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Reinventing Jesus: How Contemporary Skeptics Miss the Real Jesus and Mislead Popular Culture
From the worldwide phenomenon of The Da Vinci Code to the national best-seller Misquoting Jesus , popular culture is being bombarded with radical skepticism about the uniqueness of Christ and the reliability of the New Testament. Reinventing Jesus cuts through the rhetoric of extreme doubt expressed by these and several other contemporary voices to reveal the profound credibility of historic Christianity. Meticulously researched, thoroughly documented, yet eminently readable, this book invites a wide audience to take a firsthand look at the solid, reasonable, and clearly defensible evidence for Christianity's origins. Reinventing Jesus shows believers that it's okay to think hard about Christianity, and shows hard thinkers that it's okay to believe.
350 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
September 4, 2010
There are a few ways in which some Christian books written for a general audience I've read annoy me. One is an over-reliance on anecdotes. Another is excessive use of filler. Another still is weak sourcing. This book has none of those gripes; in fact, it is probably one of the best books on Christianity I have read.
Myth after myth after myth relating to Christianity are ripped to shreds, not with bitter remarks or impressive-sounding rhetoric, but with a firm, solid foundation in scholarship, and with a clear, focused goal from the start.
The book is split into five parts. The three strongest parts discuss the origins of the New Testament, how it has changed over time and the canon of the New Testament. The fourth and fifth parts discuss the origin of the claims of Jesus' divinity and allegations that Christianity is derivative of pagan myths. These last two parts don't quite measure up to the brilliance of the first three, but are still really good reads.
The prose and subject matter is focused an concise. The tone is not condescending or belittling; Komoszewski et al are too busy to slip any ad hominems in. I was already familiar with the technical terminology used, so had no trouble reading through the book. Someone with no background in the field would probably struggle with these terms; for this reason - and this is my only potential gripe with the book - I thought the book would have benefited with a glossary.
For a non-academic work written for a general audience, this is one of the most thoroughly-sourced and noted books I've read in any genre. In my edition, the book itself was 260 pages long, with 60 pages of endnotes. And these aren't just links to Wikipedia: many of the notes are several paragraphs long, with thorough discussions of more minor points that would be out of place in the main body of the text. There is also a long, long list of books for further reading.
All in all, a great introductory text for anybody looking to read up on the historical origins of Christianity and a fantastic apologetics book in its own right. Highly recommended.
Myth after myth after myth relating to Christianity are ripped to shreds, not with bitter remarks or impressive-sounding rhetoric, but with a firm, solid foundation in scholarship, and with a clear, focused goal from the start.
The book is split into five parts. The three strongest parts discuss the origins of the New Testament, how it has changed over time and the canon of the New Testament. The fourth and fifth parts discuss the origin of the claims of Jesus' divinity and allegations that Christianity is derivative of pagan myths. These last two parts don't quite measure up to the brilliance of the first three, but are still really good reads.
The prose and subject matter is focused an concise. The tone is not condescending or belittling; Komoszewski et al are too busy to slip any ad hominems in. I was already familiar with the technical terminology used, so had no trouble reading through the book. Someone with no background in the field would probably struggle with these terms; for this reason - and this is my only potential gripe with the book - I thought the book would have benefited with a glossary.
For a non-academic work written for a general audience, this is one of the most thoroughly-sourced and noted books I've read in any genre. In my edition, the book itself was 260 pages long, with 60 pages of endnotes. And these aren't just links to Wikipedia: many of the notes are several paragraphs long, with thorough discussions of more minor points that would be out of place in the main body of the text. There is also a long, long list of books for further reading.
All in all, a great introductory text for anybody looking to read up on the historical origins of Christianity and a fantastic apologetics book in its own right. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2022
This is a very interesting book on a very interesting topic that needs to be discussed more in the church. This book takes a deep topic and makes it very accessible to the layman.
I've had this book for 12+ years and am just now starting to read it for the first time and I can't believe this jewel was sitting on the shelf undisturbed for that long
I've had this book for 12+ years and am just now starting to read it for the first time and I can't believe this jewel was sitting on the shelf undisturbed for that long
March 9, 2008
Straight shooting, no nonsense, just the facts ma'am approach to answering an array of challenges to historic Christianity. This book knocks the socks off much of the current critiques of Christianity seen primarily on the top-seller list, viz., Da Vinci code nonsense, Bart Ehrman, re-packaged Joseph Campbell's (who just re-heated stock objections refuted more than a century ago himself) mythic-similarity-implies-identity arguments (and saying 'similarity' is being generous when you get done reading what N.T. scholars Komoszewski, Sawyer, and Wallace have to say about it), etc. The authors spend little time telling stories, writing conversationally, and using filler to make the book more reader friendly. What you get here is a barrage of fact, after fact, after fact. If you've heard it at the water cooler lately, it's discussed in here. Obviously it is somewhat introductory since so many facts are discussed in 258 pages. But, with about 70 pages of end notes, as well as a further reading list to go along with each chapter, you definitely will be able to do more detailed follow up study if you need to on any one of the issues they discuss. I would add that, with the above caveat, the information in the book is enough to embarrass almost any claim your friend might make after (say) reading the Da Vinci code, or other novel speculations. Good book.
June 27, 2021
3 stars [Humanism]
(W: 2.88, U: 3, T: 3.25)
Exact 3.04 stars.
In some ways a lay-version and summary of other writings. 100 pages are a lay-version of Metzger's The Text of the New Testament. Valuable summaries of older works are stood up against vacuous, modern attacks by historically illiterate people like Dan Brown.
//Writing: 2.5, with flourishes of quotable 3.5 and 4.
//Use: 3. Worthy underlinings.
//Truth: 3-3.5 = 3.25.
(W: 2.88, U: 3, T: 3.25)
Exact 3.04 stars.
In some ways a lay-version and summary of other writings. 100 pages are a lay-version of Metzger's The Text of the New Testament. Valuable summaries of older works are stood up against vacuous, modern attacks by historically illiterate people like Dan Brown.
//Writing: 2.5, with flourishes of quotable 3.5 and 4.
//Use: 3. Worthy underlinings.
//Truth: 3-3.5 = 3.25.
May 25, 2014
This book was hard to get through - but I finished it. The problem was its polemic, apologist stance and tone. The risk with an argumentative book like this is, the reader doesn't care about the bickering between orthodox Christians and more skeptical scholars as much as what history can tell us about Jesus and his mission. Tell me a good story - not how your orthodoxy is correct!
The best chapters, I thought, were the more theologically driven (rather than historical). Again though, the problem was, I didn't always agree with their theological assumptions, e.g., the traditional view of the Trinity.
Oh well - I'm sure the book is a comfort to orthodox Christians looking for a reason not to read more historical scholarship!
The best chapters, I thought, were the more theologically driven (rather than historical). Again though, the problem was, I didn't always agree with their theological assumptions, e.g., the traditional view of the Trinity.
Oh well - I'm sure the book is a comfort to orthodox Christians looking for a reason not to read more historical scholarship!
September 29, 2015
A great and enjoyable book to read that I did not want to put it down.
It is good and respectful.
I loved the section on Textual Criticism (Part 2), it gave me more interest to pursue more books on this subject.
Part 5, about Christianity supposedly borrowed from Paganism was laughable to read. Not because the authors were not able to address the issue, but it is amazing for skeptics to find parallels from Paganism with the virgin birth, the resurrection and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, an awesome book, go ahead and read it!
It is good and respectful.
I loved the section on Textual Criticism (Part 2), it gave me more interest to pursue more books on this subject.
Part 5, about Christianity supposedly borrowed from Paganism was laughable to read. Not because the authors were not able to address the issue, but it is amazing for skeptics to find parallels from Paganism with the virgin birth, the resurrection and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, an awesome book, go ahead and read it!
June 8, 2017
Super read and a super apologetic.
March 17, 2025
A very good, thoughtful defense of the Biblical record against several lines of attack by modern scholarship. The authors, primarily associated with Dallas Theological Seminary, defend the reliability of Scripture--primarily the New Testament--from these challenges:
- The gospels are not trustworthy because the story changed so much before being written down, and much in the gospels was added far later by Jesus' followers. This challenge is best represented by the work of last century's "Jesus Seminar."
- The text of the New Testament has thousands upon thousands of variations and it's impossible to know what the originals said. It's not a trust worthy text. This challenge is primarily represented by modern textual scholars like Bart Ehrman.
- The canon of the New Testament was set 400-600 years after Christ; there's no good reason some books were included and others excluded, a common and recurring challenge of scholarship since at least the 19th century and probably before.
- That Christ's divinity was an invention of his followers 300 years later at the Council of Nicea, a challenge to Christian theology throughout its history.
- And finally, that the story of Christ is borrowed from pagan god-man myths that predate Jesus.
The authors go into significant detail of several chapters on each subject. Though scholars, they try--and mostly succeed--to make their argument accessible to people outside of the academy and write in a lively style that keeps the reader engaged.
In the end, they remind us that our faith is founded on real historical events that are knowable through trustworthy texts--our faith has significant content that can be defended, even in today's world of scholarship.
Highly recommended.
- The gospels are not trustworthy because the story changed so much before being written down, and much in the gospels was added far later by Jesus' followers. This challenge is best represented by the work of last century's "Jesus Seminar."
- The text of the New Testament has thousands upon thousands of variations and it's impossible to know what the originals said. It's not a trust worthy text. This challenge is primarily represented by modern textual scholars like Bart Ehrman.
- The canon of the New Testament was set 400-600 years after Christ; there's no good reason some books were included and others excluded, a common and recurring challenge of scholarship since at least the 19th century and probably before.
- That Christ's divinity was an invention of his followers 300 years later at the Council of Nicea, a challenge to Christian theology throughout its history.
- And finally, that the story of Christ is borrowed from pagan god-man myths that predate Jesus.
The authors go into significant detail of several chapters on each subject. Though scholars, they try--and mostly succeed--to make their argument accessible to people outside of the academy and write in a lively style that keeps the reader engaged.
In the end, they remind us that our faith is founded on real historical events that are knowable through trustworthy texts--our faith has significant content that can be defended, even in today's world of scholarship.
Highly recommended.
June 18, 2022
This is a book that every educationally-motivated Christian should read. The book deals with crucial topics and written in a highly accessible style. What may make it difficult reading for some is that the subject matter may be completely unknown to the reader. For example, many Christians may not have heard of the terms “literary criticism,� “source criticism,� or “biblical criticism.� But this discipline heavily figures in understanding questions about the reliability of Scripture.
This book should be required reading for budding apologists of the Christian faith.
This book should be required reading for budding apologists of the Christian faith.
May 13, 2024
Have you been challenged by skeptics on the accuracy of historical Jesus, the integrity of the scriptures through the centuries, or what the early church believed? This book compares what we know about these topics to what we know about history in general and definitively proves that if we don't believe the the integrity of the bible we shouldn't believe any recorded history before the printing press! It's a fairly easy read and a resource you'll want to keep.
March 9, 2021
Dense but very readable. It tackles and answers well all the common critiques about the reliability of the Gospels and beliefs about Jesus, without being flippant at all. Well cited with plenty of endnotes and a great bibliography.
March 3, 2023
This is my first time reading a book on Christian Apologetics. It is for the common reader (especially for the common Christian like myself) and is an absolute must-read: the authors articulate their arguments in a really good way.
November 25, 2023
This book was put out in the wake of Bart Erhman’s “Misquoting Jesus� and Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code.� It is a series of essays from a few gents who are well familiar with the topic. Some essays were particularly good and others made me slap my forehead like Ricky Ricardo.
August 5, 2024
It's interesting reading these artifacts when The DaVinci Code and the Gospel of Judas were all the rage. I would definitely recommend this to people who get caught up even now in all the internet conspiracies and misinformation about earliest Christianity.
February 28, 2018
Good Knowledge to Have
Reading this book was an assignment but I enjoyed it very much. Give it a try, you’ll like it too.
Reading this book was an assignment but I enjoyed it very much. Give it a try, you’ll like it too.
March 16, 2022
Great and simple apologetic book. The part about textual criticism is among the best introductory texts about the topic. The parts about the canon and the council of Nicea are well-written!
July 27, 2022
really well-researched and love the summaries at the end of each chapter.
October 30, 2022
This is technically an apologetics book, which I do not like apologetics but! This book heavily looked at how the biblical canon was created which I found deeply interesting
January 26, 2024
If anyone is looking for a concise volume of practical Christian apologetics I would highly recommend this book. Buy two copies and give one to a friend/loved-one.
July 3, 2020
If you have heard the falsehood that Christianity is just another iteration of other religious myths, then you *need* to read this book. It will clear all those misconceptions away in a hurry.
January 19, 2023
8/10
the author states that this book will probably be unlike any book you’ve read, and that held true until the very end! it’s encouraging to know where the Bible comes from, and to understand how the arguments against it fall short. very information heavy but well worth reading!
the author states that this book will probably be unlike any book you’ve read, and that held true until the very end! it’s encouraging to know where the Bible comes from, and to understand how the arguments against it fall short. very information heavy but well worth reading!
November 27, 2021
Loved how the writers, being eminent biblical scholars, didn't shy away from facing all sorts of accusations against Christianity. Liked the way they start every chapter with an actual accusation by some writer or novelist & then proceed to thoroughly debunk & disprove the claims based on strong (verifiable) evidence.
March 31, 2016
I read this book a couple of years ago because a friend who is a Bible translator and New Testament scholar gave it to me as a gift.
It's a terrific book! Well-written and not nearly as boring as some history/scholarly books I've read on New Testament authenticity. I learned a few things I didn't already know. I thought it was a good antidote to the ridiculous number of anti-Christ books flooding the book store shelves these days. The scholarship of this book as what really reached me. There are lots of people with an opinion about the Bible, trying to discredit it based on one or two points that they disagree with, but this book meticulously deals in actual verifiable facts. Although I was unfamiliar with two of the authors, the friend who gave me the book studied under Daniel Wallace, so that added validity to the claims of scholarship.
It's a terrific book! Well-written and not nearly as boring as some history/scholarly books I've read on New Testament authenticity. I learned a few things I didn't already know. I thought it was a good antidote to the ridiculous number of anti-Christ books flooding the book store shelves these days. The scholarship of this book as what really reached me. There are lots of people with an opinion about the Bible, trying to discredit it based on one or two points that they disagree with, but this book meticulously deals in actual verifiable facts. Although I was unfamiliar with two of the authors, the friend who gave me the book studied under Daniel Wallace, so that added validity to the claims of scholarship.
July 4, 2015
In today’s world, many books are being published that redefine Jesus in many ways. Skeptics attempt to make Him something He is not, the literal Son of God. They try to refute the Bible story, stating that it is made up or misquoted with errors. This book written by noted Bible scholars, explains why the current translations are almost 100% accurate. Effectively there are no doctrinal errors and the books in the New Testament were written by contemporaries while many other contemporaries were still living and would have refuted the books if they were filled with errors. I found the book thorough and easy to understand.
January 1, 2016
Ed Komoszewski and Daniel Wallace present a well informed and balanced reason/logic around New Testament Textual Criticism and build a substantial case concluding that the New Testament Manuscript evidence possessed today proves beyond a fair, reasonable doubt that the New Testament we possess today is the same New Testament the original authors penned. They write in an accessible style and language missing in much writing by scholars in the field. This is a good antidote to the fallacious arguments and statements posited by folks such as Dan Brown, Bart Ehrman and others.
June 30, 2012
This book is just generally well written and informative, and accessible to practically any lay person who is relatively mature in their faith. Particularly helpful is the chapter which discusses how the different greek and hebrew manuscripts are compiled into what is eventually translated into our english bible. The principles lead one to have great faith in the transmission of the original message through the necessary process that puts God's word in our hands and hearts.
August 17, 2010
This was a very eye opening book exposing many of the modern attacks against Christ and Christianity. Too many fine points to highlight, so suffice it to say, it is well worth reading to grasp how the modern media, Hollywood, and "scholars" are reinterpreting historical events. Read my more detailed comments on my blog at
June 29, 2012
For the Christian this is a good overview on the origins of Christianity regarding textual transmission, canonicity of the New Testament books and was Jesus derived from myth making. The authors are knowledgeable in their field and provide a sufficient amount of material for the believer to understand the problem and satisfactory answers.
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