resources
    Release dateDec 20, 2011
    ISBN9780310890836
    Author

    John Dickson

    John Dickson is an historian, musician and bestselling author. He is an Honorary Associate in the Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University (Sydney) where he also teaches a course on world religions. He lives in Sydney with his family and spends his time researching, writing and speaking about life's big questions.

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    • 5/5
      Superb survey of the historical documents by which we know about Jesus and the Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds of his time.

      1 person found this helpful