FROM THE PUBLISHER

The death of Jesus is one of the most hotly debated questions in Christianity today. In his massive and highly publicized The Death of the Messiah, Raymond Brown - while clearly rejecting anti-Semitism - never questions the essential historicity of the passion stories. Yet it is these stories, in which the Jews decide Jesus' execution, that have fueled centuries of Christian anti-Semitism. Now, in his most controversial book, John Dominic Crossan shows that this traditional understanding of the Gospels as historical fact is not only wrong but dangerous. Drawing on the best of biblical, anthropological, sociological, and historical research, he demonstrates definitively that it was the Roman government that tried and executed Jesus as a social agitator. Crossan also candidly addresses such key theological questions as "Did Jesus die for our sins?" and "Is our faith in vain if there was no bodily resurrection?" Ultimately, however, Crossan's radical reexamination shows that the belief that the Jews killed Jesus is an early Christian myth (directed against rival Jewish groups) that must be eradicated from authentic Christian faith.

FROM THE CRITICS

Susannah Heschel

Anyone concerned with the rising tide of anti-Semitism, anyone fascinated by the origins of Christianity, and anyone who likes a good mystery will love this book.

Arthur Hertzberg

Intellectually convincing and brilliantly written. It is essential reading.

Jack T. Sanders - Society of Biblical Literature

Scholars of early Christianity should not ignore this book merely because of its intended audience. While probably no one will agree with all Crossan's conclusions, he certainly chips away at the two-source theory sufficiently to force everyone to realize that the origins of the canonical Gospels are surely more complicated than we are oftentimes wont to think; and he does score some telling points...

Jack T. Sanders - Society of Biblical Literature

Scholars of early Christianity should not ignore this book merely because of its intended audience. While probably no one will agree with all Crossan's conclusions, he certainly chips away at the two-source theory sufficiently to force everyone to realize that the origins of the canonical Gospels are surely more complicated than we are oftentimes wont to think; and he does score some telling points...

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING